Big Second Half Helps NA Squash Titans, 54-24
No. 2 North Allegheny busted open its Section 1-AAAAAA contest with the 10th-ranked Shaler Titans with a huge second half to claim a 54-24 win on Monday night. The Tigers shot 58-percent (7 of 12) from beyond the arc in the second half and sophomore Rachel Martindale helped lead the charge with 17 points and three 3-pointers. Martindale was selected as the Wright Automotive Player of the Game.
Shaler opened the game with a 7-4 lead before Piper Morningstar tied the game with a 3-pointer. The trey by Morningstar, one of two triples for the junior guard, sparked an 11-0 run to give North Allegheny a 15-7 lead midway through the second quarter. Despite a sluggish first half, the Tigers maintained a 22-15 lead at halftime.
In the second half, the Tigers found their rhythm and busted the game wide open with their 3-point shooting prowess and defense. Martindale caught fire and scored 15 of her 17 points in the second half. Sophomore Courtney Roman poured in a pair of treys as well, helping NA outscore Shaler, 32-9, in the second half. North Allegheny’s opportunistic defense forced 15 turnovers that directly led to 17 points.
Joining Martindale in double figures was senior Hailey Zeise who posted 14 points and five rebounds. For Shaler, no player touched double figures. The Titans were led by Rylee Donovan’s nine points and six rebounds.
Following the win, North Allegheny improves to 16-1 overall and 5-1 in Section 1. Shaler falls to 9-6 overall and 1-5 in the section. The second-ranked Tigers will visit the top-ranked and undefeated Pine-Richland Rams in a Class 6A showdown on Thursday night. The game will be broadcast live via the internet on the North Allegheny Sports Network.
Girls Basketball vs. Shaler, 1-23-17
GAME SUMMARY | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
SCORE BY QUARTERS | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL |
Shaler | 7 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 24 |
North Allegheny | 9 | 13 | 18 | 14 | 54 |