Dec 29, 2023 By the Herald-Standard 7 min read

Jamire Braxton poured in a game-high 26 points and Uniontown stayed perfect on the season by defeating Downingtown West, 74-50, in boys basketball action at the Central Valley Roundball Holiday Classic on Thursday.

The Red Raiders, who improved to 8-0, also put three other players in double figures with Calvin Winfrey III scoring 19 points, followed by Notorious Grooms (11) and Isaac Ellsworth (10).

Uniontown led 20-13, 43-27 and 63-39 at the quarter breaks.

Donovan Fromhartz led Downingtown (5-5) with 21 points and Zeke Staz had 15.

Southmoreland 60, East Allegheny 42 – Ty Keffer scored a game-high 18 points to help the Scotties stay undefeated with a win over the Wild Cats at the Charleroi Holiday Tournament.

Noah Felentzer contributed 12 points for Southmoreland (9-0).

Troy Anderson and Max Schwer had 14 and 13 points for East Allegheny.

West Greene 49, Brownsville 39 – The Pioneers broke a drought of over two decades without winning a tournament title by defeating the Falcons in the championship game of the Bentworth Holiday Hoops Classic.

Tournament MVP Lane Allison rang up a game-high 20 points and Patrick Durbin, who was also named to the All-Tournament team, chipped in with 10 for West Greene (5-4).

Coach Jim Romanus’ Pioneers built a 24-9 halftime lead and stayed in control the rest of the way.

Trent Wible and Harlan Davis were selected to the All-Tournament team for Brownsville (5-5).

Carrick 48, Bentworth 38 – The Raiders fought back from a 25-20 halftime deficit to top the host Bearcats in the Bentworth Holiday Hoops Classic consolation game.

Ray Saunders had 19 points and Kelenn Ward added 11 for Carrick (3-5), which put one player, Brayden Fisher, on the All-Tournament team.

Chris Harper sank four 3-pointers in tallying 19 points and Ben Hays, who also was chosen for the All-Tournament team, scored 14 points for Bentworth (1-7).

Belle Vernon 65, South Park 46 – Zion Moore rained in eight 3-pointers in racking up 40 points as the Leopards triumphed over the Eagles at the Charleroi Holiday Tournament.

Curtis Wade added 11 points for Belle Vernon (4-1) which also got 10 rebounds and five blocked shots from Tommy Davis.

Luke Scarff had 19 points for South Park (4-4).

Ringgold 59, California 39 – Darryl Tolliver scored a game-high 19 points in the Rams’ win over the Trojans at the Charleroi Holiday Tournament.

Aidan Angotti and Szyair Dungee followed with 12 and 10 points, respectively, for Ringgold (3-6).

Caden Monticelli was the top scorer for California (0-8) with 10 points.

Charleroi 60, Frazier 48 – Jackson Keranko scored 20 points and Bryce Large tossed in 19 as the Cougars put an end to the Commodores’ five-game winning streak with a win at the Charleroi Holiday Tournament.

Joel Chambers chipped in with 11 points for Charleroi (4-5).

Brennen Stewart paced Frazier (5-4) with 10 points.

Monessen 73, Winchester Thurston 59 – The Greyhounds fell behind 18-14 after one quarter before surging ahead in the second quarter and pulling away in the second half in beating Winchester Thursday at the Delvin Miller Memorial Tournament.

Lorenzo Gardner led all scorers with 21 points for Monessen (6-1), which also got 18 points from Devontae Robinson, 16 points from Rodney Johnson and 12 points from Tyvaughn Kershaw.

Henry McComb had 12 points and Anthony Pipken had 11 for the Bears (4-4).

Clairton 81, Geibel Catholic 29 – Taris Wooding tossed in 19 points as the Bears beat the Gators at the South Allegheny Holiday Tournament.

Michael Ruffin chipped in with 10 points for Clairton (5-5).

Gary Tarbuk topped Geibel (0-8) in scoring with 13 points.

Elizabeth Forward 63, South Allegheny 61 -Isaiah Turner scored a game-high 20 points and Tyler Basic hit a game-winning 3-pointer in the final secords as the Warriors edged the host Gladiators at the South Allegheny Holiday Tournament.

Charlie Meelieb and Cy Herchelroath tallied 14 and 11 points for EF (7-1).

Drew Cook led South Allegheny (7-1) with 15 points and was followed by Jeston Beatty (14), Cam Epps (13) and Josh Jackowski (10).

Yough 64, Jeannette 62 – Terek Crosby ripped the nets for 28 points to help the Cougars survive a battle against the Jayhawks at the Greensburg Salem Tournament.

Austin Matthews dropped in 18 points for Yough (6-3) which also got 12 points from Zander Aird.

Jeannette (7-3) was led by Markus McGowan’s 25 points. Isaiah Mallich (17) and Kymone Brown (13) also hit double figures in scoring for the Jayhawks.

Girls basketball

Laurel Highlands 54, Washington 16 – The undefeated Fillies galloped out to a 25-0 lead in the first quarter and cruised home from there for a victory over the Lady Prexies at the Christmas Clash at the Corral.

Laurel Highlands, which improved to 8-0 under second-year coach Stewart Davis, were led by Ayrianna Sumpter, who totaled 12 points, eight rebounds and four steals, and Miya Harris, who contributed 12 points, four boards and two steals.

The host Fillies also got 10 points, four rebounds and two steals from Taylor Irwin and eight points, 10 rebounds and four steals from Aierra Jenkins.

Washington fell to 2-4.

South Side Beaver 59, Bentworth 27 – Tournament MVP Bailey Strinisa tallied 33 points as the Lady Rams defeated the host Lady Bearcats in the final of the Bentworth Holiday Hoops Classic.

Amber Sallee scored seven points for Bentworth (3-7) which also got 11 rebounds from Jesse Laskey.

Sallee and teammate Ava Massucci were named to the All-Tournament team as was Eden Schnier for South Side Beaver (6-5).

Ringgold 61, Propel Montour 30 – Alexa Jolly led the way with 16 points as the Lady Rams topped Propel Montour in the Bentworth Holiday Hoops Classic consolation game.

Ringgold (3-6) trailed 30-28 at halftime but outscored the Lady Legends 33-11 in the second half.

Jada Gernot added 14 points and Naomi McNary had 11 points for the Lady Rams.

McNary and Propel Montour’s Ka’Niya Barbour were both selected to the All-Tournament team.

Mapletown 41, Turkeyfoot Valley 33 – The Lady Maples surged to a 23-15 halftime lead and made it stand up to earn the win over the visiting Lady Rams at the Mapletown Christmas Tournament.

Isabella Garnek tossed in a game-high 16 points for Mapletown (3-5) which also got six rebounds and five steals from Treslee Weston and seven steals from Marley Shiflett.

Maleigha Younkin led Turkeyfoot (4-4) with 13 points.

Aquinas Academy 51, Belle Vernon 16 – The Lady Crusaders charged out to a 27-7 advantage in the first quarter and never looked back in beating the Lady Leopars at the Cal U Hoopfest.

Emily Fisher and Tess Duez led Aquinas Academy (9-1) with 12 and 10 points.

Caroline Lee had six points and eight rebounds for Belle Vernon (4-5).

Big Walnut (Ohio) 57, Waynesburg Central 15 – The Golden Eagles outscored the Lady Raiders 32-2 in the second half on the way to a victory in the KSA Tournament in Kissimmee, Florida.

Remy Largent had 19 points and Denza Allen added 11 for Big Walnut (9-2).

Kaley Rohanna scored seven points to lead Waynesburg, which suffered its first loss of the season in falling to 8-1.

Beth-Center 59, Charleroi 46 – Emma Shashura’s 22-point effort propelled the Lady Bulldogs past the Lady Cougars at Laurel Highlands’ Christmas Clash at the Corral.

K.J. McDaniel and Lauren Brown added 11 and 10 points, respectively for Beth-Center (4-4).

Bella Carroto led all scorers with 24 points for Charleroi (4-2) which also got 11 points from Riley Jones.

Elizabeth Forward 70, Seton LaSalle 55 – Alyssa Terza scored 10 points as the Lady Warriors knocked off the Lady Rebels in the championship game of the Betsy Invitational.

Also notching double digits in scoring for EF (6-2) were Michelle Jellison (17), Kaelynn Settles (13) and Chloe Zombek (11).

Mallory Daly paced Seton LaSalle with 18 points.

Greensburg Salem 48, Mount Pleasant 36 – The Lady Lions (9-1) got 15 points from Kaitlyn Mankins and 12 from Ashlyn Price in defeating the host Lady Vikings at the Mount Pleasant Tournament.

Riley Gesinski led the way for Mount Pleasant (7-3) with 14 points and Kayla Rumbaugh chipped in with 11.