Winning Run
PORTERSVILLE — They used multiple starting lineups. They had 40 percent of the female student body on the team. They had a 1,900-point scorer with no interest in playing college ball.
And they won — a lot.
They are the Portersville Christian School girls basketball team.
The Warriors finished 27-5 this season and became the first team in school history to win the Division II (out of eight divisions) championship at the 2020 National Christian School Athletic Association (NSCAA) National Tournament in Mount Vernon, Ohio, in early March.
The only loss incurred by PCS at the national tournament was to Division I champion Gateway Legacy Academy from Missouri.
This season completed a three-year run that resulted in an 87-15 record — the most successful run in the program's history.
“We have a lot of talent on this team,” sixth-year coach Mike McDonald said. “That's one of the reasons I used so many different starting combinations.
“Another reason was based on our opponent. Another was what type of game we wanted to play.”
One player who never left the starting lineup was 6-foot senior Julia Mangiapane from Fombell. All she did was average 21.1 points and 16 rebounds per game this season.
Mangiapane ended her PCS career with 1,947 points and 1,479 rebounds. Her totals place her as one of the greatest basketball players in school history.
“Colleges had interest in her, Grove City and Geneva to name a couple,” McDonald said. “But she has no interest in playing anymore.”
Mangiapane's entire education — 13 years — was spent at Portersville Christian. She carries a 3.7 grade point average and plans to continue her academic career at Butler County Community College, where she will study emergency medicine.
Mangiapane was selected to play in the Roundball Classic, an event canceled by the coronavirus outbreak. Her mother, the former Betsy Shaw, played college basketball at West Virginia University and Grove City College. She played in the Roundball Classic.
“I knew for a while now I'd be done with basketball after high school,” Magiapane said. “I just don't have the desire to play. Even summer basketball ... I mean, I played, went to practices, didn't hate it, but would have preferred spending that time doing something else.”
McDonald can understand his player's desire to enter the medical field. He has a medical practice himself in the Slippery Rock area.
“Julia excelled when we played public schools,” the coach said. “She averaged more than 26 points per game against them. In a lot of our conference games this year, she only played a quarter or two because the scores were lopsided.”
The Warriors averaged 50 points per game and gave up only 26. PCS was unbeaten in South Western Christian Athletic Conference play for the third straight year while winning its third consecutive SWCAC title.PCS was 7-4 outside of conference play, including wins over District 10 playoff teams General McLane (Class 4A), Fort LeBoeuf (3A) and Commodore Perry. Other wins against public schools were over Aquinas Academy of the WPIAL, Wilmington, Rocky Grove and Jamestown.There are 50 girls enrolled at Portersville Christian. Twenty of them were on the basketball team. Many of them played multiple sports. PCS also offers volleyball, archery and co-ed soccer.“Most of the girls play two sports, some play three,” said Molly Castina, a junior forward from Butler. “If you come out for the team, you're on the team.“Some of these girls had never played basketball before ninth grade. Coach McDonald teaches them the game and they contribute. It's fun.”Castina averaged seven points and eight rebounds per game. Noelle Ledford, a junior from Butler, averaged eight rebounds per contest. Emma Van Gent, a junior guard from New Wilmington, averaged four assists per game.Camdyn Cole, a freshman guard from New Castle, averaged 10 points and 3.5 assists. She is a former Pennsylvania state champion in the Elks Hoop Shoot competition.“Camdyn scored 25 points in the national championship game. That was special for her,” McDonald said.Maria Graham, a senior guard from Prospect, is headed to Cedarville College in Ohio. Faith Patterson, a senior guard from Ellwood City, is headed to Liberty University in Virginia.“They're not going for basketball, but they've enjoyed the experience of basketball,” McDonald said.“Playing together makes a big difference and that's what this team did,” Mangiapane said.PCS publicist Joe Onderko said McDonald “has developed an incredible culture in this program. His daughter, Mary, played here and at Grove City College. He has a real feel for it.“Mike is as competitive as any coach out there. He wants to win. But he develops the entire person, not just the basketball person,” Onderko added.And while he wins a lot, victories on the scoreboard aren't the most imporant thing to him.“The maturation level these girls show on the court amazes me,” McDonald said. “When we play public schools, we often receive positive feedback about the way we play, the sportsmanship we exude on the floor.“This is a special, special group of girls.”PORTERSVILLE CHRISTIAN GIRLS BASKETBALL ROSTERHead coach: Dr. Mike McDonald (Slippery Rock)Assistant: Olivia Green (Slippery Rock)Seniors: Maria Graham (Prospect) guard, Emily Keck (Butler) guard-forward, Julia Mangiapane (Fombell) center, Faith Patterson (Ellwood City) guardJuniors: Molly Castina (Butler) forward, Madison Dickinson (New Wilmington) guard, Malaina Fulmer (Ellwood City) guard, Tiffany Konar (Butler) forward, Noelle Ledford (Butler) center, Emma Van Gent (New Wilmington) guardSophomores: Katie Hurst (Mercer) forward, Kaylin Kingston (Ellwood City) forward, Zoey Morley (Butler) forward, Erian Schwab (Gibsonia) guard, Audrey Shandick (Butler) guardFreshmen: Kathryn Ambrose (Ellwood City) forward, Elsie Brewer (Valencia) guard, Camdyn Cole (New Castle) guard, Abby Hoffer (Beaver Falls) guard-forward
