Lady Raiders top Charleroi, remain alone in first
news@greenecountymessenger.com
CHARLEROI — Waynesburg Central maintained its one-game lead over Yough and South Park in the Section 4-AAA girls basketball standings with a 64-55 win at Charleroi on Jan. 26.
Kaley Rohanna scored a game-high 26 points to lead the way for the Lady Raiders (5-1, 14-2).
A win by the Lady Cougars would’ve created a four-way tie for the top spot in the section.
“They are a good team and well-coached, and this is a big win for us,” said Waynesburg coach Chris Minerd. “I feel we played a great defensive game and tried to keep Boots (McKenna DeUnger) and Bella (Carroto) in check.
“They are going to get theirs, but we wanted to make them work for it and make other players make plays.”
DeUnger (20) and Carroto (17) combined for 37 points.
“We have six players and they have been fighting until the end,” said Charleroi coach Mariah Ward whose team fell to 3-3 in the section and 8-7 overall. “We have to fight for a playoff spot and win out the rest of the schedule.”
The fourth-place Lady Cougars now sit two games behind Waynesburg, one game behind Yough and South Park and one game in front of McGuffey with four section games remaining.
“They made a lot of easy shots inside (early) against us,” Ward said. “We told our players we need to front the post. We didn’t rebound in the first half.”
Waynesburg led 19-12 after one quarter and 33-25 at the half, and while it seemed the Lady Raiders were in control, Charleroi battled back. A DeUnger basket cut the lead to 40-38 with 3:04 to go in the third.
The Lady Cougars had chances to go ahead, but it wasn’t to be as Rohanna scored seven straight points for the Lady Raiders to end the quarter and give her team a 47-40 lead heading into the fourth.
“We cut it down to two, but something would happen, a turnover would happen, or a bad shot would happen,” Ward said.
Charleroi tried to get back into the game late, but the Lady Raiders made six of eight free throw attempts down the stretch to seal the game.
Rohanna was joined in double figures by Addison Blair (11), Emma Kindervater (11) and Josie Horne (10).
“I always preach balance,” Minerd said.
“(Rohanna) is our leading scorer and makes things happen with her athleticism. I have the utmost respect for Charleroi, and we are going to battle them for years because neither one of us have a senior.”
Both teams return to section play Monday as Waynesburg hosts McGuffey while Charleroi heads to Yough.