Keystone Oaks Lady Eagles Beat New Brighton Lions, 62-28

Keystone Oaks' Alexa Xenakis scored a team-high 25 points to carry the Lady Golden Eagles to a 62-28 win over New Brighton in the opening round of the WPIAL AA playoffs on Friday at Moon Area High School.

Team defense and offensive execution proved to be the difference as Keystone Oaks seemed to be one step ahead of the Lady Lions. 

Keystone Oaks jumped out to an 8-0 lead early in the first quarter and didn’t let New Brighton ever get back into the game. 

“I knew it would be important for us to get off to a good start,” Golden Eagles’ Coach Gene Mercuri said. “If you let teams hang around, it can come back to bite you in the end.  We did a great job and setting the tempo right from the start.  We got out in front and didn’t look back.”

Xenakis dominated play on the offensive side of the ball, spotting up for long-range jumpers, penetrating the Lady Lions’ zone defense while looking for her own shot as well as for others.   

Keystone Oaks’ defense suffocated the New Brighton offensive scheme, forcing them into low-percentage shots and turnovers.  At the half, the Golden Eagles led 40-13.

The second half began much the way the first one did, with Xenakis connecting on a pair of baskets to further extend the lead.  Mercuri told the team at the half that he expected the same intensity in the third quarter as he saw in the first quarter.

“We wanted to play a great game, not a great half,” Mercuri said.  “We got off to a great start in the first half, but we wanted to have an equally strong performance in the second half.  I think we accomplished that tonight, and I was proud of the girls.”

Olivia Lippert and Taylor Brownlee had 13 and 10 points for Keystone Oaks.

The Lady Golden Eagles will play Avonworth on Tuesday.

“It was a big win tonight, for the girls and for the program.  We played a good game and we deserved to win," Mercuri said. "We’re ready for our next challenge, so we’ll do our homework, work hard and we’ll see what happens on Tuesday.”