2025 WPIAL Class 2A boys basketball championship breakdown: Union vs. Jeannette

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Thursday, February 27, 2025 | 11:01 AM

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WPIAL Class 2A boys basketball championship

No. 8 Union vs. No. 3 Jeannette

5 p.m. Friday, Petersen Events Center

On the air: Video livestream: NFHS Network

WPIAL titles: Union 1 (2003); Jeannette 1 (2008)

Union (19-6)

Coach: Mark Stanley

Projected starting lineup

No., Name, Ht., Cl., Pos.

1, Maddox Thompson, 5-11, Sr., G

2, Lucas Stanley, 6-2, Sr., G

5, Landon Eckert, 6-0, So., G

11, Jordyn Kelley, 6-3, So., F

32, Jamel Mitchell, 6-1, Sr., F/C

How they got here: Union defeated No. 9 Fort Cherry, 70-49, in the first round; No. 1 Greensburg Central Catholic, 44-42, in the quarterfinals; and No. 4 Neshannock, 60-56, in the semifinals.

Notable: Union, which moved up for the first time to Class 2A, is chasing its second WPIAL title and first in 22 years. The Scotties got by No. 4 Neshannock, 60-56, denying the Lancers their first finals trip since 1987. Lucas Stanley scored 24, and Maddox Thompson added 13. Union made the WPIAL Class A finals in 2022 and ’23, losing to Bishop Canevin and Imani Christian. Stanley is the coach’s son. He scored 15 in the 2023 championship game loss. The Scotties reached the semifinals last year and fell to Imani Christian. Stanley averages 24.6 points and had 36 in a first-round win over Fort Cherry. Union knocked No. 1 seed Greensburg Central Catholic from the playoffs with a 44-42 win. Jordyn Kelley and Landon Eckert are other scoring options for the Scotties. They start two sophomores and bring two freshmen off the bench. Coach Stanley is in his ninth season as head coach and 18th overall at Union.

Jeannette (22-2)

Coach: Adrian Batts

Projected starting lineup

No., Name, Ht., Cl., Pos.

0, Xavier Odorisio-Farrow, 6-2, Jr., F

1, Kymon’e Brown, 6-0, Jr., G

2, Jayce Powell, 5-10, So., G

5, Markus McGowan, 6-3, So., F

24, Noah Sunder, 6-3, Jr. F

How they got here: Jeannette beat No. 19 Brentwood, 91-42, in the first round; No. 6 OLSH, 55-50, in the quarterfinals; and No. 2 Sewickley Academy, 45-25, in the semifinals.

Notable: Jeannette dumped No. 2 Sewickley Academy, 45-25, with a superb defensive effort and large contributions from its post players Xavier Odorisio-Farrow and Lonnie Greene. Odorisio-Farrow delivered a highlight slam dunk in the third quarter and scored 15 points, and Greene had 12. Jeannette also was impressive defensively late in a 55-50 quarterfinal win over OLSH as it rallied from 16 down late in the third. Markus McGowan is a key scorer and arguably the team’s top outside shooter, and Kymon’e Brown and Jayce Powell lead the backcourt. The quarterback-receiver combo helped Jeannette make the WPIAL Class A semifinals in football. The Jayhawks average 67.4 points and allow 40.2. Both of their losses are to Greensburg Central Catholic. Batts has been at Jeannette for 16 years as head coach and 19 overall. He was an assistant on the 2008 team that won the program’s lone WPIAL title. Both teams have qualified for the PIAA playoffs and will open the tournament March 8 at home. The winner will host the third-place team from District 10, and the loser plays the third-place team from District 6.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Jeannette, Union