Audenried’s Shayla Smith becomes the city’s all-time scoring leader in PIAA playoff loss to Neumann Goretti
Smith scored 38 points, but the Rockets lost to the Saints in the PIAA Class 4A semifinals. Maureece Rice, who had 2,681 career points for Strawberry Mansion, was the previous record-holder.
Audenried’s Shayla Smith became the city’s all-time scoring leader — in girls’ and boys’ high school basketball — Saturday after scoring 38 points in a 61-52 loss to Neumann Goretti in the PIAA Class 4A semifinals at St. Joseph’s Prep.
She entered Saturday with 2,652 total career points and needed to score 30 to surpass the previous record holder Maureece Rice, who had 2,681 career points for Strawberry Mansion from 2000 to 2003. Rice, 41, went on to play at George Washington University, in the NBA D-League, and overseas.
Smith hit the 30-point mark in the third quarter to cut the Rockets’ deficit to seven. She scored the Rockets’ first nine points and finished the first half with 18.
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Neumann Goretti scored 26 points in the second quarter to carry a 39-23 lead into halftime. Following Audenried’s 25-point third quarter, the Saints held the Rockets to just four points in the final quarter. Neumann Goretti will face Lansdale Catholic in the PIAA Class 4A final on March 29 at the Giant Center in Hershey.
As for Smith, her high school career officially comes to a close. The Penn State-bound senior, who has led the Rockets to three consecutive Public League championships, eclipsed the girls’ scoring record on Feb. 13, when she scored 47 points in the Public League quarterfinals against Engineering and Science. Shawnetta Stewart (2,501) of University City had held the girls’ record since 1996.