Cougars aim to end playoff drought

By DEAN DELLAMALVA JR.

MVI Sports

It has been 11 seasons since the Yough girls basketball team has qualified for the WPIAL Playoffs. Along the way, the Cougars have lost 97 consecutive section games and have only won 11 games overall since 2013.

But there is reason for optimism that the program may be on the verge of a turnaround. In order to do so, Yough is going to have to find ways to be more steady, which is a stark contrast from last year’s squad.

“Last year’s team played hard and never gave up, however we didn’t play consistently enough,” Cougars coach Mike Gerdich said. “We have to get better and do all the little things needed to win a game in order for us to be competitive this year.”

Yough lost only two players to graduation, Breanna Morton and Hattie Boucher, from a team that struggled to score. The Cougars averaged only 22.8 ppg and their only wins came against teams with only seven combined wins in Bentworth (5-17), Geibel (1-16) and Valley (1-22).

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