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GAME SUMMARIES

LADY TIGERS ROLL OVER NORTH HILLS, 72-39

Box Score

The Lady Tigers took an 18-6 lead after the first quarter and never looked back as they posted an easy 72-39 victory over rival North Hills on Monday night at the Senior High gym.  Sophomore forward Zoe Calabrese led the way with 16 points as four NA players hit double figures.  Freshman guard Alexis Aiken tallied 13 while junior guard Alysia Libby and sophomore guard Kelly Brennan added 11 each.

Neither team could score in the early going until Brennan was fouled on a drive to the hoop and made both foul shots at the 2:08 mark.  Senior guard Julie Figan added two more free throws a minute later to make it 4-0.  Aiken and Brennan both scored on driving layups to push the margin to 8-0 before Ali Patton scored for the Indians.  Brennan answered with a conventional three-point play and Figan added a triple from beyond the arc to extend the margin to 14-2 with 2:33 left in the quarter.  Emma Wingerd hit a jumper for NH, but Aiken drove for another basket to make it a 16-4 game.  After Julie Havrilla scored on a layup, Libby finished off the first quarter scoring with a hoop to give the Lady Tigers a commanding 18-6 advantage after one quarter of play.

After Brennan drained a trey early in the second quarter, Patton answered for the Indians to cut the margin to 21-8.  Calabrese dropped in her first basket of the game and Libby added one of two from the line to make it 24-8.  Wingerd then scored again for North Hills, but Calabrese had the answer as the score went to 26-10 with 5:24 left in the half.  After Katy Turzak made two free throws, senior guard Dawn Murphy hit two consecutive treys to extend the led to 32-12.  NH's Gabby Marshall hit three free throws and Brennan added one of two from the line as the Lady Tigers took a 33-15 lead to the intermission.

North Hills played NA almost even in the third quarter thanks to nine points by Megan Hans off the Indian bench.  Calabrese scored on a put back early in the third quarter, Murphy hit one of two from the line, Calabrese drove for a basket and Figan made one of two free throws to make it a 39-15 game.  Hans answered with her first hoop of the game with 5:02 left, but it was Calabrese again with her third basket of the quarter to push the margin to 41-17.  Two free throws by Hans and a baseline drive by Patton cut the lead to twenty at 41-21.  After Aiken made two from the line, Hans scored on a put back.  Calabrese scored again and sophomore forward Chandler Caufield added a put back as the score went to 47-23.  Patton scored on another drive, and Hans drained a trey to complete the third quarter scoring with NA holding a 47-28 advantage.

With Coach Sherry McConnell using her entire bench, the Lady Tigers outscored NH, 25-11, in the final period.  Aiken hit a short banker to start the scoring and Calabrese added a basket, but Hans hit her second triple of the game to make it 51-31.  Aiken scored again on a layup and Calabrese dropped in a rebound as the Lady Tigers continued to pull away.  After a basket by Havrilla, Aiken drained a trey to push the margin to 58-33.  After Figan scored, Jordan Garth made two from the line.  Libby then drove for a basket, junior Alex Blumer scored from under the hoop, Caufield added another basket, and Libby scored again to make it a 68-37 game with 1:15 left.  Hans added two free throws, but four straight from the line by Libby pushed the margin to 72-37.  Becca Rapp came off the NH bench to hit a final hoop, but the Lady Tigers came away with an impressive 72-39 victory.

It was an important section win for the Lady Tigers over an improving NH team.  NA made 26 of 62 (41.9%) from the field and 5 of 17 (29.4%) from beyond the arc.  From the foul line, the Lady Tigers converted 15 of 20 (75.0%).  North Hills did not shoot well making only 13 of 49 (26.5%) from the field and just 2 of 16 (12.5%) from three-point land.  From the foul line, the Indians hit 11 of 16 (68.8%).  One of the keys to the game was in points off turnovers where NA outscored NH, 26-7.  In the paint, the Lady Tigers dominated by a 34-14 margin.  NA had a 38-22 edge in rebounding and put in 18 second chance points to just 4 for the Indians.  For her efforts, the North Allegheny Sports Network named Zoe Calabrese as the Player of the Game.  The NA sophomore made 8 of 13 from the field and pulled down nine boards to pace the Lady Tigers.

With the win, NA completed the first half of section play with a 5-1 record, good for second place behind first place Butler.  The overall NA mark improved to 8-5 on the season.  The Lady Tigers will host Shaler on Friday night in the first half of a girl/boy doubleheader.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 6:15 pm.   Game time is scheduled for 6:30 pm.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 72  NORTH HILLS - 39

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LADY TIGERS POUND SENECA VALLEY, 63-42

Box Score

The Lady Tigers defeated Seneca Valley, 63-42, at Seneca Valley on Thursday night in a section contest.  Freshman guard Alexis Aiken led the way with 13 points while senior guard Julie Figan and sophomore guard Kelly Brennan added 13 point each for the winning Lady Tigers.

The Lady Tigers took the lead early on their way to an 18-9 first quarter advantage.  After both teams score nine points in the second quarter, NA increased the margin to 50-32 after three quarters of play.  In the final period, the Tigers outscored the Raiders, 13-10, to complete the 63-42 victory.

Statistically, the Lady Tigers made 20 of 55 (36.4%) from the field and 7 of 18 (38.9%) from three-point land.  At the foul line, NA was an impressive 16 of 19 (84.2%).  The Raiders hit on 15 of 44 (34.1%) from the field and 4 of 10 (40.0%) from beyond the arc.  From the foul line, SV was 8 for 9 (88.9%).  Seneca Valley had  a slight edge on the boards (30-28) and in points in the paint (10-6).  Turnovers were key, however, as the NA defense forced 25 by the Raiders. 

With the win, NA improved to 4-1 in section, a game behind first place Butler.  The overall NA record went to 7-5 on the season.  The Lady Tigers will host rival North Hills on Monday night at the Senior High gym.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 7:15 pm.  Game time is scheduled for 7:30 pm.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 63  SENECA VALLEY - 42

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LADY TIGERS MAUL MOON,
62-33

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Sophomore Kelly Brennan scored 15 points and senior guard Julie Figan added 13 as the Lady Tigers took a 62-33 section victory over Moon at the Senior High gym on Monday night.  NA took a 17-4 lead in the first quarter and never looked back on their way to the easy victory.

The Lady Tigers got off to a quick start as Figan drained a trey just 32 seconds into the contest.  After Marquesha Mackey answered with a deuce, freshman Alexis Aiken made one of two from the line and senior guard Dawn Murphy hit a triple to push the NA lead to 7-2.  Erin Kelly got loose under to basket to cut the lead to two, but Brennan drove for a layup and Figan hit her second trey of the quarter to extend the margin to 12-4.  Figan added a basket and Murphy drained her second trey of the period to push the lead to 17-4 with 1:15 remaining.  Moon came back on a foul shot by Alicia Aughton and a three by Jharrin Gill to cut the lead to 17-8 at the end of the first quarter.

Early in the second quarter, the Lady Tigers continued to score from the outside.  Triples by Figan and junior Alysia Libby, along with a coast-to-coast layup by sophomore Zoe Calabrese made it a 25-8 NA advantage.  Gill answered for Moon with a pair of hoops to cut the margin to 25-12 with 4:05 still left in the half.  Calabrese scored on a put back, but Gill scored again to make it a 27-14 game.  After Aughton scored from under the basket, Libby drained another trey to push the margin to 30-16.  After Mackay dropped in a layup, Libby made a pair from the line, and senior forward Andrea Elmore hit two more foul shots to extend the NA lead to 34-18.  Natalie Corso brought Moon a little closer with a trey, but junior Leslie Barksdale answered with a triple to give the Lady Tigers a commanding 37-21 advantage at the intermission.

The Lady Tigers slowed the pace in the third quarter with the big lead.  Murphy hit a jumper from the foul line just ten seconds into the period with Figan dropping in another jumper in the paint as the lead went to 41-21.  Layups by Aughton and Kelly cut the margin to 41-25.  Calabrese came back with a layup and Brennan drained a trey to give NA a 21-point lead at 46-25.  A hoop by Kelly on a put back and foul shots from Mackey and Kelly cut the margin to 46-29 as the third quarter ended.

Brennan took over in the fourth quarter hitting a pair of treys and two baskets for ten points as the Lady Tigers outscored Moon, 16-4, in the period.  A triple and a short jumper by Brennan pushed the lead to 51-31 early in the quarter.  Calabrese added a hoop, Brennan put in a rebound, and added another triple as the lead went to 58-31.  A basket by sophomore Chandler Caufield on a drive and a fast break layup by senior Kelsey Fedell closed out the NA scoring.  Gill got a late basket for Moon, but the Lady Tigers closed out a 62-33 victory.

It was an important section win for NA over an inexperienced Moon squad.  The Lady Tigers shot well from the floor making 23 of 63 (36.5%) and 11 of 26 (42.3%) from three-point range.  At the foul line, NA was 5 of 6 (83.3%).  Moon was held to 13 of 42 (31.0%) from the field and 2 for 8 (25.0%) from beyond the arc.  From the stripe, the Moon Tigers were 5 for 8 (62.5%).  The NA defense forced 18 turnovers and outrebounded the smaller Moon team, 34-24.  For her efforts in directing the NA attack, scoring eight points, and recording four steals, the North Allegheny Sports Network named Dawn Murphy as the Player of the Game.

With the win, NA improved to 3-1 in section, 6-5 overall, good for second place in Section 3-AAAA.  The Lady Tigers will travel to Seneca Valley on Thursday night to meet the Raiders in a 7:30 pm section contest. 

Box Score

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 62  MOON - 33

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BETHEL PARK TOPS LADY TIGERS, 59-28,
TO TAKE TOURNEY TITLE

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The Bethel Park Blackhawks showed why they are one of the top teams in the WPIAL as they easily downed the Lady Tigers, 59-28, in the championship game of the Golden Tigers Girls Invitational Tournament at the Senior High gym on Tuesday night.  Senior guard Julie Figan led NA with 10 points with sophomore forward Zoe Calabrese adding eight. 

Neither team shot well in the early going, but the Lady Tigers were able to take the lead.  After Danielle McNabb dropped in a pair of free throws, senior Dawn Murphy hit a trey to put NA up, 3-2.  After several BP misses, Figan hit another long triple to give the Lady Tigers their biggest lead of the game at 6-2.  Candice Martino drove the lane to cut the margin to 6-4, but Calabrese got loose under the basket and scored to up the count to 8-4 with 2:14 remaining.  Martino came back to give the Blackhawks the lead with a pair of foul shots and a trey as BP took a 9-8 lead.  After freshman guard Alexis Aiken made one of two from the line to tie the game, Kara Rayburn scored on a driving layup to put Bethel Park on top, 11-9 after one quarter of play.

McNabb started the scoring in the second quarter with a basket and foul shot to push the margin to 14-9.  Figan answered with her second triple of the game to cut the lead to 14-12 with 6:43 still remaining in the half.  McNabb scored again from under the basket, but Figan was good on two from the line to make it a 16-14 game.  A triple by Rayburn increased the lead to 19-14 with 4:50 left in the quarter.  Figan was fouled again and converted a pair of free throws to cut the margin to 19-16.  It was as close as NA would get for the remainder of the game.  Baskets by McNabb and Martino closed out the first half scoring as the Blackhawks took a 23-16 advantage to the intermission.

Early in the third quarter, sophomore guard Kelly Brennan scored on a drive to cut the lead to 23-18.  Alex Hay came back with a fast break layup, but Calabrese answered with a layup to make it a 25-20 game.  A hoop by McNabb and treys by Rayburn and Martino quickly pushed the margin to 33-20 as Bethel Park began to pull away.  After Calabrese scored to stop the BP run, Shannon Haggerty dropped in a short jumper, Hay drove for a layup and Martino drilled another triple to expand the margin to 40-22.  Senior forward Andrea Elmore hit a short jumper from the right side for the Lady Tigers, but Rayburn scored as time was running out to give the Blackhawks a commanding 42-24 lead going into the final period.

Aiken hit a pair of free throws early in the quarter, but NA would score only two more points in the period.  Martin scored on three baskets and two foul shots, Hay scored again, and Laurel Miller came off the Bethel Park bench to score seven points as the Blackhawks continued to pour it on.  Calabrese scored the only NA basket of the quarter on a putback as Bethel Park completed the 59-28 victory.

The Lady Tigers stayed competitive throughout the first half, but Bethel Park took over after the break. Statistically, BP made 23 of 55 (41.8%) from the field, conveting of 5 of 14 (35.7%) three point attempts.  From the foul line, the Blackhawks converted on 8 of 10 (80.0%).  NA had a poor shooting night, thanks in part to a tough Bethel Park defense.  The Lady Tigers made only 9 of 42 (21.4%) from the field and 3 of 13 (23.1%) from three-point land.  From the line, NA made 7 of 8 (87.5%).  Bethel Park dominated the boards pulling down 36 rebounds to just 16 for NA.  For her efforts, particularly in the first half, the North Allegheny Sports Network named Julie Figan as the Player of the Game.  In addition to scoring ten points, Figan pulled down 4 rebounds and recorded three steals.  Figan was also named to the All-Tournament Team.

With the loss, the overall NA record fell to 5-5.  The Lady Tigers resume section play on Monday when they host the Moon Tigers.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 7:15 pm.  Game time is scheduled for 7:30 pm.

Photo Gallery
Box Score

GAME SUMMARY
BETHEL PARK - 59  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 28

2008 GOLDEN TIGER INVITATIONAL
December 29-30, 2008

ALL TOURNAMENT TEAM

MVP - Candice Martino, Bethel Park

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LADY TIGERS RALLY TO DEFEAT
HIGHLANDS, 66-53

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After trailing by six at halftime, the Lady Tigers rallied in the third quarter to go on to defeat the Highlands Lady Rams, 66-53, in the first round of the Golden Tiger Girls' Holiday Tournament at the Senior High gym on Monday night.  Sophomore guard Kelly Brennan led the scoring with 21 points with freshman guard Alexis Aiken adding 18, including 10 in the third quarter.  Senior guard Julie Figan added 14 for the winning Lady Tigers.

The Lady Tigers jumped off to a quick 10-4 start behind some good shooting early.  After Aiken made one of two from the line, Figan scored on a fast break to make it 3-0.  Abby Hetrick answered with a pair of free throws, but Figan answered with a jump shot.  Sophomore forward Zoe Calabrese dropped in a shot from under the hoop to push the lead to 7-2 before Courtney Kordes put back a rebound.  Brennan's trey extended the margin to 10-4 with 4:12 still remaining.  NA then hit a cold spell and the Rams caught up.  After a steal by Brennan put the NA lead at 12-6, Highlands scored the next seven points to take a 13-12 lead after one quarter of play.

In the second quarter, the Lady Tigers continued to have trouble finding the hoop.  After Carley Witucki hit a short jumper, Aiken drove the middle to cut the lead to 15-14.  The Lady Rams answered, however, on a layup and two hoops and two foul shots by Kordes to push the margin to 21-14.  Two foul shots by Aiken and a triple by Brennan cut the lead to 21-19.  Sydney Grabigel scored on a layup and Hetrick added a hopp and two free throws to push the lead to eight at 27-19 with 1:26 remaining in the half.  NA rallied with junior Leslie Barksdale coming off the bench to drain a trey from the corner and Brennan converting on a pair of foul shots to make it a 27-24 game with 27.3 left.  Chelsea Cavanaugh hit a three as time was running out to give the Lady Rams a 30-24 advantage at the intermission.

The Lady Tigers stormed back early in the third quarter with a barrage of three-point baskets to retake the lead.  Aiken hit the first just 51 seconds into the quarter with Figan draining a long triple from straight away to tie the game at 30-30 with 6:42 left in the quarter.  Aiken hit another trey from the left corner to give NA the lead for good.  Three foul shots by Brennan pushed the lead to 36-30 with 5:44 on the clock.  A deuce by Figan and a fast break layup by Brennan made it a 40-30 lead.  Figan scored again before Highlands would finally get on the board on a fast break layup by Cavanaugh as the score went to 42-32.  Figan continued her hot shooting with another triple with Brennan adding another  hoop to extend the margin to 47-32 with 2:50 left in the quarter.  After Hetrick dropped in a layup, junior Alysia Libby hit a long triple, Kordes answered from under the basket to make it a 50-36.  Aiken came back with a putback and a driving layup before Grabigle answered with a traditional three-point play to make it a 56-39 contest.  Grabigle added another hoop on a fast break layup with 10 seconds left in the quarter, but the Lady Tigers took a commanding 56-41 lead into the final period.

Calabrese started the fourth quarter scoring with one of two from the line, and Aiken followed with another hoop to push the margin to 59-41.  After Brennan added two more on a putback, Aiken made one of two foul shots to give NA their biggest lead of the game at 62-41.  A basket by Grabigel and a foul shot by Witucki cut the margin to 62-44 with 4:00 left in the game.  The Tiger reserves finished off the game with senior forward Andrea Elmore scoring on a fast break and Libby on a baseline drive.  The Lady Rams made it more respectable with Grabigel scoring seven points down the stretch.  The Lady Tigers were able to go on to an impressive 66-53 victory and move on to the tournament championship game.

After a tough shooting first half, the Lady Tigers came out on fire in the second and finished with 24 of 62 (38.7%) from the field and 8 of 20 (40.0%) from beyond the arc.  From the foul line, NA hit 10 of 13 (76.9%).  The Lady Rams were 19 of 47 (40.4%) from the field but just 2 of 8 (25.0%) from three-point land.  From the foul line, Highlands shot 13 of 19 (68.4%).  The difference in the second half was in the full court defensive pressure that forced a number of turnovers with the Rams charged with 26 for the game.  NA scored 32 points off Highlands turnovers.  The NA bench also outscored the Rams, 10-4.  Individually, Aiken was 6 for 9 from the field, including two-for-two from three point range.  For her efforts, the North Allegheny Sports Network named Alexis Aiken as the Player of the Game.  Aiken also pulled down four rebounds and had two steals.

With the win, NA improved their overall record to 5-4 on the season.  The Lady Tigers will host Bethel Park tonight in the championship final of the tournament.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 7:15 pm.  Game time is scheduled for 7:30 pm.

Photo Gallery
Box Score

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 66  HIGHLANDS - 53

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BUTLER TOPS LADY TIGERS, 51-34,
TO REMAIN IN SECTION LEAD

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The Lady Tigers fell behind early, rallied to tie the game, but could not hold off Butler in the second half as the Tornado took a 51-34 victory at Butler on Tuesday night.  Sophomore forward Zoe Calabrese scored nine and freshman guard Alexis Aiken added eight for NA.

Butler jumped off to a 13-0 lead behind the play of Olivia Bresnahan and Amanda Dymun.  Bresnahan scored just 23 seconds into the game, Dymun added a pair of free throws and Bresnahan got loose under the basket for another hoop to make it 6-0.  Jenna Manuel drained a trey from the corner and Dymun dropped in two more foul shots to push the lead to 11-0 with 6:05 still left.  The NA defense then held the Tornado to just one more basket by Bresnahan to push the margin to 13-0.  Junior guard Alysia Libby came off the bench to break the scoring draught with just 1:13 left in the quarter.  Senior forward Andrea Elmore hit a jumper with 25 seconds remaining to cut the margin to 13-4 at the end of the first quarter.

The Lady Tigers kept the run going early in the second quarter.  Aiken drove for a hoop to cut the lead to 13-6, and Calabrese followed with a trey to reduce the margin to 13-9 with 6:14 left in the half.  With the NA defense holding Butler off the board, Calabrese broke into the paint for consecutive field goals as the Lady Tigers came all the way back to tie the score at 13-13.  It is the first game in recent memory that has seen both teams open the game with consecutive 13-0 runs.  Casey Fleeger came off the Butler bench to hit a trey and stop the run as the Tornado took a 16-13 lead with 4:23 left.  Elmore answered to cut the margin to 16-15 before a foul shot by Katresa Savisky and a steal for a hoop by Bresnahan pushed it to 19-15.  After Cassie Cygan drained a trey, Libby hit a short jumper to cut the lead to 22-17 with 1:30 remaining in the second quarter.  Butler closed out the half with a basket by Dymun and two foul shots by Stavisky to take a 26-17 lead to the intermission.

The scoring picked up early in the third quarter.  After Cygan scored the opening basket, Calabrese answered to reduce the margin to 28-19.  Cygan scored again, but Aiken came back with a triple to make it a 30-22 game with 5:36 still left in the quarter.  A hoop by Stavisky and a conventional three-point play by Bresnahan extended the lead to 35-22 as Butler began to pull away.  Aiken hit another trey, however, to cut the lead to ten.  A foul shot by Manuel and a layup by Dymun pushed the margin to 38-25 before senior Dawn Murphy stole the ball and dropped in a layup.  A steal and a layup by Bresnahan pushed the lead to 40-27 before Libby made two of two from the line.  After Dymun hit a baseline jumper, sophomore Kelly Brennan scored off an out of bounds play to complete the third quarter scoring with Butler taking a commanding 42-31 lead into the final period.

Holding the big lead, Butler slowed the pace of the game and turned up the defensive pressure.  The Lady Tigers were able to score just three points in the final period.  Two free throws by Dymun were answered by a field goal by Brennan as the score went to 44-33 with 6:11 remaining.  It would be the last NA deuce of the game.  Bresnahan scored again with Brennan hitting one of two from the stripe to cut the lead to 46-34 with 4:38 left.  Butler scored the final five points of the game on free throws to close out a 51-34 victory.

It was a good effort by the Lady Tigers who were playing without senior starter Julie Figan who was out with illness.  NA did not shoot well from the field making only 14 of 59 (23.7%) and just 3 of 20 (15.0%) from beyond the three-point arc.  From the foul line, the Lady Tigers were only 3 of 7 (42.9%).  Butler was not much better hitting on 16 of 56 (28.6%) from the field and 3 of seven (42.9%) from three-point land.  From the foul line, the Tornado was 16 of 29 (55.2%).  Turnovers were big in the game with NA committing 23 and Butler 22.  The Tornado had a 22-12 edge in points off turnovers.  Individually, Calabrese led NA in scoring with nine, pulled down seven rebounds and blocked three shots.  For her efforts, the North Allegheny Sports Network named Zoe Calabrese as the Player of the Game.

With the loss, NA fell to 2-1 in the section, 4-4 overall.  The Lady Tigers will be back in action again on Monday night when they host Highlands in the Golden Tiger Girls' Invitational Tournament.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 7:15 pm.  Game time is set for 7:30 pm.

Photo Gallery
Box Score

GAME SUMMARY
BUTLER - 51  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 34

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LADY TIGERS BOUNCE BACK TO BEAT
PENN HILLS, 52-45

Box Score

After a tough loss to New Castle on Thursday night, the Lady Tigers came back to defeat Penn Hills, 52-45, on the road on Friday night.  Freshman guard Alexis Aiken led the way with 20 points while senior guard Dawn Murphy added 17.

The Lady Tigers took a 7-6 lead after one guard and maintained the one-point margin with a 19-18 lead at halftime.  In the third quarter, NA outscored the Indians, 14-13, to take a 33-31 lead into the final period.  NA increased the final margin to seven at 52-45 thanks to some clutch free throw shooting down the stretch.

Statistically, the Lady Tigers were off the mark from the field making only 15 of 63 (23.8%).  In addition, NA tallied only 3 of 16 (18.8%) three-point attempts.  From the line, however, the Lady Tigers droppped in 19 of 27 (70.4%) including 8 of 13 by Aiken and 6 of 8 by Murphy.  Penn Hills was not much better from the field with an 18-63 (28.6%) shooting night.  From three point land, the Indians were 0 for 5.  At the foul line, PH made 9 of 16 (56.3%).  Senior Julie Figan had an off shooting night but was strong on the boards with 10 rebounds.  Aiken posted four steals for NA.

With the win, the overall NA record improved to 4-3 on the season.  The Lady Tigers will travel to Butler on Tuesday night to meet the first place Tornado.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 6:15 pm.  Game time is scheduled for 6:30 pm.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 52  PENN HILLS - 45

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NEW CASTLE OUTLASTS LADY TIGERS, 63-59

To listen to a replay of the game, click here!

The New Castle Lady 'Canes held off a late NA rally to defeat the Lady Tigers, 63-59, at the Senior High gym on Thursday night.  Senior guard Julie Figan tallied 19 points to pace NA while freshman guard Alexis Aiken added 18.  New Castle's La Shauna Brothers scored 22 to lead all scorers.

New Castle took an early 3-0 lead when Shelby Rodgers drained a trey just 41 seconds into the contest.  Figan answered with a conventional three-point play to tie the game at the 2:04 mark.  After Ja Nia McPhatter scored for the 'Canes, Figan hit another deuce to tie the game again.  A jumper by senior forward Andrea Elmore put NA on top, 7-5, but NC came back with a three by Jazelle Dennis to regain the advantage.  The Lady 'Canes then scored the next six points on a pair of foul shots and a basket by Brothers along with a hoop by Rodgers as NC took a 14-7 lead.  After Aiken hit on one for two from the line, the NA freshman drove the lane and scored and added the free throw to cut the lead to 14-11 with 9.7 seconds left.  Rodgers answered with another trey just before the buzzer as New Castle took a 17-11 lead into the second quarter.

After Lynette Fish dropped in a pair of foul shots to increase the lead to eight, NA rallied.  Aiken went coast to coast to score on a layup and then made one of two from the line to cut the margin to 19-14.  After Kaylynn Waters hit a runner, Figan put back a rebound to make it 21-16.  After Figan got loose on a fast break, Brothers answered with a putback  to make it a 23-18 game.  Sophomore Zoe Calabrese followed with a pair of hoops from in close to cut the lead to one.  With 2:23 left, a technical foul was called on New Castle coach Lu Ann Grybowski.  Elmore made one of two to tie the game.  Elmore came back with a field goal to give NA the lead at 25-23, but McPhatter answered with another conventional three-point play to push the 'Canes back on top by one.  Junior guard Alysia Libby came off the NA bench to drop in a layup to regain the lead.  A hoop by Aiken extended the margin to three before Brothers scored from under the basket to make it 29-28.  With 25 seconds left in the half, Libby drained a trey to push the lead to 32-28.  Brothers scored again with time running out, but the Lady Tigers took a 32-30 advantage to the intermission. 

Early in the third quarter, NA extended the lead to 35-30 as Aiken hit a triple just 14 seconds into the second half.  Brothers answered with a coast-to-coast layup, but Figan hit another trey to make it 38-32.  Two foul shots by Brothers and a fast break layup by Dennis cut the margin to two.  Waters then drilled a three to put NC back on top by one.  Two foul shots by sophomore guard Kelly Brennan regained the lead for NA, 40-39, with 4:12 left in the quarter.  Aiken scored again on a drive, and Figan dropped in her second trey of the quarter to push the margin to 45-39.  From this point, New Castle regrouped to go on a 16-2 run.  A foul shot by Brothers, a hoop by Waters, and three more points by Brothers tied the game at 45-45.  Mc Phatters' layup with ten seconds left in the quarter gave New Castle a 47-45 lead after three quarters of play.

The Lady 'Canes came out strong at the beginning of the fourth quarter to extend the lead.  After Waters opened the scoring with a deuce, Aiken answered to cut the margin to 49-47.  Baskets by Brothers, McPhatter, and Brothers again on a fast break pushed the margin to 55-47 with 5:46 remaining.  Libby came back to hit one of two from the line and then drain a trey to cut the lead to 55-51 with 4:03 still left in the game.  After Waters made one of two from the line, Figan converted another traditional three-point game to cut the margin to two at 56-54 at the 3:20 mark.  New Castle slowed the pace of the game at this point.  Rodgers got loose for a short jumper to  push the lead back to four, but Aiken made two free throws to make it a 58-56 game.  Dennis then drove for a layup, but Murphy had the answer with a short jumper in the paint to make it 60-58.  After a NC turnover, Figan was fouled and made the first to cut it to 60-59 with 1:57 remaining.  With NC holding the ball, NA was forced to foul.  Rodgers hit a pair from the stripe to push the lead to 62-59 with 46.3 left.  The Lady Tigers then committed a turnover to give the ball back to the 'Canes.  With 21.9 left, Dennis made one of two.  NA was unable to score in the remaining seconds as New Castle went home with a hard fought 63-59 victory.

It was a good effort by the Lady Tigers who came up just short against the undefeated Lady 'Canes.  From the field, NA made 23 of 65 (35.4%) but only 4 of 18 (22.2%) from beyond the arc.  From the line, NA converted on 13 of 23 (56.5%).  New Castle hit on 21 of 55 (38.2%) from the field but only 5 of 18 (27.8%) from three-point land.  At the line, the 'Canes were 12 of 18 (66.7%).  A key stat showed New Castle scoring 16 points on fast breaks to only two for NA.  NC also outrebounded the Lady Tigers, 41-31, with Brothers pulling down 16.  Figan grabbed 10 rebounds for NA.  For her efforts in sparking the fourth quarter NA comeback, the North Allegheny Sports Network named Alysia Libby as the Player of the Game.  Libby made three of five from the field, including two of three three-point attempts. 

With the loss, the overall NA record dropped to 3-3 on the season.  The Lady Tigers will travel to Penn Hills tonight for a 7:30 pm non-section contest.

Box Score
Photo Gallery

GAME SUMMARY
NEW CASTLE - 63  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 59

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LADY TIGERS TOP PINE-RICHLAND, 60-44

To listen to a replay of the game, click here!

The Lady Tigers the lead early on their way to a 60-44 section victory over Pine-Richland at the Senior High gym on Tuesday night.  Senior guard Julie Figan led NA with 15 points while freshman guard Alexis Aiken added 12 and sophomore forward Zoe Calabrese 10 for the winning Lady Tigers.

After Abby Altman hit a triple to open the scoring for the Rams, Calabrese scored from under the basket and Figan hit a jumper to put NA ahead, 4-3.  A foul shot by Carolyn Steger and a drive by Emma Richert put P-R back ahead, 6-4.  Figan hit another jumper and Aiken made two of two from the line to make it an 8-6 NA lead.  Richert scored again with 2:11 left in the quarter to give the Rams their last lead of the game at 10-8.  The Lady Tigers scored the last 11 points of the period to take the lead for good.  After sophomore forward Chandler Caufield made a layup to tie the game, Figan drained a long trey to put NA on top, 13-10.  Another Figan hoop and two foul shots by senior forward Andrea Elmore made it a 17-10 NA lead.  Calabrese finished off the first quarter scoring with 5.6 seconds left as NA took a 19-10 advantage into the second quarter.

Richert cut the lead to 19-12 with an early hoop in the second quarter, but Aiken drove for a basket and Figan put back a rebound to make it 23-12.  Katie Wise drove and scored for the Rams, but Caufield answered to keep the 11-point advantage.  Richert continued to keep the Rams in the game with a triple, but Caufield came back with a put back to give the Lady Tigers a 27-17 lead.  After Wise made two from the line, Aiken scored again to make it 29-19.  Richert came back with a pair of foul shots, but senior guard Dawn Murphy hit a short jumper to push the lead back to ten at 31-21.  After a putback by Caufield extended the margin to twelve, the Rams dropped in three of four from the line to cut the lead to 33-24.  With 15.4 seconds left in the half, Aiken was fouled on a drive and converted on both attempts as the Lady Tigers went to the intermission with a 35-24 lead.

The Rams got a foul shot by Wise early, but neither team could score again until Calabrese scored from in the paint to push the lead to 37-25 with 5:46 left in the period.  Richert continued with the hot hand for the Rams as she drained a trey to cut the margin to 37-28.  Calabrese answered with a layup and a putback to extend the led to 41-28.  After Wise dropped in a pair from the line, the Lady Tigers took their biggest lead of the game.  Murphy hit a long triple and Caufield added a hoop as the Lady Tigers took a 46-30 lead with a minute left in the quarter.  Richert followed with two free throws, but Murphy scored again to push the lead to 48-32.  Steger answered with a short banker late in the period, but the Lady Tigers took a commanding 48-34 lead into the final quarter.

Junior guard Alysia Libby opened the fourth quarter scoring with a pair of baskets to push the NA lead to 52-34.  Richert hit another hoop to cut it to 52-36 with 4:02 remaining in the game.  Down the stretch, the Rams were forced to foul with NA making six of six in the final minutes.  Figan hit four straight and Aiken added two more with Richert hitting a trey as the score went to 58-44.  Aiken drove for a final basket as the Lady Tigers completed an impressive 60-44 victory.

Statistically, the Lady Tigers had a decided edge also.  NA hit on 22 of 56 (39.3%) from the floor although they made only 2 of 12 (16.7%) from behind the three-point line.  From the foul line, the Lady Tigers dropped in 14 of 17 (82.4%).  NA outrebounded P-R, 41-23, with the Lady Tigers outscoring the Rams, 20-10, in the paint.  Other than Richert who finished with 26 points, the Rams were cold from the field, making only 13 of 57 (22.8%) with 4 of 14 (28.6%) from beyond the arc.  From the line, P-R converted on 14 of 22 (63.6%). 

It was a strong effort by the Lady Tigers who were playing with starting guard Kelly Brennan who saw limited action because of illness.  Because of her steady floor play, the North Allegheny Sports Network named Dawn Murphy as the Player of the Game.  Murphy finished with three assists, three rebounds and two steals for the game.

With the win, NA improved to 2-0 in section play, 3-2 overall.  The Lady Tigers will host New Castle tomorrow night in a non-section contest at the Senior High gym.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 7:15 pm.  Game time is scheduled for 7:30 pm.

Box Score
Photo Gallery

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 60  PINE-RICHLAND - 44

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

BRENNAN LEADS LADY TIGERS TO
54-50 WIN AT SHALER

Box Score

Sophomore Kelly Brennan scored 18 points, including 11 off 14 from the foul line, to lead the Lady Tigers to a 54-50 victory at Shaler in the section opener on Thursday night.  Sophomore Zoe Calabrese tallied 16 and senior Julie Figan added 15 for the winning Lady Tigers.  NA led by only a point, 32-31, going into the fourth quarter but held off the Titans for the victory.

After Shaler took a 12-6 after one quarter, the Lady Tigers rallied to capture an 18-16 advantage at the intermission.  A big 22-point fourth quarter ensured the victory for NA.  Statistically, the Lady Tigers were 16 of 52 (30.8%) from the floor and 4-14 (28.6%) from beyond the arc.  From the foul line, NA hit on 18 of 29 (62.1%).  Shaler made 18 of 55 (32.7%) from the floor, 2 of 9 from three-point land (22.2%) and 12 of 17 (70.6%) from the stripe.  NA outscored Shaler, 20-10, in the paint and scored 17 points on 24 Titan turnovers.  Calabrese led NA with 10 rebounds while freshman Alexis Aiken had three blocked shots and four steals.  The Lady Tigers totaled 14 fast break points to just two for Shaler.

With the win, the Lady Tigers are now 1-0 in section, 2-2 overall.  Next up for NA will be Pine-Richland on Tuesday night at the Senior High gym.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 6:15 pm.  Game time at 6:30 pm.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 54  SHALER - 50

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

PETERS TOWNSHIP DOWNS LADY TIGERS, 56-43

by Randy Gore

Peters Township jumped on North Allegheny early and coasted to a 56-43 win Tuesday night at Peters Township High School.  The Lady Indians were sparked by a 23 point performance by 6-3 senior Emily Correal.  Correal and the Indians raced to a 13-2 lead to start the ballgame and a 17-7 first period lead. 

Peters Township extended their advantage to 21-9 early in the second period, but that’s when North Allegheny made their move.  The Lady Tigers went on an 11-4 run cutting Peters Township’s lead to five points at 25-20.  Senior guard Julie Figan, who posted eight points in the second period, led the charge for the Lady Tigers.  Figan ended the night with 14 points to lead all NA scorers.  Peters Township added a little cushion before the end of the half, and the Lady Indians had a 30-22 lead at halftime. 

North Allegheny could not come any closer than that though as Peters Township held off the Lady Tigers thanks to 14 second half points by Correal and closed out a 56-43 win.  It was a tough night of shooting for the Lady Tigers, hitting only 15 of 57 (26.3 %) from the field and just 2 of 23 (9.1%) from beyond the arc.  While Figan lead North Allegheny in scoring, sophomore guard Kelly Brennan added 11 points on the evening and freshman forward Alexis Aiken matched her with 11 points of her own. 

The loss drops NA to 1-2 on the season while Peters Township improves to 2-1.  The Lady Tigers open section play when they visit Shaler Thursday night.  Game time is scheduled for 7:30 pm  

Box Score

GAME SUMMARY
PETERS TOWNSHIP - 56  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 43

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

McDOWELL HOLDS OFF LADY TIGERS, 57-51,
TO WIN TOURNAMENT TITLE

To listen to a replay of the game, click here!

The McDowell Trojans took an early lead and held off a late NA rally to defeat the Lady Tigers, 57-51, in the championship game of the NA Tip Off Tournament at the Senior High gym on Saturday afternoon.  Sophomore guard Kelly Brennan led NA with 17 points while freshman guard Alexis Aiken added nine for the Lady Tigers.

The Lady Tigers and Lady Trojans played on even terms in the early going.  Senior guard Julie Figan gave NA a 2-0 lead on a short jumper off an out of bounds play before a foul shot by Jenna Krause and a trey by Allison Braun put McDowell ahead, 4-2.  Sophomore forward Chandler Caufield tied the game with a shot from close in, but Laura Niemtimp scored on a put back to reclaim the lead at 6-4 for the Trojans.  After Maddie Hahesy made one of two from the line, Aiken answered with a triple to tie the score at 7-7.  Hahesy and Caufield exchanged baskets as the score went to 9-9 with 3:45 left in the quarter.  McDowell then scored the next nine points.  Jenna Krause drove for a hoop, Braun hit a pair of jump shots and then completed a three-point play to give the Trojans an 18-9 lead after one period of play.

The Lady Tigers came back early in the second quarter to cut the lead.  Brennan scored on a drive down the middle, but Hahesy answered to make it a 20-11 game.  Senior Dawn Murphy hit a long three to cut the lead to six but a foul shot by Jenna Krause and a triple by sister Leah pushed the margin to 24-14 with 5:10 remaining in the half.  After foul shots by Jenna Krause and Michelle Holcomb pushed the margin to twelve, Aiken dropped in a pair of foul shots.  Leah Krause answered with two from the line to push the lead to 28-16.  After junior guard Alysia Libby drove the baseline for a basket, Brennan then came alive to score six straight points on two foul shots and a pair of hoops to cut the margin to 28-24.  A foul shot by Brennan cut the lead to three, but McDowell pushed the lead back to six with three of four from the line.  Figan came back with a short jumper with seventeen seconds remaining to cut the margin to four as McDowell took a 31-27 lead to the intermission. 

After Hahesy opened the second half scoring with one of two foul shots, Brennan drove the baseline and scored on two consecutive plays as NA cut the lead to 32-31.  Brennan had a chance to tie but was unable to convert the foul shot after the second hoop.  Three of four from the line by Jenna Krause pushed the lead back to four, but Brennan stole the ball and scored to make it a 35-33 game.  The Trojans' 5-11 senior Lindsey Oberacker made her first appearance in the game and score at the 4:26 mark to push the margin back to four.  Figan had the answer with another jumper to reduce the margin back to two at 37-35.  After Hahesy hit a short jumper, Braun took a rebound coast-to-coast to extend the Trojan lead to 41-35 with 3:25 remaining as NA Coach Sherry McConnell called a time out.  Senior Andrea Elmore hit a long trey from the left side to cut the lead to 41-38.  The Trojans were able to make three of four foul shots to take a 44-38 lead into the final stanza.

Just fifteen seconds into the fourth quarter, Leah Krause stole the ball and drove for a layup to give McDowell an eight-point lead.  Figan answered with another jumper, but Oberacker got loose under the basket for a layup and Leah Krause made one of two from the line to make it a 51-40 game.  Murphy drained a trey to cut the lead to eight, but Oberacker scored again from under the basket to extend the lead to 53-43.  NA then scored the next eight points to cut the lead to two.  Baskets by Brennan and Aiken, along with two foul shots by Murphy made it a 53-49 game with 3:12 left.  Aiken then drove the right side and scored to make it 53-51 with 2:29 left.  Brennan was fouled on a drive but failed to convert either shot as it remained a two point game with 2:05 remaining.  Oberacker again got loose under the hoop to score to push the margin to four with 1:43 on the clock.  Aiken was fouled at the 1:17 mark but missed the front end of a one-and-one.  With 47.2 left, Jenna Kraus drove for another basket to push the lead to six.  The Lady Tigers had a number of opportunities in the last seconds but could not score as McDowell held on for the 57-51 victory.

It was a good effort by the Lady Tigers particularly in the fourth quarter as they cut the McDowell lead to two and had a chance to win the game.  NA did not shoot well throughout the course of the game making only 20 of 60 shots from the field for 33.3%.  The Lady Tigers hit only four of eighteen (22.2%) from beyond the arc.  Misses at the foul line, particularly in the fourth quarter, also hurt as NA went just seven for fourteen (50.0%) from the stripe.  McDowell hit on 19 of 41 (46.3%) from the field, but only two of ten (20.0%) from three-point land.  The Trojans made 17 of 33 (51.5%) from the foul line.  McDowell outrebounded NA, 35-28 and scored nine second chance points.  NA forced 22 Trojan turnovers but had 18 of their own.  For her efforts on the offensive end, the North Allegheny Sports Network named Kelly Brennan as the Player of the Game.  Brennan finished with 17 points, had seven rebounds and five steals in the game.

With the loss, the NA record dropped to 1-1 in the early season.  The Lady Tigers will travel to Peters Township for a 7:30 pm non-section contest before opening section play at Shaler on Thursday night.

Box Score

GAME SUMMARY
McDOWELL - 57  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 51

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

LADY TIGERS ROLL OVER WOODLAND HILLS,
68-36, IN TOURNAMENT OPENER

To listen to a replay of the game, click here!

The Lady Tigers built an early 15-3 lead and never looked back as they defeated Woodland Hills, 68-36, in the first round of the NA Tip Off Tournament at the Senior High gym on Friday night.  Sophomore guard Kelly Brennan led the Lady Tigers with 23 points while senior guard Julie Figan added 17, including three triples.

The Lady Tigers wasted little time in taking control of the contest.  After an early 3-3 tie, Figan hit her second three of the game from the left corner to give NA the lead for good less than a minute into the game.  A hoop by freshman guard Alexis Aiken and a pair of baskets by Brennan pushed the lead to 12-3 before Figan drained another trey from the corner to make it 15-3 with 4:23 still remaining.  After JeQuaia Willis scored on a putback for the Wolverines, sophomore forward Chandler Caufield dropped in a pair of free throws to push the margin to 17-5.  After Amanda Garland scored on a short jumper, junior Leslie Barksdale came off the NA bench to hit a triple to push the lead to 20-7.  Two foul shots by Figan were answered with a hoop from Taylor Allen as the score went to 22-9. Sophomore Zoe Calabrese then broke free for a layup before the Wolverines made three of four from the foul line as the score went to 24-12.  Calabrese finished off the first quarter scoring with a hoop just before the buzzer as NA took a commanding 26-12 lead after one quarter.

NA turned up the defensive pressure in the second quarter as WH did not score until 28.8 seconds remained before the half.  The Lady Tigers went on a 17-0 run to push the lead to 43-12.  Brennan led the way with three baskets, two triples and a foul shot during the run.  Figan added another basket as the score went to 41-12 before junior Alysia Libby made two free throws with 1:28 left.  The Wolverines' Alicia Smith finally stopped the run with a foul shot and Garland scored just before the quarter ended, but the Lady Tigers took a 43-15 advantage to the intermission.

In the third quarter, Aiken took over at point guard after sitting out most of the first half in foul trouble.  Figan and Brennan scored the first two hoops of the second half to push the NA lead to 47-15.  After Aiken hit a short jumper, Garland and Shannon Turner scored from in close to cut the margin to 49-19 with 5:49 remaining in the quarter.  Brennan, Aiken and Figan followed with three quick hoops to extend the margin to 55-19.  Taylor Allen came back with a pair of baskets for Woody High, but Brennan drove for another hoop to make it 57-23 at the 2:35 mark of the period.  After Allen hit her third basket of the quarter, senior Andrea Elmore drove across the middle for a basket and Libby added another hoop as the Lady Tigers led by a 61-25 count after three periods of play.

Early in the fourth quarter, senior guard Dawn Murphy dropped in a pair of foul shots, Aiken added one of two from the line, and Calabrese scored from under the basket as NA took a 66-45 lead.  At this point, the mercy rule kicked in and the clock continued running for the remainder of the game.  After Willis made one of two free throws, Miquel Price-Wheeler added a conventional three-point play to cut the lead to 66-29.  Elmore added the last NA points of the night with a deuce to make it 68-29.  Woodland Hills scored the final seven points with Garland hitting a basket and three foul shots and Allen adding a final hoop as the Lady Tigers went on the easy 68-36 victory.

It was an impressive start for the Lady Tigers who shot well throughout the course of the game.  From the field, NA made 26 of 52 for an even 50.0% while they hit on 6 of 15 from beyond the arc for 40.0%.  From the foul line, the Lady Tigers converted on 10 of 13 (76.9%).  NA dominated the game in the paint, outscoring WH by a 28-12 count.  The Wolverines, on the other hand, made only 13 of 54 from the field (24.1%) and were 0 for 4 from three-point land.  From the foul line, WH was 10 for 19 (52.6%).  Much of the poor shooting can be attributed to the NA defense that hounded the Wolverines throughout the game.  For her efforts early in the contest, the North Allegheny Sports Network named Julie Figan as the Player of the Game.  Figan finished with 17 points, making 6 of 11 from the field and 3 of 7 from beyond the arc.

With the win, NA advanced to the championship game against Erie McDowell, a 52-42 winner over Mars.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 3:15 pm.  Game time is scheduled for 3:30 pm.

Box Score

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 68  WOODLAND HILLS - 36

NA TIP OFF TOURNAMENT
December 5-6, 2008

Any questions or comments should be directed to Athletic Director Bob Bozzuto at:  bbozzuto@northallegheny.org