Feb 2, 2023 4 min read

MONESSEN – Most streaks will inevitably come to an end.

Thursday night, two streaks moved closer to ending.

Thanks to their 43-32 Class A Section 2 win over West Greene, Monessen inched toward its first girls basketball section title since 2012 while the Pioneers’ six-year section title streak is in serious jeopardy, and they will need help if they are to extend it.

“I am happy we got his win, but there is more work to be done,” said a soaked Monessen coach Janine Vertacnik shortly after her team dumped water on her in the locker room. “This one was a long time coming against a really good program.”

The reason for the celebration?

It was the first win for Monessen (7-1, 13-6) against West Greene (6-2, 10-8) in 10 tries under Vertacnik and the win ended a 15-game winning streak in the series for West Greene dating back to Jan. 22, 2015, when the Greyhounds had last beaten the Pioneers.

“I brought extra clothes,” Vertacnik quipped before getting serious. “We have thought about this game since December 22nd.”

In the first game between the teams, played in December, Monessen led late before West Greene pulled it out.

“I thought we played pretty good tonight, but we didn’t shoot as well as we did the first time,” West Greene coach Austin Crouse said about the previous matchup, a 45-42 win for the Pioneers. “We will work on things and hopefully see them again.”

Crouse said his team will regroup after losing their second section game in their last three after winning 70 in a row dating back to Feb. 5, 2016.

“They are handling this the way I want them to,” Crouse said of his players. “I got them to hate losing at the start of the season, and every single one of them is down there crying. I want them to use this as fuel.”

The contest opened with both defenses trying to set the tone, and it led to a combined 11 first-quarter turnovers and 10 fouls in the frame and the game tied at 10 entering the second quarter.

Turnovers were a theme the entire game as West Greene turned the ball over 34 times while Monessen gave it away 20 times.

Aggressive defense continued through the second quarter, although fouls started to become a factor.

Lexi Six gave the Pioneers a 15-12 lead with 5:20 to go in the half on a three-pointer, but the Greyhounds closed the half on a 10-2 run to take a 22-18 lead into the break.

Six led West Greene with 10 first half points while Sidney Campbell paced a balanced Monessen attack with six points.

Monessen put the game away in the third quarter is it outscored West Greene 11-3 to take a 33-21 lead into the fourth.

After Kendra Tharp scored a basket for the Pioneers in the first minute of the second half, they did not make another shot until a Kasie Meck layup with 4:41 to play.

Monessen’s MyAsia Majors led all scorers with 13 points and was a force inside as she helped the Greyhounds hold a 43-24 advantage on the boards, with 21 coming on the offensive end.

While Monessen plays at Uniontown in a non-conference game Saturday, Vertacnik knows the 19th section title in the history of the Greyhounds’ storied program could be on the cusp.

“We go to Mapletown for a tough game Monday before hosting Avella Thursday,” she said. “We have to win one to be co-champs, but I don’t want to be co-champs.

“I want to be outright champs.”

If Monessen were to split its last two section games, and if West Greene wins both of its remaining games, then the teams would share the title, thus giving the Pioneers a share of their seventh straight section crown.