2022 PIAA Class 2A boys basketball championship breakdown: OLSH vs. Constitution

By: Chris Harlan
Friday, March 25, 2022 | 2:59 AM

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PIAA Class 2A boys basketball final

OLSH vs. Constitution

2:30 p.m. Friday, Giant Center, Hershey

On the air: TV: PCN; Streaming audio: TribLive HSSN

PIAA titles: OLSH 1 (2021), Constitution 4 (2012, ’14, ’15, ’18)

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (27-0)

Coach: Mike Rodriguez

Probable starting lineup

No., Name, Ht., Yr., Pos.

0, Jake DiMichele, 6-3, sr., G

1, Rocco Spadafora, 6-0, jr., G

4, Bryson Kirschner, 6-3, jr., F

5. Dawson Summers, 6-5, sr., C

23, Kevin Wilson, 6-3, sr., F

Notable: OLSH is the defending state champion. … This will be OLSH’s third appearance in the state finals, and each resulted in a matchup with Constitution. The teams split their first two. OLSH won 62-49 last season, and Constitution won 81-71 in 2018. Both were PIAA Class 2A finals. … Only 14 WPIAL boys basketball teams have won a state title with an undefeated record, a feat OLSH accomplished last winter. … The Chargers have won 67 consecutive games dating back to Jan. 7, 2020, and would tie the state’s all-time longest winning streak with a victory Friday. West Philadelphia won 68 in a row in 1976-78. … OLSH has three players averaging double figures led by DiMichele at 32 points per game. Summers averages 12 points, and Spadafora 10. … DiMichael scored 39 points in OLSH’s semifinal win. … The Chargers reached the state finals by defeating United, 75-50; Carlynton, 74-43; Ridgeway, 54-27; and Kennedy Catholic, 64-55. … OLSH averages 76.1 points per game.

Constitution (22-8)

Coach: Robert Moore

Probable starting lineup

No., Name, Ht., Yr., Pos.

0, Lamar Glover, 5-11, sr., G

1, Simere Blagman, 6-1, sr., G/F

5, Jacob Beccles, 6-3, sr., G

22, Nasser Coleman, 6-5, sr., G

23, Jamal Carr, 6-5, sr., F

Notable: Constitution has reached the PIAA finals for the seventh time since 2012. The Generals are 4-2 in state finals. … The public school opened in 2006 in the Center City neighborhood of Philadelphia. … Beccles is the team’s leading scorer at 22.9 points per game. He’s a 32% shooter from 3-point range and has attempted 160. … Glover averages 18.7 points. He scored 29 in the state semifinals. … Blagman averages a team-best 10.3 rebounds per game. … The Generals reached the finals by defeating Delone Catholic, 79-58; Shenandoah Valley, 60-46; Holy Cross, 50-48; and Old Forge, 67-40. … The team has won 11 of its past 12 games. … Among its regular-season defeats was a 76-30 loss to Class 5A finalist Imhotep Charter. … Constitution average 60.1 points per game.

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.

Tags: Our Lady of the Sacred Heart