Another North Catholic girls basketball WPIAL tournament march begins with rout of Laurel Highlands
CRANBERRY TWP — Already accustomed to producing on the court, North Catholic girls basketball junior guard Brady Wehner has taken on added responsibility this season.
With no seniors on the team, she has become one of North’s leaders off the court.
“Brady and Lauren Reitz (junior guard) are both three-year starters,” North coach Molly Rottmann said. “They won a WPIAL title as freshmen. They have so much experience, it’s just natural that the younger players are going to look up to them, and I told them that they have to show up (mentally) every day.”
Wehner averaged over 14 points per game for last year’s team that reached the state semifinals. She’s putting up 13 points and four assists per contest this season, most recently draining six 3-pointers and scoring 20 points in Monday’s 67-21 victory over Laurel Highlands in a WPIAL Class 4A first-round playoff game at North Catholic High School.
“I had to grow into a leadership role,” Wehner said. “Lifting the rest of the team up in practice no matter how I feel as an individual player. … I think back to the girls who were on the team when I was younger — Sarah Loughry, Alayna Rocco, Ava Walker and Lauren Mihm. We were all close and their leadership helped me.”
“Brady is not the most vocal person, but she’s embracing it,” said Rottmann, who added the vocal leader of the team is junior guard Maggie Tatar, a first-year starter.
Sam Weir and Kate Vislosky round out the starting five.
“During the regular season, our starting lineup was more fluid,” Rottmann said. “Now that we’re into the playoffs, it’s pretty much set.”
Harmony Jones added 13 points off the bench Monday, with Weir scoring 10.
North has won 23 WPIAL titles, the most of any school in the district.
The Trojanettes (18-5), winners of nine straight, will face Beaver, a 62-35 winner against Mount Pleasant, in a quarterfinal Thursday at a site and time to be determined.
LAUREL HIGHLANDS 21
Haven Harris 2 0-0 6, Gracie Cicci 1 0-0 2, Taylor Schwertfeger 2 2-6 7, Abby Grady 1 0-0 2, Madison Mrosko 0 1-2 1, Taylor Irwin 1 0-0 3, Maddi Brooks 0 0-0 0, Isabella Paschka 0 0-0 0, Kalee Milsom 0 0-0 0, Lillian Hanan 0 0-0 0. Totals: 7 3-8 21.
NORTH CATHOLIC 67
Brady Wehner 7 0-0 20, Sam Weir 4 1-1 10, Kate Vislosky 3 1-2 7, Maggie Tatar 0 1-2 1, Lauren Reitz 1 1-2 3, Harmony Jones 5 2-2 13, Finley O’Shea 3 2-4 8, Evangeline Offi 1 1-2 3, Mia McDowell 1 0-0 2, Khristina Rushak 0 0-0 0, Anabel Poirier 0 0-0 0, Addi Thiel 0 0-0 0, Gigi Collafela 0 0-0 0, Lana Allen 0 0-0 0. Totals: 25 9-15 67.
Laurel Highlands 9 4 3 5 — 21
North Catholic 23 29 5 10 — 67
3-point goals: Laurel Highlands 4 (Harris 2, Schwertfeger, Irwin); North Catholic 8 (Wehner 6, Weir, Jones).
Thursday: North Catholic vs. Beaver, WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinal, TBD
