Girls' Basketball News

The accolades continue to roll in for North Allegheny senior Rachel Martindale. The star guard on the basketball team and standout shortstop on the softball team has been named the 2019 Female Athlete of the Year by the Trib Live High School Sports Network and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.  The Akron University commit for basketball was also named North Allegheny’s Female Athlete of the Year earlier this month.

For the Trib’s article on Martindale winning Athlete of the Year, click here.

For the PG’s article on Martindale winning Athlete of the Year, click here.

The North Allegheny Athletic Department is proud to announce its Athletes of the Year for the 2018-2019 school year. Senior Jack Wright was the recipient of the Male Athlete of the Year and senior Rachel Martindale was the recipient of the Female Athlete of the Year Award.

Wright helped the North Allegheny boys to three straight PIAA Class AAA swimming and diving championships and was a member of four consecutive WPIAL crowns. At states, Wright won gold in the 200-yard freestyle (1:35.04) for the second straight year and also claimed silver in the 100-freestyle (43.81). He also anchored the 200-freestyle relay team that won PIAA gold for the second consecutive season.

Wright was a member of a North Allegheny quartet that broke a pile of national high school and age group relay records, including most spectacularly at the 2018 PIAA State Meet. There they swam a 2:53.81 that was not only a National Public High School Record, but was also faster than Bolles’ legendary private school record. Additionally, Wright was tabbed with All-America honors from the National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association. Wright will continue his swimming career at the University of Virginia.

Martindale, a multi-sport athlete, helped the North Allegheny girls’ basketball team to two WPIAL championships and four title game appearances, along with one appearance in the PIAA championship in Hershey. This spring, she spearheaded the North Allegheny softball team’s efforts in reaching the WPIAL championship for the first time since 2015.

On the hardwood, Martindale averaged 13.7 points and 5.2 rebounds per game this past winter. She totaled 1,373 points, 267 3-pointers, 270 assists and 205 steals in her North Allegheny career. The Tigers amassed a record of 105-11 during her four year-tenure. Among a bevy of accolades, Martindale was named all-state three times by the Pennsylvania Sports Writers along with back-to-back laurels on the Trib 10 and Post-Gazette’s Fab Five lists.

Due to a knee injury suffered in the 2018 WPIAL Class 6A girls’ basketball championship game, a contest the Tigers won, Martindale missed the rest of the state playoff run and the entire 2018 softball season. She showed no rust upon her return to the basketball court or the diamond. On the softball field, Martindale posted 101 career hits to go along with a career .470 batting average, 14 home runs, 70 RBI and 96 runs scored in just three seasons. She will continue her basketball career at the University of Akron next season.

Congratulations to both Jack Wright and Rachel Martindale for being name the 2018-2019 North Allegheny Athletes of the Year.

(Wright and Martindale in photo above with Athletic Director Bob Bozzuto. Partial credit to Swimswam.com for information on Jack Wright.)

For the third time in her career, North Allegheny senior Rachel Martindale has been named to the Pennsylvania Sports Writers all-state team. After receiving third-team recognition as a sophomore, Martindale has been tabbed first team as a junior and now again as a senior. This comes on the heels of being named to the Post-Gazette’s Fab Five and the Trib 10 list, as well as winning the MVP at the Roundball Classic earlier this month.

Over the last four years, and with significant contributions from Martindale, the Tigers won two WPIAL titles and amassed an exceptional record of 105-11. She averaged 13.7 points and 5.2 rebounds per game this past winter. The Akron University commit totaled 1,373 points, 267 3-pointers, 270 assists and 205 steals in her North Allegheny career.

North Allegheny senior guard Rachel Martindale scored 16 points and earned MVP honors at the annual Roundball Classic at Geneva College. Martindale and NA teammate Brynn Serbin helped the Class 6A/A team defeat the Class 3A/2A squad by a final score of 94-78. Serbin totaled seven points for the Class 6A girls.

The MVP effort was only the beginning of Martindale’s day. The Akron University commit quickly returned to NASH to help the North Allegheny softball team defeat Howland 10-0 in five innings. She posted a 3 for 3 effort with two RBI’s in the victory.

On the boys’ side at the Roundball Classic, North Allegheny senior Nico Erimias participated on the Class 6A team and scored 15 points. The Class 6A boys lost to the Class 5A team, 112-108.

North Allegheny senior Rachel Martindale received a pair of significant accolades over the weekend. The Akron University commit has been named to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Fab Five and the Tribune Review’s Trib 10 for the second straight season.

Martindale suffered a torn ACL during the WPIAL championship game last season, which sidelined her for the Tigers’ final four run in the PIAA playoffs. The talented guard made her triumphant return to the court for the 2018-2019 season and helped NA to a 24-3 record, including a fourth straight appearance in the WPIAL championship game and PIAA playoffs.

Over the last four years, and with significant contributions from Martindale, the Tigers have won two WPIAL titles and amassed an exceptional record of 105-11. She averaged 13.7 points and 5.2 rebounds per game this past winter. Martindale totaled 1,373 points, 267 3-pointers, 270 assists and 205 steals in her North Allegheny career. She is also one of the top softball players in the WPIAL.

For the second straight season, the WPIAL Class 6A championship will come down to the North Allegheny Tigers (23-1) and the Peters Township Indians (24-0). Last season, the Tigers captured their second straight WPIAL crown in convincing fashion, posting a 79-48 mercy-rule win over the Indians.

Both teams enter tonight’s game with high aspirations. North Allegheny is vying for a third straight WPIAL championship and is appearing in the title tilt for the fourth consecutive season. Peters Township, meanwhile, has been thinking about a return trip to the championship game since last season and has run roughshod over all comers during the 2018-2019 campaign. Peters Township leads Class 6A in scoring, averaging nearly 70 points per game.

It’s already been an historic season for the Indians as they became the first girls’ basketball team in Washington County history to post an undefeated regular season. A win tonight would make Peters Township just the 17^th girls basketball team ever to win a WPIAL crown with an undefeated record.

Peters Township is the top-ranked team in Pennsylvania and boasts one of the top guards in the state in the form of senior Makenna Marisa. Marisa is a Penn State commit and averages over 20 points per game. She was recently named Big 56 Conference first-team all-section for the fourth time in her career.

Joining Marisa as first-team all-section members are senior guard Isabella Mills, a Case Western Reserve commit, and freshman forward Journey Thompson. Thompson is considered one of the top freshman power forwards in the state by rivals.com. With Marisa and Mills already in place as returnees, the addition of Thompson this season gives the Indians an inside threat they have not had in recent years.

North Allegheny, the No. 2-ranked team in the state in Class 6A, is also well-stocked in talent. Senior Rachel Martindale, who scored her 1,000^th career point against Peters Township in last year’s championship game, is an Akron University commit and two-time all-state honoree. Martindale, along with teammates Brynn Serbin and Lizzy Groetsch, was also selected to the Big 56 Conference first-team all-section squad. Serbin is an Ohio Northern University commit and Groetsch is a talented sophomore guard who comes from a good blood line of basketball players. That family tradition includes her brothers Dave and Chris, who both won WPIAL titles at Sewickley Academy.

While the Indians have an undefeated record so far this season, they have not beaten North Allegheny in over a decade. The Tigers have won seven in a row against the Indians. PT’s last win against NA was on Dec. 9, 2008 by a 56-43 decision in Washington County.

Tip-off for tonight’s WPIAL Class 6A championship clash is set for 7:00 p.m. at the Petersen Events Center. As always, this NA playoff game can be heard live on the North Allegheny Sports Network with broadcasters Randy Gore and Rick Meister on the call. To listen to tonight’s game, click here.

Five North Allegheny girls’ basketball players have been named to the Big 56 Conference all-section teams in Class 6A.

The Tigers, who finished the regular season with a 21-1 record, had three first-team all-section honorees. Seniors Rachel Martindale and Brynn Serbin, and sophomore Lizzy Groetsch all received first-team laurels. Garnering honorable mention recognition were senior guard Brooke Barcia and junior swing player Katerina Balouris.

For a complete look at the Big 56 Conference all-section teams, click here.

The WPIAL announced its playoff pairings on Tuesday night, including the Class 6A boys’ and girls’ basketball brackets.

The North Allegheny boys’ basketball team has qualified for the postseason for the second time in the last three seasons and will battle the Canon-McMillan Big Macs in the WPIAL first round on Tuesday, February 19 at 8:00 p.m. The contest will be played at neutral site West Allegheny. The Tigers earned a third-place finish in Section 1-6A with a 5-5 record and 13-8 overall mark. The Big Macs were the third-place team out of Section 2-6A with a 6-4 mark and 14-8 overall record. For a look at the Class 6A boys’ bracket, click here.

Winners of seven consecutive section titles and back-to-back WPIAL titles, the North Allegheny girls’ basketball team received the No. 2 seed and will take on the Upper St. Clair Panthers in the WPIAL quarterfinals on Friday, February 22 at a site and time to be determined. The 21-1 Tigers will face off against an Upper St. Clair team that posted an overall record of 11-11 and a fourth-place finish in Section 2-6A with a 7-7 section mark. For a look at the Class 6A girls’ bracket, click here.

All North Allegheny playoff basketball games will be broadcast live via the internet on the North Allegheny Sports Network.

North Allegheny senior guard Brynn Serbin signed her letter of intent on Friday to play college basketball at Ohio Northern University.

Serbin is a two-year starter and a member of North Allegheny’s back-to-back WPIAL championship teams in 2017 and 2018. Despite missing 12 games due to injury last season, Serbin still ranked third on the team with 34 steals and fourth on the squad with 40 assists.

Serbin will take her tenacious defense and slick ball handling ability to Ohio Northern, a strong basketball program in the NCAA Division III Ohio Athletic Conference. Last season, Ohio Northern went 24-5 and advanced to the OAC Championship Game. The Polar Bears are 6-2 so far this season.

Serbin is a member of SADD and Best Buddies at North Allegheny. She will study Pharmacy at ONU and is pictured above with her parents Scott and Paige Serbin and NA head coach Spencer Stefko.

North Allegheny high school will host the annual Wright Automotive Tip-Off tournament beginning on Friday evening and continuing through Saturday afternoon. This year’s tip-off classic will feature six of the top girls’ basketball teams in the region.

Chartiers Valley vs. Mt. Lebanon – 5:00 p.m.
The opener of the tip-off tournament pits the Chartiers Valley Colts against the Mt. Lebanon Blue Devils. The Colts are the consensus No. 1 team in Class 5A following an 18-8 season in which they stampeded all the way to the WPIAL semifinals and PIAA playoffs. After racking up 552 coaching wins and six WPIAL titles with the CV boys’ team, Tim McConnell will be in his first season coaching the Colts girls’ basketball squad. His daughter, Megan (19 ppg), was a second-team all-state guard last season as a sophomore. Senior Mackenzie Wagner (17.2 ppg) is a Loyola, Maryland recruit and 6-2 senior center Gabby Legister returns after missing last year with a torn ACL. Legister is a Kennesaw State recruit.

Like Chartiers Valley, Mt. Lebanon is led by a storied head coach and is coming off a PIAA playoff appearance. The Blue Devils are ranked No. 5 in Class 6A by Trib Live and are coming off a 13-13 season. Despite a .500 record, Mt. Lebanon got hot at the right time and rattled off a late three-game winning streak that carried it to the WPIAL semifinals. Senior forward Jamey Napoleon is committed to Central Connecticut State and was a second-team all-section pick last season. The Blue Devils are guided by 16^th-year head coach Dori Oldaker, who has won over 400 games and has directed both Blackhawk and Mt. Lebanon to multiple WPIAL and PIAA titles.

Norwin vs. Altoona – 6:30 p.m.
The team that defeated Mt. Lebanon in the state playoffs last year, the Altoona Mountain Lions, will joust with the fourth-ranked Norwin Knights in game two of the tournament. Altoona returns most of its core players from last year’s playoff team, including senior Brigid Fox, who recently signed her letter of intent to play Division I basketball at the University of Detroit Mercy. Also returning is three-sport athlete Olivia Hudson and junior 3-point sharpshooter Caranda Perea. The Mountain Lions were the District 6 runners-up last season and went 21-5 before bowing out to North Allegheny in the PIAA second round.

Norwin is coming off a 12-10 season and an appearance in the WPIAL quarterfinals. Junior guards Olivia Gribble and Jayla Wehner, and senior guard Jessica Kolesar are poised for a big season. All three were Big 56 Conference all-section picks. Wehner received first-team laurels and head coach Brian Brozeski was the Section 2-6A Coach of the Year award recipient. Brozeski has guided the Knights to two WPIAL championships in 2015 and 2016 during his tenure.

North Allegheny vs. Penn Hills – 8:00 p.m.
The final game on the opening night sees the host North Allegheny Tigers take on the Penn Hills Indians. Whether it be in the first round or the championship, these teams will face each other for the fifth straight year at the tip-off tournament, with the Tigers winning all four previous meetings. Overall, North Allegheny has won 15 in a row in the head-to-head series with Penn Hills.

Last season, Penn Hills put together a 13-9 season, but were eliminated in the first round of the WPIAL playoffs by Mt. Lebanon, 31-30. This year, the Indians have dropped down to Class 5A where they are ranked No. 3. Penn Hills has a deep senior class that is highlighted by Division I recruits Adia Brisker (Niagara) and Tayonna Robertson (Longwood). Senior forward Diamond-Jay Whittington is back after missing last season with a torn ACL. Senior Ariana Dunson (10 ppg) also returns to the starting lineup.

The expectations are high for a North Allegheny team that went 28-1 last season and has won back-to-back WPIAL Class 6A titles. The Tigers, who have reached the PIAA’s final four for the past three straight seasons, are the consensus No. 1 in Class 6A and are hoping to reach the state championship game for the second time in three years. NA will embark on this journey, led by Rachel Martindale (15 ppg). Martindale, an Akron recruit and first-team all-state selection, had her season cut short due to injury in the WPIAL championship game last year but is back for her senior campaign.  Martindale is surrounded by a strong supporting cast that includes senior guard Brynn Serbin and sophomore standout Lizzy Groetsch. The Tigers are directed by fourth-year head coach Spencer Stefko, who has won 268 games over his career at NA, Seton LaSalle and Chartiers Valley.

For a look at the entire Wright Automotive Tip-Off Tournament schedule, including Saturday’s action, click here.

North Allegheny senior basketball standout Rachel Martindale signed her letter of intent on Wednesday to play college basketball at the University of Akron in the MAC Conference.

A regular in the NA lineup since her freshman season, Martindale has helped the Tigers girls’ basketball team to back-to-back WPIAL titles in 2017 and 2018, and an appearance in the PIAA championship game two years ago. Martindale is a two-time all-state honoree, and two-time all-section honoree in the Big 56 Conference and scored her 1,000^th career point in the WPIAL championship game last season.

Also included among a long list of accolades, Martindale was awarded the Armstrong Cable Female Athlete of the Year for 2017-2018 school year, was named to the Tribune Review All-Star team and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Fab Five last season.

Martindale plans to major in Business at Akron. She is pictured above with head coach Spencer Stefko (top) and parents Jackie (left) and Bruce Martindale (right).

WATCH👀: Hand up, hand down, it doesn’t matter, it’s a knockdown for Rachel Martindale! #AkronMade #Be>Avg pic.twitter.com/iTXK8x5AFA

— Akron Zips W Bball (@ZipsWBB) November 14, 2018

North Allegheny basketball star Rachel Martindale announced a commitment to play Division I basketball at the University of Akron this week. Martindale recently concluded an outstanding junior season that was cut short due to a knee injury. She captured all-state recognition for a second straight season, receiving first-team honors as a junior and third-team laurels as a sophomore.

Martindale scored her 1,000th career point in the Class 6A WPIAL championship game against Peters Township and helped the team garner back-to-back WPIAL titles. The Tigers were 28-1 last season and reached the PIAA semifinals.

The point guard will be a senior this upcoming school year before heading to Akron for the 2019-2020 season. Martindale will play for coach Melissa Jackson who was recently named the head coach of the Zips last week.