Solid start: LH girls open WPIAL playoffs with 65-39 home win
Aryianna Sumpter scored the first five points of the game and Laurel Highlands survived early foul trouble for a 65-29 victory over visiting Quaker Valley Tuesday night in the first round of the WPIAL Class AAAA girls basketball playoffs.
“Our goal was not to keep it close. They’re a team if you let them keep it close, it gets their confidence up,” explained Laurel Highlands coach Stewart Davis. “Our goal was to put them away early. My expectation was to win by 30 or more, and we got it done.”
Laurel Highlands (19-2) advances to the quarterfinals with a road game at fourth-seeded Highlands on Friday. Highlands (16-6) had a bye.
“We have some prepping to do.It’s a quick turnaround,” said Davis. “They’re guard heavy, so our inside presence should play a part. They will try to speed us up, try to press us and speed up our guards.
“As long as we take care of the ball and get the ball inside, we should be fine.”
The victory guarantees Laurel Highlands at least two games with a semifinal appearance with a victory or dropping into the consolation bracket with a loss for one of the six PIAA spots.
Laurel Highlands slowed after the fast start and Quaker Valley (5-16) slowly edged back into the game, especially after Aierra Jenkins picked up her second foul at 3:54.
Jenkins finished with 13 points despite playing in foul trouble.
Laurel Highlands held for the last shot of the first quarter with a 12-11 lead. Miya Harris knocked down a 3-pointer for a 15-11 lead.
The Fillies steadily pulled away in the second quarter. Jenkins’ hustling play to save a loose ball under the basket transitioned into a 3-point jumper by Taylor Irwin and a 23-13 lead, leading Quaker Valley to call a timeout.
As she had done the first quarter, Harris nailed another 3-pointer in the waning seconds of the first half.
Laurel Highlands outscored the visitors in the second quarter, 20-3, for a 35-14 halftime lead, despite having three players with three fouls apiece.
“I told my players it was going to be a guard game. Once we started knocking down the shots, I knew the middle was going to open up,” said Davis, adding, “Tonight, was an outside-in game.”
Quaker Valley had one minor spurt in the third quarter, but Davis called a timeout to settle the troops. Harris made her third 3-pointer in the closing seconds of a quarter to give Laurel Highlands a 52-25 lead.
Harris made 6-of-8 three-point attempts to finish with a game-high 24 points.
“Miya is a knock out. When she’s hot, she’s hot,” said Davis.
Sumpter finished with 22 points after her quick start.
The Fillies made a 3-pointer on their first possession of the fourth quarter to invoke the mercy rule.
Quaker Valley featured Oumou Thiero, a 6-3 sophomore. With Laurel Highlands’ two big girls in early foul trouble, Davis turned to 5-9 freshman Taylor Schwertfeger to defend the big girl.
Thiero finished with 21 points before fouling out.
“A lot of calls went their way in the first half. I had three girls go into halftime with three fouls.
Taylor (Schwertfeger) and Righteous (Richardson), they’re stoppers. They’re quick on their feet,” praised Davis. “When (Thiero) gets to the post, our goal was to double that. She got a few in there, but that’s going to happen.
“But, overall, Taylor did a great job on her.”