South Side battles past gallant Lady Commodores
Rob Burchianti | 蘑菇视频
Frazier蘑菇视频 Sierra Twigg (22) works to put up a shot despite being pushed by South Side蘑菇视频 Emilee Boyd (30) during Friday night蘑菇视频 WPIAL Class AA first-round playoff game at Trinity. Twigg scored 20 points but the Lady Commodores lost, 61-47.
Rob Burchianti | 蘑菇视频
Frazier蘑菇视频 Kaelyn Shaporka (10) pulls down a rebound between South Side蘑菇视频 Lex Konopko (20) and Emilee Boyd (30) during Friday night蘑菇视频 WPIAL Class AA first-round playoff game at Trinity.
Rob Burchianti | 蘑菇视频
Frazier蘑菇视频 Sierra Twigg (22) releases a shot while South Side蘑菇视频 Lex Konopko (20) and Emilee Boyd (30) defend during their WPIAL Class AA first-round playoff game at Trinity on Feb. 14. Twigg has been selected to the FCCA Girls Basketball Recognition Team.
Frazier's McKenzie Miller (left) and South Side's Sydney Payne (23) battle for a rebound during a WPIAL Class AA first-round playoff game at Trinity on Feb. 14.
Frazier's Kaelyn Shaporka shoots a 3-pointer against South Side聽during Friday night's WPIAL Class AA first-round playoff game at Trinity. Shaporka scored 16 points but the Lady Commodores lost, 61-47.
Frazier coach Winston Shaulis shouts advice to his players as they play South Side聽during a WPIAL Class AA first-round playoff game at Trinity on Feb. 14.
Frazier's Lindsey Somers (15) defends against South Side's Emily Bailey聽during Friday night's WPIAL Class AA first-round playoff game at Trinity.
Frazier's Sierra Twigg (22) shots a baseline jumper over South Side's Emilee Boyd (30)聽during Friday night's WPIAL Class AA first-round playoff game at Trinity.
Frazier coach Winston Shaulis talks to his players during a time out in Friday night's聽WPIAL Class AA first-round playoff game against South Side at Trinity.
Frazier's Lindsey Somers (15) puts up a shot from inside against South Side聽during Friday night's WPIAL Class AA first-round playoff game at Trinity.
WASHINGTON 鈥� South Side Area entered Friday night蘑菇视频 WPIAL Class A girls basketball playoff game with a much higher seed and a much better record than Frazier.
The Lady Commodores weren鈥檛 one bit intimidated, however.
Frazier battled the fifth-seeded Lady Rams tooth and nail all night before a seven-point run midway through the fourth quarter broke a 43-43 tie and propelled South Side to a 61-47 victory in a first-round game at Trinity High School.
Sydney Payne scored a game-high 27 points to help the Lady Rams (16-7) advance to the quarterfinals where they will play No. 4 Laurel on Thursday with the site and time to be determined.
鈥淲e had never played Frazier. They played a really, really good game,鈥� said Debbie Wilson, co-head coach of South Side along with her husband Dave Wilson. 鈥淲e just never seemed to be able to get a rhythm going.鈥�
The 12th-seeded Lady Commodores (9-14) never trailed in the first quarter. Sierra Twigg scored Frazier蘑菇视频 first five points and it twice built a six-point lead, 14-8 after two free throws by McKenzie Miller and 16-10 after two free throws by Kaelyn Shaporka, before Payne蘑菇视频 3-pointer made it 16-13.
Savannah Bailey蘑菇视频 consecutive 3-pointers sparked a 10-2 run to start the second quarter as the Lady Rams charged to a 23-18 lead. Just when it looked like the tide had turned, the Lady Commodores responded with a 10-5 run, ignited by Twigg蘑菇视频 three baskets, to pull even at 28-28 by halftime.
鈥淚t蘑菇视频 all about momentum and, especially in the first half, they had it for sure,鈥� Wilson said.
鈥淭he girls were prepared,鈥� Frazier first-year coach Winston Shaulis said. 鈥淲e knew the film, we knew the plays they were running, the looks that they had defensively. I thought we exploited their weaknesses really well for a majority of the game.鈥�
Shaporka opened third-quarter scoring with a 3-pointer but South Side answered with a 13-2 run to go up 41-33.
Again the Lady Commodores fought back, scoring the final four points of the third and opening the fourth quarter with a 6-2 run on two straight baskets by Twigg and a pair of free throws by Shaporka to tie it at 43-43.
Bailey followed with a 3-pointer to put South Side back on top and Payne hit four straight foul shots for a 50-43 advantage. Lindsey Somers鈥� 3-pointer cut Frazier蘑菇视频 deficit to five but the Lady Rams put the game away at the foul line, converting nine of 10 free throws down the stretch.
鈥淗ats off to South Side. They played a strong game,鈥� Shaulis said. 鈥淎lthough we鈥檙e disappointed with the outcome, our girls continued to fight and played hard the whole time. I couldn鈥檛 be more proud of them.鈥�
Twigg led the Lady Commodores with 20 points despite battling foul trouble to finish her stellar career with 1,144 points, and also grabbed nine rebounds.
鈥淭hose kids played hard,鈥� she said of Frazier, 鈥渁nd 22 (Twigg) really had a nice game for them.鈥�
Shaporka totaled 16 points, 11 rebounds and three assists. Somers chipped in with six points.
Bailey and Boyd tallied 11 and nine points for South Side.
Frazier recovered from an 0-5 start to the season to qualify for the playoffs by winning seven of its last 12.
鈥淲e did start to peak at the right time. The girls started to buy in. They worked their tails off,鈥� said Shaulis, who returns the bulk of his roster next year.
鈥淲e lose two to graduation with Lindsey Somers and Sierra Twigg. They played their hearts out the whole season.鈥�
WPIAL Girls Basketball Playoff Sum
Frazier聽 聽 聽 聽 聽16-12-9-10 鈥� 47
South Side聽 13-15-13-20 鈥� 61
Frazier: Sierra Twigg 20, Kaelyn Shaporka 16. South Side: Sydney Payne 27, Savannah Bailey 11. Records: Frazier (9-14), South Side (16-7).