Sophomore turns Page for Colts
Showdown turns into a blowout as Chartiers Valley keeps streak alive
Chartiers Valley girls basketball coach Tim McConnell doesn’t want to talk about his team’s 40-game winning streak, but that streak was on virtually everybody’s mind inside North Catholic’s gymnasium Saturday afternoon as the WPIAL’s top-ranked team in Class 5A ventured into hostile territory for a marquee matchup against the Class 4A No. 1 Trojanettes.
By halftime, it was clear the Colts winning streak was no longer in jeopardy. By the end of the third quarter, the highly anticipated showdown had revealed to be a mismatch. And by the end of the game, a new star was born in the form of Chartiers Valley sophomore forward Perri Page, who scored a career-high 27 points to lead the Colts (10-0) to a commanding 72-44 win.
“We played extremely well today. They didn’t shoot it as well. I’ve seen them play, I know how good they are,” Chartiers Valley coach Tim McConnell said. “But when we play like this, we’re tough to beat.”
Page, the daughter of former Pitt basketball star Julius Page, shot 9 of 16 from the floor, including 4 of 5 from 3point range. She also pulled down 12 rebounds and scored all 27 of her points in the first three quarters of a captivating all-around performance.
Meanwhile, Colts sophomore Aislin Malcolm chipped in 24 points on 10-of-17 shooting while knocking down 4 of 8 3pointers.
“I was just in my head a little bit these past few games, so I knew I had to show out and have fun,” Page said. “Just [had to] get my mind loose and clear my mind, and I started hitting those shots and I felt better.”
Chartiers Valley star senior point guard Megan McConnell finished with only nine points, but she was content to let her teammates handle the scoring while focusing most of her energy on the defensive end, where she held North Catholic star Tess Myers to just three points. Fellow star senior Kylee Lewandowski led the Trojanettes with 15 points.
“[McConnell] guards the ball. She may be small, but she’s very feisty, and she guarded Tess really well,” Page said. “She’s a great leader and she always knows how to talk us up.”
From the opening tip, the Colts ballhandling and shooting prowess coupled with their shutdown defense made life miserable for North Catholic and its fans. Lewandowski didn’t score her first point until about 11 minutes into the game, while Page didn’t miss a shot until midway through the second quarter.
The Trojanettes had plenty of open looks, but just couldn’t get their shots to fall, making just 5 of 29 in the first half while converting only 1 of 13 3-point attempts. Chartiers Valley, on the other hand, couldn’t have been more consistent, shooting 13 of 28 in the first half and 14 of 28 in the second.
“Today obviously was not how we wanted it to go. Part of that is because they’re so good. There’s a reason they’re on the streak they’re on,” North Catholic coach Molly Rottman said. “Their defense caused us issues, and I didn’t think we did a great job defensively ourselves.
“I would play them again … it’s only going to make us better playing against teams like that.”
The game was all but decided by halftime as the Colts took a 39-16 lead into the break, and Page had as many points at the half as North Catholic’s entire team. It was the same story going into the final quarter as Chartiers Valley led, 6327, while Page already had scored 27 for the Colts.
“Our team, unlike any other team, moves the ball really well. We don’t worry about how many points each individual has,” Malcolm said. “It’s more about just winning as a team.”