Mars girls basketball sluggish in loss to West Allegheny despite Alexis Cashdollar’s double-double
ADAMS TWP — More than a week between games, multiple days off school unexpectedly, a personal matter — the excuses were there.
Mars girls basketball couldn’t quite pinpoint which of those, or another, played the biggest factor in Friday night’s 61-42 loss to West Allegheny. But it didn’t matter, the result was the same.
The Planets (2-4, 0-2 WPIAL Section 4-5A) came up sluggish in the first half, started the second sloppy and didn’t have answers defensively for Breana Gubba (16 points) or Emma Ruperto (14).
“I could make a bunch of excuses, but I just think we kind of came off — they started out with a nice lead and that set the tone for the game,” Mars senior wing Cecilia Christy said.
Senior guard Alexis Cashdollar agreed, adding she was partly to blame and was dealing with a personal matter beforehand.
The Planets dug themselves a hole in the first quarter, settling for perimeter shots against WA’s zone more often than not and shooting 3 of 13 in the frame. And the Indians shot well on the other end, as Ruperto, Ella Smith and Gubba combined for 16 points on 7 of 18 shooting.
West Allegheny (5-1, 2-1) made four 3-pointers in the first half.
Mars briefly got a spark in the first half by switching to a full-court press, forcing consecutive turnovers the Planets converted for buckets. But the run was short-lived.
“I think our energy was just low,” senior guard Alexis Cashdollar said.
Cashdollar, who came into the game averaging 17.4 points and 6.2 rebounds, had seven of her team-high 14 points in the second quarter. She grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds.
Christy scored 13 and had seven boards. She came in averaging 9.6 points and 3.8 rebounds.
But Gubba and Ruperto led a more effective and urgent offense on the Indians’ end. Gubba had her own double-double with 10 rebounds and added five assists while shooting 7 of 14 from the field, and Ruperto snagged seven boards.
“Emma’s been a really good player for them the last couple years, and the cast around her has just continued to grow and continued to develop,” Mars coach Zach Stitt said.
Mars had 14 turnovers to West Allegheny’s nine. WA won the glass 39-36 and had nine assists to Mars’ five. The Indians seemed to be more agressive rebounding and came up with more 50-50 boards.
“I think we just gotta do a better job of wanting it more, being a little bit tougher, being a little bit stronger,” said Stitt, who cautioned against getting too down on the season just yet.
Mars freshman guard Karmella Vigliatti had eight points on a pair of 3-pointers in the first half and finished with nine for the game.
WA got 10 points apiece from Skyla Gubba and Ella Smith.
WEST ALLEGHENY 61
B. Gubba 7-14 0-0 16, S. Gubba 4-7 0-2 10, E. Smith 4-8 2-2 10, E. Ruperto 6-19 0-0 14, A. Santucci 1-3 0-1 2, L. Marchinsky 2-4 1-1 6, H. Ballas 1-2 0-0 3. Totals: 25-58 3-6 61.
MARS 42
A. Cashdollar 6-16 0-0 14, E. Bloom 0-3 0-0 0, M. Moore 1-2 3-4 5, C. Christy 5-17 3-5 13, K. Vigliotti 3-8 1-2 9, V. Black 0-1 0-0 0, A. Day 0-1 1-2 1, M. Lindsay 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 15-49 8-13 42.
West Allegheny 18 17 9 17 — 61
Mars 9 19 8 6 — 42
3-point goals: West Allegheny 8 (B. Gubba 2, S. Gubba 2, E. Ruperto 2, A. Santucci, L. Marchinsky), Mars 4 (A. Cashdollar 2, K. Vigliotti 2)
Monday: Mars at Montour
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Mars’ Cecilia Christy (24) shoots the ball against West Allegheny in a girls basketball game Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, at Mars High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Mars’ Emma Bloom (11) shoots a 3-pointer against West Allegheny in a girls basketball game Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, at Mars High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Mars’ Alexis Cashdollar (5) battles West Allegheny’s Alexis Santucci (14) for possession of the ball in a girls basketball game Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, at Mars High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Mars’ Cecilia Christy (24) shoots over West Allegheny’s Breana Gubba (3) and Ella Smith (10) in a girls basketball game Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, at Mars High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
