Ethan Guszczynski, Jackson Long and Nathan Schanbacher provided quite a triple threat Friday and the North Hills 9th grade basketball team added to its victory total.

Guszczynski, Long and Schanbacher combined for 48 points to help North Hills beat a good Norwin team, 58-43, at the North Hills Senior High gym.

Guszczynski scored 17 points, making 6 of 8 shots and 4 of 4 from the free-throw line. He also had 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Long did a little of everything. He made three 3-pointers, pulled down 9 rebounds and dished out 7 assists. Schanbacher had 6 rebounds.

Long hit a pair of 3-pointers and scored 10 of his points in the first quarter as North Hills held a 20-15 lead after the opening stanza. The Indians were ahead at halftime, 35-22, and had a 17-point advantage (50-33) after three quarters. North Hills cruised to the win in the fourth quarter as Norwin could get no closer than 10.

The win came two days after the "7-8-9 Night" at "The Palace" at the Middle School. The 7th, 8th and 9th grade teams played a tripleheader and a nice crowd watched all three North Hills teams win.

The 9th grade had an easy time with Shaler, winning by 68-38. All 12 North Hills players scored and five had 8 or more. Aaron Loritts and Schanbacher both scored 10. Guszczynski had 9, Long 8 and McFadden 8. 

The two latest wins upped the 9th grade team's record to 17-2. The team finishes off the season with two games this week. The Indians play at Shady Side Academy Monday. You can catch the team at home for the final game of the season, Friday against Peters Township. Game time is 3:30 p.m. at the Senior High.