WPIAL quarterfinal basketball in four brackets set for Friday

By: Don Rebel
Thursday, February 20, 2020 | 11:58 PM

They say the third time is the charm. But what do you call the fourth time?

Quarterfinals on Friday in the WPIAL boys basketball playoffs feature second-round games in girls 6A, girls A, boys 5A and boys 2A.

One of those boys Class 2A quarterfinals games is a battle of Section 1 teams as No. 12 Winchester Thurston tries to knock off No. 4 Springdale.

The Bears have had no success against the Dynamos in three meetings this season.

Not only did Springdale win the two section contests by 10 and 6 points, it also defeated Winchester Thurston in the championship game of the St. Joseph’s Holiday Tournament by 14 points.

Springdale has won five straight coming into its fourth matchup Friday at Shaler, but Winchester Thurston is coming off a first-round upset of No. 5 Laurel, 47-45.

Reynolds wrap

The boys 5A quarterfinals in the No. 7 vs. No. 10 matchup is an interesting one.

The contest between Chartiers Valley and Shaler features two of the top players in Class 5A who both answer to Mr. Reynolds.

The Colts’ Brayden Reynolds is the team’s leading scorer and averages nearly 18 points per game.

The Titans’ Mekhi Reynolds is among the top scorers in the WPIAL with an average of 22.8 points per game.

Shaler’s Reynolds scored 19 points in the Titans’ 48-43 victory over Gateway in the first round of the 5A playoffs Monday.

6A girls finally tip off

The WPIAL released the basketball playoff brackets last Tuesday. Ten days later, the girls Class 6A tournament finally tips off.

Only eight teams qualified for the postseason, thus the playoffs begin in the quarterfinals round.

One matchup to watch is No. 3 Norwin against No. 6 Upper St. Clair.

The Knights were co-champions in Section 1 and have won three straight.

Olivia Gribble (16.7 ppg) leads a Norwin team that earlier this year had a 12-game winning streak.

The Panthers come into the game having won four of their last five games, including a section-finale victory over Mt. Lebanon that knocked the Blue Devils out of a tie for first place with Bethel Park.

Tags: Chartiers Valley, Norwin, Shaler, Springdale, Upper St. Clair, Winchester Thurston