Improving Dieruff shooting for district playoff berth

The Dieruff High School girls basketball team upset Liberty and beat Lehighton in the past week to give the Huskies nine wins this season, their most victories since going 10-14 in 2007-08.

“That Liberty win was the biggest win for our program in a long time,” said coach Cathy Piston, a 33-year math teacher at Dieruff who has been head coach for 19 years, spent four years as an assistant and is a former Huskies player.

“We played Liberty tough the first time around when we tied the game with less than two minutes left, but then we didn’t finish. We are young and sometimes we make young mistakes.”

The team’s leading scorer, freshman guard Jayla Rosario (11.9 ppg), scored 13 points in a 34-23 win over the Indians before the Huskies came back from a five-point deficit after three quarters to beat the Hurricanes 52-46. Senior Janiah Staggers (9.7 ppg, 10.5 rpg) scored a career-high 22 points, going 11-for-12 at the free-throw line in that game.

“Jayla is just a natural scorer,” Piston said. “And Janiah is a physical player under the basket.”

Dieruff made 13 of 17 foul shots in the final quarter against Liberty to seal the win as Rosario and sophomore Marisa Price each added 10 points. It was just the Huskies’ third win over the Hurricanes in 27 games over the last 19 seasons.

“Marisa brings the speed element to the game,” Piston said. “She’s undersized for a forward but has an incredible vertical jump. Bryanna is a very big key to our success, and Eliana is a great team player and leader.

“We have multiple scoring options, and our defense generates offense. They are also very good friends on and off the court. Multiple players worked hard in the offseason to improve their games.”

Dieruff (9-11) has to beat both Bethlehem Catholic, a tall task Friday at Becahi, and Monday at home versus Freedom in order to earn a berth into the District 11 Tournament for the first time since 2001 and third time in the last 28 seasons.

The near future, however, looks bright for a program that has finished with a winning record once in the last 29 seasons.

“Right now, there are only five seniors and juniors combined in our program with 23 sophomores and freshmen,” Piston said. “This is my 10th year back since I took some time off.

“When I returned, we didn’t have a feeder program. We started our own. Many of the current younger players are the result of those efforts.”

Sipprell reaches scoring milestone

Quakertown senior Carolyn Sipprell scored 30 points, including her 1,000th career point, in a recent 52-49 overtime victory over Wissahickon. Sipprell used a screen from Katie Catalano at the elbow and scored off an assist from Kayla Sicher in overtime.

“Carolyn has worked hard over the last four years, and the coaching staff and her teammates are very proud of this accomplishment,” coach Brittany Bamford said. “Something that hasn’t been done in many years here. We hope to do an official celebration for her at home next Tuesday.”

District qualifiers

Teams that have earned a District 11 Tournament berth with consecutive seasons qualified with a .500 or better overall or league regular season record: Class 6A – Parkland (15),

Nazareth (11), Easton* (9), Pocono Mountain West (5), Emmaus (3), Liberty (1). 5A – Bangor* (8). 4A – Central Catholic* (51), Bethlehem Catholic (16), Northwestern Lehigh (12). 3A – Notre Dame GP (34), Palmerton* (5), Pen Argyl (3). 2A – Northern Lehigh (4).

*– Schools currently ranked first in district rankings.

EPC notes

Two free throws by Yarian Fernandez in the final seconds propelled Bethlehem Catholic to its second win over Parkland this season, 50-48, in a nonconference game. Cici Hernandez scored 18 points and Kendra Rigo added 12 for the Hawks. Talia Zurinskas led the Trojans with 20 points . ... Liberty came back from its loss to Dieruff with its second win over Becahi this season, 57-49, behind 19 points from freshman Ava Kopetskie. That win could go a long way in getting the Hurricanes into the EPC playoffs for the first time in seven seasons. ... Easton defeated Becahi 55-52 behind 13 points by Evalyse Cole and 12 from Anye’ Staton while the Elias twins, Megan and Mallory, combined for another 20. Mallory has 15 3-pointers in her last five games. Rigo led the Hawks with 20 points.

Parkland defeated Northampton 40-28 behind 21 points from Madi Siggins. Senior Grace Lesko scored 23 of the K-Kids’ 28 points and with 1,300 career points is seven away from moving up to fifth place all-time in Konkrete Kids scoring. ... Molly Driscoll scored 16 points, Sammy Roth 14 and Madi Szoke 10 in Central Catholic’s 60-50 win over Northampton. Lesko scored 27 points for the Konkrete Kids . ... McKayla Strunk scored the game-winning basket with four seconds left and Stroudsburg beat Pocono Mountain East 42-41. Zoe Brown scored 13 points and Maddy Gizzo added 12 for the winners. ... Liberty freshman Ava Kopetskie scored a seasonhigh 21 points in the ‘Canes loss to Dieruff . ... Freshman Gabrielle DeVita scored a season-high 20 points in Emmaus’ 58-36 victory over Allen.

CL notes

Paige Sevrain scored 19 points and Cara Thomas had 11 as Northwestern beat Palmerton 43-40 to tie the Blue Bombers for the best record in the league. The Tigers led 29-17 at the half. Bethie Morgan scored 17 of her 21 points in the second half when Palmerton’s comeback fell just short . ... Emma Altmire, Olivia Schweitzer and Carly Campbell combined for 32 points as Notre Dame tied Bangor for first place in the East Division with a 37-28 victory over the Slaters . ... Bangor sophomore guard Avery Nelson scored a career-high 32 points, four off the school record set 50 years ago, and added eight rebounds in a 54-34 win over Palisades. Lori Dutt set the modern-era school record by scoring 36 twice in a game in the 1971-72 season.

Senior guard Jill Morro scored 28 points on six field goals and 16-for-20 foul shooting in Pen Argyl’s ninth straight victory, 58-32, over Moravian Academy. Pen Argyl’s 16 wins are its most in 13 seasons. Morro unofficially has 406 points this season. Kirby Lutz set the school record with 451 in the 2002-03 season . ... Sophomore Abymmarie Colon scored a career-high 22 points to pace Wilson to its second straight win, 40-35, over Saucon Valley. ... Hailey Jenkins scored 15 and Sophia Becker 13 to lift Catasauqua past Salisbury. The Rough Riders also upset Northern Lehigh, 37-31, behind a combined 29 points from Jenkins, Becker and Delaney Troxell.

The Roughies have won four straight and their nine wins are tied for the most in the last 15 seasons . ... Tula Reihman scored 13 points to pace Salisbury over Kutztown 52-37.

Tom Mugavero is a freelance writer. STANDINGS

Eastern Pennsylvania Conference (overall and division record)

East Division Easton 20-0, 8-0 Nazareth 12-8, 6-2 Liberty 12-8, 5-3 Bethlehem Catholic 12-8, 3-5 Freedom 4-16, 1-7 Dieruff 9-11, 1-7

West Division

Central Catholic 17-3, 7-1Parkland

14-6, 7-1Emmaus 12-8, 5-3Northampton 10-10, 3-5Whitehall 6-13, 2-6Allen 4-16, 0-5

North Division

Pocono Mountain West 18-1, 8-0 Stroudsburg 10-10, 6-2Pocono Mountain East 9-11, 5-3East Stroudsburg South 6-14, 3-5Pleasant Valley 4-152-6 East Stroudsburg North 1-17, 0-8 Colonial League

(overall and league record)

East Division

Bangor 16-4, 13-3Notre Dame 16-4, 13-3 Pen Argyl 16-4, 12-4Moravian Academy 8-12, 6-11Saucon Valley 7-13, 5-11 Wilson 6-14, 3-3Palisades 3-16, 0-15 West Division

Northwestern Lehigh 19-1, 14-1Palmerton 17-3, 14-1Northern Lehigh 13-7, 9-6 Catasauqua 9-11, 6-10Southern Lehigh 5-15, 5-10Salisbury 3-17, 2-13

Others

EEACS 12-6Quakertown 10-10Jim Thorpe 10-9Lehighton 5-15Lincoln Leadership 6-11Tamaqua 5-15Notre Dame ES 2-16

RANKINGS

1. Easton 20-02. Pocono Mountain West 18-13. Central Catholic 17-34. Nazareth 12-85. Liberty 12-86. Bethlehem Catholic 12-87. Parkland 14-68. Northwestern 19-19. Palmerton 17-310. Notre Dame GP 16-4Also in consideration (listed in alphabetical order) – Bangor, Emmaus, Northampton, Pen Argyl.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK Vatijah Davis, Pocono Mountain West

The 6-foot forward scored 20points in a 42-26win over Nazareth and led the Panthers to their 16th straight win with another 20-point game in a victory over East Stroudsburg South as Pocono Mountain West, ranked second in the area, improved to 18-1on the season.

TOP 25 SCORERS

(before Thursday’s games)

Jill Morro, Pen Argyl 20.3Grace Lesko, Northampton 20.2Carolyn Sipprell, Quakertown 19.2Vatijah Davis, Pocono Mountain West 18.4Allison Cort, Saucon Valley 16.1Mackenzie Yuhas, Jim Thorpe 15.4Aubrey Pollard, Northern Lehigh 14.6Madi Siggins, Parkland 14.6Cici Hernandez, Bethlehem Catholic 14.6Talia Zurinskas, Parkland 14.6 Molly Driscoll, Central Catholic 14.3 Ellie Wallbillich, Pen Argyl 13.7Bethie Morgan, Palmerton 13.6Evalyse Cole, Easton 13.4Sofia Ettle, Moravian Academy 13.1Avery Nelson, Bangor 12.6 Layla Hernandez, East Stroudsburg South 12.2Paige Sevrain, Northwestern Lehigh 12.2Hailey Jenkins, Catasauqua 12.1Jayla Rosario, Dieruff 11.9Anye’ Staton, Easton 11.7Ava Kopetskie, Liberty 11.5Sam Baker, Nazareth 10.7 Gabielle DeVita, Emmaus 10.7Paige Inman, Emmaus 10.2