PIAA Class 4A Girls Basketball Final: Scranton Prep rally falls short against Blackhawk

HERSHEY – Blackhawk went 11-for-12 from the foul line in the final 2:11 to turn back a Scranton Prep comeback and capture the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Class 4A girls basketball title with a 56-44 victory March 23 at the Giant Center.

The Lackawanna League Division 1 and District 2 Class 4A champion Classics cut a 15-point, third-quarter deficit to six in the fourth quarter before Blackhawk effectively held the ball and made the resulting free throws.

“They did a good job of letting the air out of the ball at the end,” Scranton Prep coach Bob Beviglia said.

Scranton Prep had two shots at cutting the six-point deficit in half midway through the fourth quarter.

“Sometimes you get behind like that and you feel like you’re out of it,” Beviglia said. “I never felt like that today.

“We were going to make enough plays to get back over the hump.”

The Classics never led.

Blackhawk opened leads of 8-0 and 11-2 before Scranton Prep settled in.

Aubree Hupp and Alena Fusetti, at 5-foot-10, both taller than any Scranton Prep starter, led Blackhawk to victory.

Hupp was 11-for-12 from the line and 2-for- on 3-pointers while scoring 21 points and grabbing nine rebounds. Fusetti was 3-for-6 on 3-pointer and finished with 18 points, 10 defensive rebounds and four assists.

Blackhawk went 19-for-23 from the line while Scranton Prep was 7-for-10.

The Classics were led by Jenna Hillebrand with 16 points, seven of which came during a fourth-quarter surge to make the game closer.

Scranton Prep finished 23-6.