2012 WPIAL Girls Basketball Playoff Preview

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, February 17, 2012 | 3:34 PM

The ball goes up on Friday night for the start of the 2012 WPIAL Girls Basketball Playoffs as Shaler, Blackhawk, Seton-LaSalle and North Catholic prepare to defend their hardwood titles. Here is a preview of the girls version of the 'Battle to the Bluff'.

CLASS AAAA

The seeds: Oakland Catholic is first, Mount Lebanon second, Gateway third and Penn-Trafford fourth.

Best first-round game: North Allegheny vs. Bethel Park, Tuesday, site and time to be determined.

Fab 5 to watch: Destiny Brown, Gateway; Bobbi Baker, Oakland Catholic; Kelly Johnson, Mount Lebanon; Emily Johansen, Pine-Richland; Alexis Aiken, North Allegheny.

Hidden statistic: Mount Lebanon has won three PIAA championships in a row, but lost in the WPIAL final two of the past three seasons to Peters Township and Shaler.

Do you remember?: Five years ago, Bethel Park’s Katie Kendall set a WPIAL Class AAAA playoff record with nine 3-pointers in a game against Woodland Hills.
 

CLASS AAA

The seeds: Hopewell is first, South Park second, Blackhawk third and Chartiers Valley fourth.

Best first-round game: Mount Pleasant vs. New Castle, Wednesday, site and time to be determined.

Fab 5 to watch: Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, Hopewell; Ciara Patterson, West Mifflin; Chassidy Omogrosso, Blackhawk; Erika Ford, South Fayette; Shelby Lindsay, South Park.

Hidden statistic: Hampton is in the playoffs for the 20th consecutive season, the longest current streak in Class AAA.

Do you remember? North Catholic scored a WPIAL playoff record 100 points in a Class AAA game against Ellwood City in 1988.
 

CLASS AA

The seeds: Seton-LaSalle is first, Bishop Canevin second, Jeannette third and Deer Lakes fourth.

Best first-round game: Bentworth vs. Avonworth-Elderton winner, Tuesday, site and time to be determined.

Fab 5 to watch: Ciara Gregory, Jeannette; Naje Gibson, Seton-LaSalle; Angela Heintz, Seton-LaSalle; Erin Waskowiak, Bishop Canevin; Lauren Mayernik, Avonworth.

Hidden statistic: Jeannette’s Ciara Gregory led the WPIAL in scoring this season with a 26.7 average … Seton-LaSalle is the only undefeated team in the girls playoffs, and the Rebels defeated the No. 1 and 2 seeds in Class AAAA – Oakland Catholic and Mount Lebanon.

Do you remember? Twenty-eight years ago, Seton-LaSalle, with star guard Suzie McConnell, defeated Beaver Falls, 71-59, to win the Class AAAA title. Now Seton-LaSalle is Class AA.
 

CLASS A

The seeds: North Catholic is first, Vincentian second, Fort Cherry third and Monessen fourth.

Best first-round game: Quigley vs. Riverview, Saturday at Baldwin.

Fab 5 to watch: Mary Andrejko, Riverview; Mariah Ward, Monessen; Beka Bellhy, Fort Cherry; Brenna Wise, Vincentian; Jaclyn Watkins, Aliquippa.

Hidden statistic: North Catholic is in the playoffs for the 37th consecutive season, the longest streak in WPIAL history.

Do you remember? In 1979, Avonworth scored 97 points in a game against Carmichaels. That still stands today as the most points in a Class A playoff game.