Sharon High advances to quarterfinal

The Tigers defeated Shady Side, 63-56, as Janine McDonald scored 17.
By TOM WILLIAMS
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
NEW CASTLE. Pa. -- By her own admission, Sharon High girls basketball player Cara Dolci wasn't having a quality night on offense.
In the final seconds of the second quarter with her Tigers nursing a 29-24 lead, Dolci launched a long-range shot that Shady Side rebounded and converted into Stephanie Woelfel's basket just before the buzzer.
Dolci was determined to make up for the errant shot and she found success early in the fourth quarter of Tuesday's 63-56 victory in the Western Pennsylvania Class AA quarterfinal game at New Castle High.
Refuse to lose
"They refuse to lose," Sharon coach Gene Sarazen said. "When the going gets tough, they just seem to step it up defensively."
Friday, Sharon (28-1) will play Westmont Hilltop in a Western Pennsylvania Class AA semifinal game at a site to be announced. Sarazen said this is as far as the Tigers have progressed in 15 years since they twice made the Western final.
With the once-beaten Tigers trailing 45-44, Dolci launched a successful 3-pointer that sparked the Tigers to life.
"It seemed like I wasn't on the whole game," said Dolci, who finished with 13 points. "It was a big one -- putting us up by two seemed to get our girls back into the game."
Moments later, Sharon's Janine McDonald scored a layup for a 49-47 edge, a lead Sharon (28-1) maintained the rest of the game.
After Brittany Csatlos hit a free throw, Nikki Odem scored two baseline jump shots during Sharon's 7-1 run that gave them control of the game.
Dolci said the Sharon coaching staff wasn't concerned about her shooting woes.
Defense is staple
"At halftime, they basically told me that my offense will come and go but my defense will never leave me," Dolci said of the encouragement to continue defending strongly.
Two years ago, the Tigers were 9-14. Today, they are two wins away from a trip to Hershey to the state final.
"This feels pretty darn good," Dolci said. "It's a big step for us."
McDonald, a junior, scored 17 points and has 987 points in her varsity career, according to Sarazen.
"This feels so good -- this was the best game I've ever had," McDonald said. "We're so happy that we're still in it."
The game seesawed during a fast-paced first quarter that produced a 17-16 Sharon edge.
The Tigers opened the second quarter with a 12-6 run for a 29-22 lead. But the Indians (24-5) crept back into the game when Woelfel hit two free throws and the buzzer-beating basket.
The Indians dominated the third quarter, outscoring the Tigers 17-11 for a 43-40 lead.
Csatlos scored 13 points while Aryn Christman and Katie Kelly scored eight apiece.
More to come
Sarazen believes his players have a better defensive effort lurking.
"We're not playing as well defensively as we should be," Sarazen said. "Our goal was to hold them under 50, so we need to get back and worker harder on our defense."
Woelfel led the Indians with 17 points. Sara Brown scored 13 and Maggie Bodenlos 10.
"Our kids have a lot of heart and character," Sarazen said. "When somebody doesn't do what they're supposed to, somebody else picks them up."
Sarazen's third season, the Tigers have grown up from last year's 20-5 squad that lost in the first playoff round.
"Since 1990, this is the furthest our girls have been," Sarazen said.
williams@vindy.com