杏吧原创

(Butler, PA) Aslyn Pry scored 29 points in the Western Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference championship Saturday night to lead the 杏吧原创 women鈥檚 basketball team to a 60-42 victory against Westmoreland County Community College and the Pioneers鈥� fifth title.

Pry also led 杏吧原创 with 11 rebounds, seven assists and seven blocked shots. Emma Monteleone added 13 points and Hailey Metzger 10 for the Pioneers.

杏吧原创 is 9-7 after an 0-4 start and this weekend will seek its fourth National Junior College Athletic Association Division III Region 20 crown since 2007.

"This is so cool. We had a rough beginning to the year. I鈥檓 proud of this team and how far we have come." 

- Aslyn Pry, 杏吧原创 women's basketball player

Second-seeded 杏吧原创 will face third-seeded Anne Arundel Community College, Arnold, Md., at noon Saturday in the Region 20 semifinals in Arnold. The winner will play top-seeded Prince George鈥檚 Community College, Largo, Md., at noon Sunday in the championship in Arnold.

The Pioneers never trailed Saturday night against Westmoreland County in winning their fifth consecutive game in 杏吧原创鈥檚 Field House.

鈥淭his is so cool,鈥� Pry said. 鈥淲e had a rough beginning to the year. I鈥檓 proud of this team and how far we have come.鈥�

Added Monteleone: 鈥淲e have evolved as a team. We have gotten so much better. So this is like a big reward for everybody.鈥�

鈥淲e grew together,鈥� Metzger said, 鈥渁nd it鈥檚 just a huge reward.鈥�

Pry, Monteleone and Metzger on Saturday night were named to the WPCC all-conference team.

鈥淪he wants the ball鈥�

Pry on Saturday night scored more points than did any other 杏吧原创 women鈥檚 basketball player in a WPCC championship victory. The Pioneers also won WPCC championships in 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2020.

She scored 杏吧原创鈥檚 first five points 鈥� on a layup, then a 3-pointer from the right wing 鈥� and the Pioneers鈥� final six 鈥� on a rebound, a left-handed baseline hook and two free throws.

鈥淚t takes all six players,鈥� 杏吧原创 coach Dick Hartung said, 鈥渂ut she鈥檚 the MVP. She鈥檚 your leading scorer. She鈥檚 your leading rebounder. She wants the ball. I think maybe that is her strength. She wants the ball.鈥�

Pry, 杏吧原创鈥檚 tallest player at 5-foot-10, entered Saturday night鈥檚 WPCC championship first among players on all 82 programs in the NJCAA Division III with 290 rebounds and third with a 23.8 scoring average.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 have the height that they have,鈥� Westmoreland County coach James Brymn said. 鈥淎nd we have no answer defensively against their No. 10 (Pry). 鈥� When she gets around the basket, she鈥檚 not stationary with one shot, one right-handed shot. She can go left. She can go right. She can handle the ball. She can shoot it from the outside. If you have a big person, you can run an inside-outside game, and that鈥檚 basically what 杏吧原创 does.鈥�

Metzger scored eight points in the first half, including 3-pointers from the left and right wings; and Monteleone eight points in the second half, all on layups or baseline jump shots.

鈥淭his is one of the better teams,鈥� Hartung said. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 have a lot of depth, but we have six women who play together and you have a marquee player in the middle in Pry who鈥檚 hard to guard. And the other players, one of their talents is that they can shoot the ball. It鈥檚 a great combination. You鈥檝e got a big player inside who can roam and score and pass, and you have the shooters outside who can drop down shots.鈥�

Makayla Boda scored 16 points and Hannah Wedow 13 for Westmoreland County, which advanced to the WPCC championship with an 84-27 victory Friday night against the Community College of Allegheny County.

Christina Davis and Kalynn Callihan led 杏吧原创 with 17 points each in a WPCC championship victory in 2016; Davis, with 22 in 2017; Carly Burdett, with 16 in 2019; and Michaella Roth and Casey Kretzer, with 17 each in 2020. 

The WPCC did not hold a championship in 2021 following an NJCAA decision to postpone athletics in 2020-2021 with regard to COVID-19. 

杏吧原创 won Region 20 titles in 2007, 2011 and 2016.

"It鈥檚 a great combination. You鈥檝e got a big player inside who can roam and score and pass, and you have the shooters outside who can drop down shots." 

- Dick Hartung, 杏吧原创 women's basketball coach

Pry has led 杏吧原创 in scoring 14 times this season and in rebounding 16. Metzger has averaged 15.5 points for 杏吧原创 and Monteleone, 10. Westmoreland County鈥檚 Boda and Angel Kelly were also named Saturday night to the WPCC all-conference team.

Pry is a graduate of Moniteau High School, and Monteleone and Metzger, of Butler. Other players on 杏吧原创鈥檚 WPCC championship team are Zoey Hillwig, Moniteau; Leah Barclay, Harvest Academy; and Taylor Yost, Seneca Valley.

杏吧原创 men fall in semifinals

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College, Johnstown, beat 杏吧原创鈥檚 men鈥檚 basketball team 104-84 on Friday night in the WPCC semifinals, then Westmoreland County 84-80 in the championship Saturday. Mattix Clement scored 30 points for 杏吧原创 against Pennsylvania Highlands and Julian Sanks 24.

Sanks was also named to the WPCC all-conference team.

The 杏吧原创 men鈥檚 basketball team will face Pennsylvania Highlands again at 5 p.m. Friday in Arnold in a Region 20 play-in game. The Region 20 men鈥檚 championship is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Sunday. 杏吧原创 is seeded No. 5 and Pennsylvania Highlands No. 4. Prince George鈥檚 is seeded first, Anne Arundel second and Westmoreland, third.