A-K Valley WPIAL basketball playoff capsules: Games for March 1, 2023

By: Michael Love
Tuesday, February 28, 2023 | 3:26 PM

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WPIAL basketball playoffs

Boys

Class 4A

Third-place consolation

5-Highlands (21-4) at 2-Laurel Highlands (21-3)

7 p.m. Wednesday at Laurel Highlands High School, Uniontown

Winner plays: District 9 champion in PIAA first round March 11 (site/time TBD)

Loser plays: District 5 or 6 champion in PIAA first round March 11 (site/time TBD)

Players to watch: Jimmy Kunst, Highlands; Rodney Gallagher, Laurel Highlands

Layup lines: Kunst scored 17 points to lead Highlands in Monday’s 87-64 loss to No. 1 Lincoln Park in the semifinals. Jordyn Tavarez added 14 points, Bradyn Foster had 13 and Cam Reigard scored 12. Highlands, which won the 2020 WPIAL Class 4A title, reached the second round of the PIAA playoffs last season before falling to Laurel Highlands, 71-66. The Mustangs also knocked Highlands out of the 2022 WPIAL playoffs in the semifinals 61-44. … No. 2 Laurel Highlands fell short against No. 6 North Catholic, 74-59, in Monday’s semifinals. Gallagher, a West Virginia football commit, had 24 points to lead the Mustangs, who won WPIAL titles in 2020 and ’22 in Class 5A. Laurel Highlands reached the PIAA quarterfinals last season before falling to Gateway.

Girls

Class A

Third-place consolation

5-St. Joseph (20-5) vs. 2-Bishop Canevin (11-8)

6 p.m. Wednesday at Keystone Oaks High School, Dormont

Winner plays: District 6 runner-up in PIAA first round March 11 (site/time TBD)

Loser plays: District 6 champion in PIAA first round March 11 (site/time TBD)

Players to watch: Emma Swierczewski, St. Joseph; Rachel Boehm, Bishop Canevin

Layup lines: The Spartans and Crusaders will play for PIAA positioning as both already have clinched spots in the state playoffs based on making the WPIAL semifinals. … St. Joseph is hoping to bounce back after Monday’s 55-40 loss to No. 1 Union at North Allegheny. The Spartans fell behind by 19 after the first quarter and closed the deficit to five in the third before the Scotties pulled away. Junior Julie Spinelli led St. Joseph with 16 points. Sophomore Gia Richter added 11. Spinelli scored her 1,000th career point on a 3-pointer in the second quarter. St. Joseph will take part in the PIAA playoffs for the second year in a row. The Spartans lead Class A in scoring offense (49.6 ppg.) and scoring defense (33.2) after the semifinal round. … Bishop Canevin captured the WPIAL Class A title last year as the No. 7 seed and advanced to the second round of the PIAA playoffs. The No. 2 Crusaders fell to No. 3 Aquinas Academy, 43-37, in the semifinals Monday at Norwin. Boehm, a sophomore guard/forward, led the way with 14 points, and senior guard Ashley Lippold added 11 in the loss. Bishop Canevin averages 47.6 points and is giving up 46.3 a contest.

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Bishop Canevin, Highlands, Laurel Highlands, St. Joseph