Lafko notches 500th career win
It certainly was a big opening night for Coach Joe Lafko and his Hampton Talbots.
In a battle of ranked teams at the North Hills Tournament, Hampton topped Seneca Valley, 66-60, and in the process Lafko picked up the 500th win of his career.
Lafko is in his 33rd year of coaching. Hampton entered the contest ranked No. 4 in WPIAL 4A by the Post-Gazette, while Seneca Valley was ranked No. 4 in 6A.
Peter Kramer, a transfer from Shady Side Academy, led Hampton with 28 points and 8 rebounds.
Hampton will play host to North Hills in the championship game of the tournament.
The Indians belted Perry Traditional Academy, 77-28, behind Division I college prospect Royce Parham’s 22 points.
Other top games
• Former Blackhawk and North Carolina star Dante Calabria made a successful debut as Bethel Park’s head coach, leading the Blackhawks to a 69-42 win against East Allegheny at the South Park Tournament. Ben Guffey led Bethel with 22 points.
• It was raining 3s in Upper St. Clair’s 87- 82 win against Seton-LaSalle at the Upper St. Clair Tournament. The winning Panthers made 16 3-pointers with Nick Sukernek connecting on eight of them and scoring 31 points. Seton-LaSalle’sConnor Spratt also tallied 31 points. USC entered the action ranked No. 5 in 6A, while Seton-LaSalle was ranked No. 3 in 3A.
• Also at the Upper St. Clair Tournament, Fox Chapel, last season’s WPIAL 6A champion, topped Pine-Richland, 50-38. Cam Greilled led the Foxes with 21 points, 6 rebounds and 3 steals.
• Defending City League champion Allderdice opened with an impressive 79-62 win against visiting North Allegheny. Junior guard Logan Golle had a game-high 19 points for Allderdice.
• Laurel Highlands’ dynamic duo of Keondre DeShields and Rodney Gallagher were in good form in the Mustangs’ hard-fought 64-59 win against Mt. Lebanon at the Mt. Lebanon Tournament. DeShields tallied 30 points, Gallagher 24. Mt. Lebanon led 49-46 entering the fourth quarter before Laurel Highlands, ranked No. 2 in 4A, rallied.
• Tim McConnell had a successful debut as Bishop Canevin’s new coach as the Crusaders clipped West Mifflin, 58-32, in the Keystone Oaks Tournament. McConnell won nine WPIAL titles as a head coach at Chartiers Valley
Stars of the night
• Thomas Jefferson’s Evan Berger poured in 42 points, including four 3-pointers, in an 83-63 win against Belle Vernon at the MonValley Invitational at Ringgold.
• Latrobe’s Landon Butler had a double-double -- 28 points, 11 rebounds -- in the Wildcats’ 77-48 win against Richland at the Mountain Cat Tournament at Pitt- Johnstown. Butler also had 7 steals and 6 assists.
• Albert-Gallatin’s Alden Black had five 3-pointers and 29 points in his team’s 8731 thumping of West Greene at the Brownsville Tournament.