Top Performances in Class 4A Final Four

Question: Two blowouts in the Class 4A semifinals equal what? Answer: A championship game on Sunday to cap the strangest girls basketball season on record because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and opportunity to bid farewell to a fair amount of seniors who will go on to play on the next level despite it. As for the final four …   --- After Mullen (16-2) spanked Holy Family 75-50, there is only one more game remaining in the schoolgirl career of [player_tooltip player_id="95130" first="Megan" last="Pohs"] (PGH-CO 2022 No. 12, Regis University signee). She played like it on Thursday. Pohs went for 23 points, made five 3-pointers (on eight attempts) and led the Mustangs to a 13^th consecutive playoff victory. She made 9-of-12 shots, handled Holy Family pressure without a problem and has not played on a postseason loser. She has averaged 16.4 points in the playoffs for three seasons. Pohs had plenty of help. The quite versatile [player_tooltip player_id="95172" first="Gracie" last="Gallegos"] (PGH-CO 2022 No. 5) added 16 points, frequently getting to the rim on drives. She also was considerable on defense – Gallegos has played the opposition’s best player since her freshman season – as was [player_tooltip player_id="95170" first="Imani" last="Perez"] (PGH-CO 2022 No. 4), who owned the paint and backboards with 10 rebounds, a couple of blocked shots and putting up as many barricades as a highway under construction. And [player_tooltip player_id="117681" first="Kilah" last="Freelon"] (PGH-CO 2022 No. 19) continued as an emerging talent. The lithe 6-foot-1 forward-center used her long stride and reach for 10 points and seven rebounds. Holy Family, which ended 13-2 and had bookend losses to begin and end the season, fell behind 14-0 and never really got going. Tigers coach Ron Rossi called the Mustangs one of the best teams he has seen in 50 years in coaching, so his [player_tooltip player_id="116779" first="Alyssa" last="Wells"] (PGH-C) 2021 No. 37),  22 points, but 20 in the second half, when the game had already been decided, [player_tooltip player_id="145397" first="Tyler" last="Whitlock"] (PGH-CO 2021 No. 47), eight points; and [player_tooltip player_id="116794" first="Daniella" last="Hren"] (PGH-CO 2021 No. 108), four, couldn’t handle playing catch-up.   --- Windsor’s 70-44 waxing of Green Mountain wasn’t totally unexpected despite the Rams having entered undefeated. The Wizards (16-1) don’t win by magic. No, they advance through the play of [player_tooltip player_id="145404" first="Alexis" last="Backhaus"] (PGH-C) 2022 No. 43), who dropped 9-of-17 shots for a game-high 23 points. She added 12 rebounds, five offensively. [player_tooltip player_id="207078" first="Olivia" last="Reed"] (PGH-CO 2022 No. 25) added another double-double, 20 points on 9-of-12 shooting, along with 15 rebounds. And [player_tooltip player_id="116799" first="Kylie" last="Sanger"] (PGH-CO 2021 No. 48) went for 14 points and four assists. No trick the Wizards have surpassed 70 points 12 times. As for Green Mountain (17-1), a season-low in team points came at the wrong time, although [player_tooltip player_id="95134" first="Courtney" last="Hank"] (PGH-CO 2021 No. 13)  leaves the program having surpassed 1,000 points and 600 rebounds.