Girls Hoops - Latrobe vs Albert Gallatin

December 12, 2019

Late Albert Gallatin Rally Spoils Latrobe Girls Home Opener, 58-57

Albert Gallatin overcame a 9-point fourth quarter deficit to Latrobe, outscoring their opponent 22-12 in the final frame, beating the Wildcats 58-57 in the conference opener for both teams at Latrobe High School on December 12.

Latrobe started strong with five Lady Wildcats scoring in the opening quarter, led by Lex Pynos with 6 of the team's 19. Albert Gallatin trailed 19-14 after one quarter, and managed to cut the margin to 31-27 at halftime.

A 14-9 third quarter scoring advantage put the Wildcats up 45-36 going into the final quarter, and it looked like they were heading to close out the Colonials for the victory in the final quarter. But Albert Gallatin clawed their way back into the game to trail by 4 with just over a minute left to play.

After narrowing the gap to 55-53, a Wildcats' traveling call gave the Colonials the ball with 26.9 seconds left to play. That's when Courtney Turner drained a shot in the lane and was fouled, hitting the and-one to give Albert Gallatin a 56-55 advantage with 19.7 to play.

The Wildcats went back on top after a quick foul put Latrobe's Rachel Ridilla on the foul line for a one-and-one, and she hit both free throws to give the Cats a 57-56 lead with 17 seconds to play.

On the next possession, the Colonials took a shot that went off the rim, but Turner was in position for the rebound and put back shot from point-blank range, giving the Colonials a 58-57 advantage with under 10 seconds to play.

Latrobe moved the ball into the forecourt for a shot that didn't connect, and the ball went out of bounds off Albert Gallatin, so they maintained possession. But the clock showed only 9/10 of a second left to play, and the Wildcats couldn't get a shot off on the inbound pass before time expired, giving the Colonials the emotional comeback win.

Bryn Bezjak led the Colonials with 21 points, while Olivia Miller added 13, Abby King 12, and Courtney Turner 10, including the last 5 that gave Albert Gallatin the win. Anna Rafferty had 21 points to lead the Wildcats, with Rachel Ridilla chipping in 17.

The win gives Albert Gallatin a 1-0 conference record to go with their 3-1 overall mark. Latrobe opens conference play with an 0-1 record, 1-2 overall.

Watch for a full gallery of action photos available for purchase or sharing the day after the game.

Keywords: albert gallatin, basketball, girls, high school, latrobe, westmoreland county