Lady 'Canes crush Central Valley
New Castle (70) Vs. Central Valley (27)
Feb 04, 2011
New Castle took another step toward clinching a Section 2-AAA title with a rout of Central Valley.
The Lady ’Canes (9-1, 15-3), who hold a one-game lead over Ambridge (8-2, 14-4) for first place, held Central Valley to just six first-half points. They led, 38-6, at halftime and were up 48 at one point in the third quarter.
“We really wanted to work on shoring up our defense and getting back to the basics,” New Castle coach Jason Rankin said.
New Castle is ranked No. 2 in the WPIAL in Class AAA by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Ja’Nia McPhatter scored a game-high 24 points for the Lady ’Canes and added nine rebounds and five steals. She registered 13 markers in the first half and 11 in the fourth quarter. Christina Talbert recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 assists, and Dana Perrotta netted 10 field goals.
Sarina Barrett scored eight to lead Central Valley (1-9, 4-15).
New Castle plays Beaver on Monday. A win would give the Lady ’Canes at least a share of the section crown. They host Ambridge on Feb. 11 in what could be a winner-take-all showdown.
“We’re not going to take (Beaver) lightly,” Rankin said. “Not with a section championship so close.”