Jan 29, 2026 4 min read

It’s still January, but the defending state champion South Fayette girls basketball team already has locked up a section championship.

The LIons steamrolled winless New Castle 72-10 Thursday night to clinch the outright Class 5A Section 3 title.

The LIons are 11-0 in section and 19-1 overall. They have not lost to an opponent from Pennsylvania.

Payton Galish was South Fayette’s leading scorer with 16 points.

Waynesburg 54, McGuffey 47

Freshmen Emma Blair and Tess Pauley each scored 16 points as Waynesburg held off McGuffey 54-47 in a Class 3A Section 3 game played on the Highlanders’ home court.

The win moves Waynesburg (7-2, 15-2) into sole possession of second place in the section. McGuffey falls to 6-3, 11-8.

Waynesburg led 21-17 after one quarter and 30-23 at halftime. McGuffey closed to within 41-39 at the end of three quarters but Waynesburg outscored the Highlanders 13-8 in the fourth quarter.

A key to the game was Waynesburg made 10 three-point baskets, including three each by Chatham Knight and Addonae Johnson.

Maura Janovich scored 13 points to lead McGuffey and Eliana Janovich had 11.

West Greene 37, Bishop Canevin 29

West Greene held visiting Bishop Canevin to only two points in the fourth quarter and pulled out a 37-29 victory in Class A Section 2.

Sammi Zimmerman led the Pioneers in scoring with 11 points and Madelyn Roberts chipped in with 10. The Pioneers trailed 21-19 at halftime but moved ahead 28-27 at the end of three quarters. West Greene (7-3, 12-5) had a 9-2 scoring edge in the pivotal fourth quarter.

Almost all of the scoring by Bishop Canevin (5-6, 6-11) was done by two players as Isabell Sysak scored 13 points and Kya Cooper had 10.

Chartiers-Houston 56, Jefferson-Morgan 19

Chartiers-Houston had about as good of a first quarter as a team can have and then went on to a 56-19 victory over host Jefferson-Morgan in Class 2A Section 3.

The Bucs (7-0, 15-3) led 23-0 at the end of the opening quarter and forge a commanding 44-11 halftime advantage.

Sophomore Sophie Palone led C-H in scoring with 15 points, which included four three-point field goals. Ali Wingard also scored in double figures. She had 12 points.

Brelynn Wood and Bailey Cervone each tossed in seven points for J-M (1-7, 8-12).

California 50, Bentworth 38

California kept its Class 2A Section 3 title hopes alive with a 50-38 victory over visiting Bentworth.

Lila Mitchell poured in a game-high 22 points and Hayley Gibson added 12 the Trojans improved to 5-1 in section and 8-8 overall. California has a key game at home Tuesday against section leader Chartiers-Houston.

Freshman Alexa Babirad scored 15 points for Bentworth (3-4, 8-10).

Elizabeth Forward 70, Ringgold 22

Kaelynn Settles scored 25 points as Elizabeth Forward defeated visiting Ringgold 70-22 in a Class 4a Section game.

Geibel Catholic 106, Mapletown 19

Emma Larkin poured in 62 points, powering Geibel Catholic to a 106-19 thumping of Mapletown in a Class A Section 2 game played in Connellsville.

Geibel (11-0, 18-0) led 36-8 after one quarter and 56-12 at halftime. The Gators scored 50 points in the second half, including 30 in the fourth quarter. Mallory Clemmer had 26 points and Alexa Morgan 14.

Beth-Center 45, Carmichaels 32

Violet Trump and Isabella Fischer combined for 29 points and Beth-Center pulled out a hard-fought 45-32 victory over host Carmichaels in Class 2A Section 3.

Beth-Center (5-3, 9-9) led by only one point, 22-21, at halftime and the Bulldogs took a 33-28 lead into the final period. B-C had a 12-4 scoring edge over the final eight minutes.

Trump led the Bulldogs’ attack with a game-high 15 points and Fischer contributed 13.

Carmichaels (0-6, 1-16) received 14 points from Ke’Lani Chun.

Belle Vernon 60, Laurel Highlands 37

Class 4A Section 3 leader Belle Vernon received a career-high 14 points from Emerson Lacarte as the Leopards won at Laurel Highlands, 60-37.

Belle Vernon (11-1, 17-3) scored 43 points in the first half and took a 20-point lead into the intermission.

Saylor Lee scored 12 points and Lyla McConnell had 10 for the leopards.

Laurel Highlands’ Taylor Schwertfeger scored a game-high 16 points.