NA Falls To Upper St. Clair in WPIAL Quarterfinals, 41-33
By Randy Gore
For the ninth time in the last nine seasons, North Allegheny and Upper St. Clair dueled in a postseason game. The Tigers had won seven of the previous eight playoff meetings with the Panthers, including WPIAL championship victories in 2021 and 2023. However, in Friday night’s WPIAL Class 6A quarterfinal contest, USC topped NA, 41-33, to advance to face the Norwin Knights in the next round.
The night began with a 3-pointer by freshman Macy Sundgren to help the Tigers take a 5-4 lead in the early going. The Panthers answered with a 9-0 run thanks to a well-balanced offense to open up a 13-5 lead. Just when it appeared that third-seeded Upper St. Clair might take control of the game, North Allegheny responded with a 9-2 run that was bookended by 3-pointers from senior Maddie Williams, cutting the deficit to 15-14 midway through the second quarter.
Later in the second period, another shot from beyond the arc, this time from senior Vange Balouris, knotted the score at 17-17. A layup by USC sophomore Kat Polstyanko helped the Panthers gain a 19-18 lead at intermission.
In the first half, North Allegheny kept pace with Upper St. Clair with its 3-point shooting prowess, pouring in four treys. However, USC, which did not make a perimeter jumper in the first half, connected for three 3-pointers in the third period alone to gain the upper hand. With the game tied 28-28 midway through the third period, senior Ryan Prunzik delivered a 3-pointer that put the Panthers ahead to stay. Caroline Barnard and Audrey Brown also made shots from 3-point land to help USC construct a 38-30 lead in the fourth quarter. Prunzik finished with a game-high 14 points as the Panthers hung on for a 41-33 victory. Barnard, who fouled out in the final stanza, netted 10 points.
Senior forward Rae Shanahan led NA in scoring with 10 points, followed by Williams with nine points. For her two critical 3-pointers in the first half, Williams was named the Wright Automotive Player of the Game. Balouris also totaled eight points, including a pair of treys.
North Allegheny’s season concludes with a 10-12 overall record, while Upper St. Clair improves to 12-11. Congratulations to head coach Jill Halapin-Capozzi and the entire North Allegheny girls’ basketball team for reaching the playoffs for a 19th consecutive season and another memorable year for the black and gold.
Girls Basketball Summary at Upper St. Clair, 2-20-26
| SCORE BY QUARTERS | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Allegheny | 10 | 8 | 12 | 3 | 33 |
| Upper St. Clair | 13 | 6 | 17 | 5 | 41 |
