Feb 19, 2019 4 min read

IMPERIAL – Drew Denham, Mapletown’s energetic girls basketball coach, shook his head in disbelief. He changed his lineup at almost every stoppage in play and encouraged his team. There just wasn’t anything he could do to get the ball to go into the basket.

The Maples went the final 3 ½ minutes of the first half without a basket, had only nine field goals through three quarters and didn’t shoot well enough to beat Quigley Catholic in the first round of the WPIAL Class A girls basketball playoffs Tuesday night. Quigley used an 18-point performance by Taylor Kirschner to beat the Maples 47-33 at West Allegheny High School.

Quigley (13-10) advances to the quarterfinals Friday against third-seeded Greensburg Central Catholic.

“We struggled from the field. It was one of those nights when things weren’t falling our way,” Denham said. “We have good shooters, but it comes down to putting the ball in the hoop, which we didn’t do.”

Though Mapletown (12-11) was able to drive through Quigley’s defense and get to the rim with little difficulty, the cold-shooting Maples weren’t able to convert those penetrating moves into easy points in the form of free throws. Mapletown went to the free-throw line only four times, making two.

“You have to give credit to Quigley,” Denham said. “We attacked and they did nothing to give us a chance for points at the free-throw line. It just wasn’t our night.”

Much of the first half was played at a slow and plodding pace, which favored Mapletown, which led 9-8 after one quarter.

The Maples, who have only eight players, had a height advantage but struggled to get the ball inside to 6-2 center Kayla Smith, who was the focus of the Quigley defense. Smith finished with four points, 10 rebounds and two blocked shots.

Mapletown began to drive to the basket through the Quigley zone in the second quarter with mixed results. A drive by Kelsi Smith resulted in a basket and an 11-11 tie. A jumper by Hannah Dusenberry tied the score again at 13-13 but the Maples went the final 3 ½ minutes of the half without a point.

That’s when Quigley scored the final 11 points of the second quarter, six coming from Clara Stephenson, to take a 24-13 lead into halftime. Mapletown was outscored 16-4 in the pivotal second quarter.

Quigley pushed the lead to double digits midway through the third quarter and kept it there to the end. Mapletown, however, had its chances. The Maples won the battle on the boards but couldn’t overcome 17 turnovers and making only two of its first 14 three-point attempts.

Kirschner scored 16 of her 18 points after the first quarter and made three of the Spartans’ five three-pointers.

Abby Antill led Mapletown with nine points. Kelsi Smith had eight points.

“We definitely played well enough to win,” said Denham, who has mentioned on his Twitter account this year that one of his goals for his team was to change the culture of Mapletown athletics.

“This team took a step in doing that. I told the players all year to represent your town. Mapletown is what you make it. … The thing I like the most is we fought to the end. That is something we and the entire community can be proud of.”

Avellla 38, Aquinas Academy 25: Brianna Jenkins scored 14 points and Avella’s defense held Aquinas Academy under 10 point in each quarter to obtain a 38-25 victory in WPIAL Class A playoff action.

Bess Lengauer chipped in 10 points for the Eagles (17-5), who led 19-10 at halftime and 31-17 after three quarters.

Anna Truschel scored 14 for Aquinas Academy (10-9).

In other games: Franklin Regional defeated South Fayette, 46-35, in a WPIAL Class 5A playoff game.