Tigers in semis 7th year in row
Face Upper St. Clair after lopsided win
North Allegheny already was one of the WPIAL’s premier girls basketball programs when Spencer Stefko took over before the 2015-16 season. Meanwhile, Stefko already was one of the most-respected coaches in the district after successful stints at Chartiers Valley and Seton LaSalle.
Five years later, Stefko and the Tigers look like a match made in heaven.
North Allegheny (20-3) used a balanced offensive attack and a steady barrage of 3-pointers to reach its seventh consecutive WPIAL semifinal, cruising past Baldwin (12-10) Friday night at Chartiers Valley for a 65-46 win. The Tigers are now one win away from advancing to a fifth consecutive WPIAL championship game, a streak that began in Stefko’s first season at North Allegheny.
Junior Lizzy Groetsch and freshman Jasmine Timmerson led the way with 16 points apiece for North Allegheny, while junior Paige Morningstar finished with 14.
“The thing that’s easy to be proud of is, we don’t have a selfish kid,” Stefko said. “We got good shots tonight, and that’s hard to do against a good defensive team. Give [Baldwin] credit for bringing it defensively, but we moved the ball crisply.”
The Tigers displayed their dominance early, jumping to a 16-2 lead as all five starters scored in the game’s opening minutes. Highlanders junior Alexis Bernotas hit a 3pointer late in the first quarter to cut North Allegheny’s lead to single digits, but the Tigers continued to add to their advantage in the second.
Plenty of underclassmen got into the act for North Allegheny, as Timmerson and sophomores Taylor
Rawls and Emma Fischer took turns knocking down 3-pointers. Morningstar joined in on the action as well, helping the Tigers carry a 40-20 lead into the break.
“I’m just having a lot of fun,” Timmerson said. “I know I can trust my teammates. A lot of them have been here before. I look up to them. They know what they’re doing, and it makes me feel more comfortable. I think it helps me relax and play better.”
After a relatively quiet first half by her standards, Groetsch decided to get more involved in the scoring in the second half — though not by design. She scored 12 of her 16 points in the second half while still facilitating open shots for her teammates and getting timely steals on defense.
“I don’t think I had a different mind-set,” Groetsch said. “I kind of just did whatever came to me. Other people were open tonight, and [passing] was just the right play.”
Thanks to Groetsch’s efficient all-around performance, North Allegheny’s lead ballooned to 54-26 after three quarters. The Tigers then coasted through the fourth quarter with Baldwin doing most of its damage in the final two minutes against North Allegheny’s reserves.
Now, the Tigers will face Upper St. Clair Tuesday with a chance to punch their ticket to the WPIAL championship game for the fifth year in a row. Stefko, though, is quick to point out that the foundation for the program’s success was well in place before he arrived.
“It was here. It was here before we got here,” Stefko said. “It’s just fun to be a part of. These kids have taken me to special places, and I’m looking forward to Tuesday. Not thinking about anything other than Tuesday.
“I just like rolling into a gym with these kids. It’s just special to be a part of.”