PIAA Class 6A Girls Basketball Playoffs Preview: Gov. Mifflin at Canon-McMillan
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District 3 eighth-place finisher Gov. Mifflin will open the PIAA Class 6A girls basketball tournament Friday, traveling more than 250 miles west to face WPIAL champion Canon-McMillan at 6 p.m. at Canon-McMillan High School in Canonsburg.
The Mustangs (18-9) return to the state tournament for the first time since 2020 and enter as the final qualifier out of District 3, while the Big Macs (21-4) arrive as one of the hottest teams in Pennsylvania after capturing the first WPIAL championship in program history.
The winner advances to face either District 8 champion Taylor Allderdice or WPIAL third-place finisher Upper St. Clair in the second round.
PIAA Class 6A girls basketball first round
7-1 Canon-McMillan Big Macs (21-4)
Head coach: John Fontana, third season, 49-24
Points per game: 48.4
Points allowed per game: 37.2
Canon-McMillan enters the state tournament riding momentum after a historic postseason run capped by a 50-38 victory over Norwin in the WPIAL Class 6A championship game Saturday at Petersen Events Center on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh.
The title marked the first district championship in program history and completed a turnaround under head coach John Fontana, whose senior-heavy roster has developed into one of western Pennsylvania’s most balanced teams.
“It was a very good feeling,” Fontana said via phone Tuesday morning. “This was three years in the making. When I took over, they had won about two section games in four years, but I saw there was talent there. We built to this point and grew the program, and now it’s the first [girls basketball] title in the school’s history.”
Fontana is in his third season leading Canon-Mac after he was an assistant with Upper St. Clair. The Big Macs went 12-10 in his first season, 16-10 last year, before their breakthrough this season.
Last season, the Big Macs finished third in the WPIAL and defeated Taylor Allderdice in the first round of states before falling to Upper St. Clair, which lost 58-27 to Perkiomen Valley in the state final, in the second round.
The Big Macs built a 19-point lead in the district title game before weathering a Norwin comeback attempt, relying on rebounding, defensive toughness and late free throws to close the game.
Canon-McMillan outrebounded Norwin 45-30 and controlled the tempo throughout much of the contest — a reflection of the team’s physical size and disciplined half-court style.
“I like to compare it to college basketball," Fontana said of the transition from playing in the district to the state tournament. "The WPIAL is like playing for the ACC championship, and then the state tournament is the big dance.
"You’re playing teams from all over the state, and it’s much harder to scout. If you’re lucky enough to make a run, you’re playing five games in about 15 days. Preparation becomes tougher because you don’t know opponents as well and you don’t have as much film.”
When asked about Gov. Mifflin high-scoring junior Bella Super, Fontana had high praise.
“She’s really good," he said. "She can score from anywhere. She doesn’t even need much space, and she can break you down off the dribble. She has great moves and she’s strong. She’s as good of a player as we’ve played all year.”
Senior 5-11 wing Madison Clair leads the Big Macs in scoring at 13.0 points per game while adding 5.6 rebounds per game. Clair scored 15 points in the championship game.
Senior 5-6 guard Lauren Borella, a Division II West Liberty commit, serves as the engine of the offense, averaging 9.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game while contributing defensively with 2.1 steals per game. Borella scored 10 points and went 10-for-14 from the free-throw line in the WPIAL final.
Senior 5-6 guard Samantha Miller adds perimeter shooting (team-high 33 3-pointers) and playoff experience, while junior 5-11 forward Faye Saunders provides interior presence, averaging 8.9 points and 7.6 rebounds.
Sophomore 5-11 guard/forward Brooke Stanton (6.8 ppg) adds another tall matchup piece and rounds out Fontana's typical starting five.
Sophomore 5-9 wing Izabella Bobitski (3.7 ppg) and senior 5-7 guard Olivia Miller (2.5 ppg) provide depth off the bench.
The Big Macs have won 10 straight games.
3-8 Gov. Mifflin Mustangs (18-9)
Head coach: Mike Clark, 14th season, 240-125
Points per game: 53.6
Points allowed per game: 46.5
Gov. Mifflin qualified for the state tournament for the first time since 2020 after upsetting Ephrata 49-46 in the first round of the District 3 Class 6A tournament, sealed when junior 5-7 guard Bella Super stole the ball in the final seconds to secure the win.
Super, one of the most prolific scorers in Berks County, leads Mifflin at 18.6 points per game — the highest average in the league. The junior has knocked down 60 3-pointers, converted 77 free throws at a 71.3-percent clip, and currently sits at 1,304 career points.
She was a third-team all-state selection last year.
Gov. Mifflin’s lineup features no seniors, making this postseason run valuable experience for a junior-led core.
Junior 5-6 guard Bridget Martin averages 10.8 ppg and contributes across the stat sheet, while junior 5-8 wing Brooklyn George adds 8.8 points per contest and has hit 36 3-pointers this season.
Sophomore 5-11 wing Saray Renninger (8.6 ppg) and junior Ja’Tiyah Case (5.3 ppg) round out a balanced rotation built around perimeter scoring and defensive pressure.
After defeating Ephrata in the district bracket, the Mustangs fell to eventual district finalist Dallastown and dropped playback games against Central York and Cedar Cliff, landing the eighth and final state berth.
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