Feb 23, 2017 3 min read

BELLEVUE – When high-scoring junior forward Alexa Williamson fouled out of Chartiers-Houston’s playoff game Thursday night against Leechburg with 3:30 remaining, the Bucs clung to a 47-38 lead.

But as teams learned last season, when Williamson missed the second half of the season with a knee injury, the Bucs have more than just one go-to scorer.

Senior Jala Walker scored 23 points and hit a couple of big baskets down the stretch to help offset the loss of Williamson, as the Bucs advanced to Monday’s WPIAL Class AA semifinals with a 60-44 win over a pesky Leechburg team that hung with top-seeded Chartiers-Houston throughout this game at Northgate High School.

“Our kids reacted exactly how I would have hoped they would,” said Char-Houston head coach Laura Montecalvo. “Jala Walker pulled everyone into a huddle when Alexa fouled out and I kind of smiled about that. We weren’t as nervous as many people might expect because we played without her most of last season. The other girls picked it up.”

As a result, the Bucs (21-2) will face Section 1-AA rival Our Lady of Sacred Heart Monday at a site and time to be determined. OLSH, which defeated California, 49-39, Thursday night, was swept by Char-Houston in the regular season.

While the final score was decisive against Leechburg (14-10), the game was tight throughout.

Chartiers-Houston, which had a first-round bye and hadn’t played in two weeks, led 14-7 after one quarter but just 24-22 at the half. The Bucs carried a 37-32 lead into the final quarter and Leechburg kept things tight, pulling to within 43-38 on a jumper by Cam Davies midway through the fourth quarter.

“I think not playing for two weeks, we got a little rusty,” said Montecalvo. “But even more than that, Leechburg, despite being the No. 8 seed, was a very talented team with three good scorers to defend.”

Williamson, who finished with 20 points and 14 rebounds, scored to give the Bucs a 45-38 lead and then Walker hit a field goal to make it 47-38 before Williamson picked up her fifth foul on a shot by Daesha Knight with 3:30 remaining in the game.

Knight missed both free throws and the Bucs slowly pulled away from there, stretching their advantage into double digits.

In addition to her 23 points, Jala Walker had six rebounds and four steals, while Keaira Walker chipped in 11 rebounds.

Junior Mikayla Lovelace led Leechburg, which does not have a senior on its roster, with 19 points.