Canon-Mac girls basketball breaks 9-year postseason drought
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Before he interviewed for the Canon-McMillan girls basketball head coaching job last year, John Fontana went on Hudl to watch video on the returning players.
He studied every shot, every pass and every rebound and what he came away with was there was a lot of potential there led by then freshmen, now juniors, Sam Miller, Lauren Borella and Madison Clair.
That potential has come to fruition in a big way.
Last Friday the Big Macs defeated Hempfield, 48-47, in overtime to clinch a playoff spot and end a nine-year run postseason drought.
Fontana told his girls before the game that they’d be in the playoffs with a win, and they delivered.
“The excitement, the happiness, the pride in their faces, it was just a wonderful feeling to see that,” Fontana said. “These girls have fought so hard to change Canon-Mac girls basketball and they really have.”
They’ve done so by winning six out of eight games in January. They are 5-4 in Class 6A Section 2 and have a win over second-place Upper St.Clair. They nearly had a victory over section leader Norwin on Tuesday, but lost 32-30.
Fontana’s original message to the team when he was hired was to believe in each other, believe in themselves, believe in the coaches and the process.
He said they are all at the point of belief in all four categories and it has shown during their recent run of good results.
In the Hempfield game, Miller made a free throw late to put the Big Macs in front by a point and they had to withstand one final possession by the Spartans.
“When Sam made that free throw, we still had to play defense, because there were seven seconds left and that seemed like an eternity,” Fontana said. “Hempfield had made six three’s in the second half of the game, but the girls never flinched. A shot went up and didn’t go in, the ball was tipped up two or three times on the rebound and we came down with it. I’m so proud of them. They faced adversity and were able to fight through it. That’s the sign of a good team.”
Borella had 19 points in the Hempfield win and went 10-for-11 from the foul line. Clair scored 15.
Along with Miller, Borella and Clair are the team captains.
“We don’t have a senior on this team, so if you look at it, they are our leaders,” Fontana said. “That’s what they do. They lead. They’ve got better at it each game and each week.”
Olivia Ross, a junior, and sophomore Faye Saunders are the other two starters and both have made an impact.
Fontana said Ross is probably the best athlete on the team and routinely guards the opponent’s top player. Saunders is the team’s leading rebounder.
The Big Macs have received contributions from three freshmen off the bench: Izzy Bobitski, Brooke Stanton and Bella Urso.
“All three of those kids have helped us win games,” Fontana said. “Izzy Bobitski hit a shot late to beat Mt. Lebanon. Brooke Stanton hit three 3-pointers in the Upper St. Clair game in the first half and Bella Urso locked up the Upper St. Clair game, making two free throws at the end of the game.”
Canon-McMillan made it to the quarterfinals in 2016, defeating Fox Chapel in the first round, before falling to Penn Hills.
To encapsulate how long ago that was, it was before the PIAA went to six classifications.
This season, the Big Macs will enter the playoffs in the quarterfinals with only eight teams in Class 6A making the postseason.
No matter how far they go this year, they’ve set a new standard.
And with no seniors on the roster, it looks like this is just the beginning for them.
“We have a unique blend of talent,” Fontana said. “We have four juniors, one sophomore and three freshmen that make up our top eight. We’re looking forward to a bright future here at Canon-McMillan.”