This year, the girls basketball team made the playoffs for the first time since 2018 when Lindsy Muchnik was the head coach. A seven year streak of not making playoffs has been broken by your Lady Spartans. With a conference record of 3-7, they had key wins against McKeesport and Connellsville and were ranked 156th in PA.
Before the season even tipped off, the Spartans faced a major setback when senior point guard and top returning scorer Madalyn Pevarnik (a Marietta commit) suffered a season-ending ACL injury. This forced the team to lean heavily on senior Ava Shipman and junior Reagan Fisher to handle floor general duties. Coach Madison’s strategy this year centered on a stifling 2-2-1 halfcourt trap.
Earlier in the season, the Spartans went on a tear, holding opponents to incredibly low scores, including a massive 70-10 win over Southmoreland and a 47-17 victory against Mt. Pleasant. The team’s mantra this season has been “defense turns into offense,” focusing on transition buckets sparked by turnovers.
Key players made a major impact on the court. Ava Shipman (Senior): The veteran leader and “glue” of the team. She transitioned into a primary ball-handling role following Pevarnik’s injury. Gabby Coccia (Senior): A 5’10” forward who provided much-needed size and experience in the paint. Lillian “Lilly” Houghtalen (Sophomore): A rising star who stepped into a major role this year as a versatile guard/forward.
The Spartans finished the regular season with a respectable 13-10 overall record. While they played in the highly competitive WPIAL Section 2 (6A), home to powerhouses like Norwin and Upper St. Clair, they managed to secure a spot in the WPIAL Class 6A Quarterfinals. The Spartans capped off their season with a hard-fought battle in the WPIAL Class 6A Quarterfinals on February 20, 2026. They faced their rivals, the Norwin Knights, falling 57–42.
Despite the loss, senior Gabby Coccia went out on a high note, leading the team with 19 points and keeping the game tight through three quarters. While Coach Madison often jokes that they aren’t known as a “3-point shooting team,” they proved everyone wrong in a thriller against Butler on January 19. The Spartans sank nine 3-pointers (some off the backboard, admittedly!) to snap a losing streak and win 56–49. Junior Reagan Fisher was the star of that game, putting up 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting.
Fisher said she was excited to go to the playoffs this year, and that the team has worked really hard. “The team as a whole has grown exponentially over the past couple months. She says that the girls are all very supportive of each other and that the coaches do a great job preparing them each week for who they play.”
The 2026 season saw the emergence of several “future of the program” players who took advantage of increased playing time, Houghtalen (sophomore) became a consistent scoring threat, including an 8-point third-quarter explosion against Norwin in February that briefly gave Hempfield the lead. Carina Rimel (sophomore), known for her “scrappy” play style, became a key part of the rotation, often guarding the opponent’s best perimeter player.
Head Coach Bobby Madison is extremely happy for the girls. He says that he has a great group who have worked harder than ever and has improved as the season progressed. He says that “ultimately their goal is to win a championship.”
He said, “there have been several games that have stood out, including winning at Mount Lebanon and holding them to twenty-three points. This may have been our most complete game of the year from a defensive stand point. The win at Latrobe in December stands out as this was one one of the best offensive performances we had all year against an accomplished team. We had multiple girls in double figures and great communication across the court.”
He also reflected on the Norwin loss saying the game proved to the girls that they can play with and beat anyone that stands in their way.
Hissman, freshman Varsity player, said that while “playing varsity, I needed to level up my skill set, but really needed to change my mind set. I needed more confidence, to realize that it’s just a game and making a mistake doesn’t define my game.”
Sophomore Houghtalen says that she is really proud of how far they have come as a team, and it means a lot to share this moment with the upper classman I’ve always looked up to and learned so much from. Hissman tells us the girls intend to keep bringing “110% effort every play” as they carry on this year’s outstanding legacy.
