Upper St. Clair reaches state championship game in basketball

MERCERSBURG – Upper St. Clair advanced to the state championship game after a hard-fought win against Garnet Valley in the PIAA Class 6A girls basketball semifinals. The game took place at James Buchanan High School. The teams were tied at halftime and again after the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, Upper St. Clair took control, thanks to key three-point shots from Meredith Huzjak and Olivia Terlecki. Huzjak’s second three-pointer put them ahead 40-37. Terlecki followed with her fifth three-pointer. The Panthers then sealed their victory by hitting 8 out of 12 free throws in the final two minutes. Terlecki led her team with 18 points, hitting five three-pointers. "I wasn’t feeling it in warmups," she said, "but sometimes you get hot during the game." Rylee Kalocay contributed 15 points and made crucial steals in the final minute. She also scored the last free throws to secure the win. Haylie Adamski was the standout for Garnet Valley, scoring 25 points in the match. Upper St. Clair will play in the championship game on Friday against the winner of Perkiomen Valley and Archbishop Carroll, who were still playing when the Panthers celebrated their victory. Kalocay expressed excitement about the chance to compete for the state title and joked about needing to get the five-pound chocolate bars that come with the championship trophy. Earlier in the game, the Panthers had a slow start but managed to tie the game at 23-23 by halftime. Both teams were tied again at the end of the third quarter.