Westmoreland County WPIAL basketball playoff preview capsules for Friday’s games

By: HSSN Staff
Wednesday, February 21, 2018 | 5:57 PM

Boys

Class 5A

Quarterfinals

No. 3 Franklin Regional (18-4) vs. No. 6 Moon (18-5)

8 p.m. Friday at North Hills

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Winner plays: Winner of No. 2 Highlands (17-4)/No. 7 West Allegheny (11-11) in semifinals Tuesday.

Coaches: Steve Scorpion, Franklin Regional; Adam Kaufman, Moon.

Players to watch: Hunter Stonecheck, 6-4, Sr., F, Franklin Regional; Connor Ryan, 5-10, Jr., G, Moon.

Layup lines: Franklin Regional and Moon have met four times over the last two seasons, including twice in last year's playoffs. Moon won the regular-season meeting by 39 points, then topped the Panthers in the WPIAL quarterfinals 75-61. But Franklin Regional stunned the Tigers in a PIAA first-round game as Simon Behr delivered a buzzer-beating shot in the lane for a 52-51 win. This year, Moon won a nonsection game 52-48 on Jan. 19. … Franklin Regional is a senor-laden group with experience and a nice blend of size and physicality. The Panthers feature 1,000-point scorer Nate Leopold in the backcourt and Stonecheck is a sneaky good ball-handler and passer. Mike Bartolacci is a fiery guard and one of several long-range shooting threats. … Scorpion is a Panthers' alum and the program's third all-time leading scorer but did not experience the playoffs like this group. … Franklin Regional allows just 47.9 points per game, the second-best total in 5A. Moon allows 49.5, the third best. … Ryan has a twin brother (Austin) who also plays a key role in the Tigers' backcourt. Connor Ryan averages 16 points and was a starter on Moon's WPIAL championship team last season. He had 13 points in the title game. Austin Ryan had 16 points and Connor Ryan 15 in a 59-44 win over Albert Gallatin in the first round. … The winner advances to the state playoffs.

Class 2A

Quarterfinals

No. 3 Jeannette (18-3) vs. No. 6 Shenango (15-8)

8 p.m. Friday at Gateway

On air: TribHSSN.triblive.com

Winner plays: Winner of No. 2 OLSH (20-2)/No. 10 Springdale (13-8) in semifinals Tuesday.

Coaches: Adrian Batts, Jeannette; Bob McQuiston, Shenango.

Players to watch: Anthony Johnson, 6-5, Jr. G, Jeannette; Brandon Bennett, 5-9, Sr., G, Shenango.

Layup lines: Section 1 champion Jeannette is trying to get to the semifinals for the third time in four years. A group that has been hampered by injuries and has not been able to maintain a steady lineup appears to be at 100 percent for the playoffs after a first-round bye — and a 10-day layoff. … Johnson and senior Tre Cunningham have been the big scorers for the athletic Jayhawks. Both have posted 30-point games. Senior Robert Kennedy helps run the offense, but also can score. … The Jayhawks have shown they can score, but their 47.0 ppg defensive average leads 2A. … Shenango likes to play fast (61.4 ppg) and comes from Section 3 which features No. 1 seed Sewickley Academy and No. 2 OLSH. … Shenango rolled past Frazier in the first round 64-48. Bennett scored 10 of his 13 points in the third quarter and athletic, 6-1 senior guard Josh Young scored a game-high 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Colin McQuiston, the coach's son, added 15 points and 12 rebounds. Sophomore guard Jason Kraner missed that game for Shenango for personal reasons. … The winner makes the PIAA playoffs.

Girls

Class 6A

Quarterfinals

No. 2 Peters Twp. (19-3) vs. No. 7 Hempfield (12-11)

6:30 p.m. Friday at Baldwin

On air: TribHSSN.triblive.com

Winner plays: Winner of No. 3 Bethel Park (16-5)/No. 6 Latrobe (17-6) in semifinals Tuesday.

Coaches: Bert Kendall, Peters Township; Lindsy Muchnock, Hempfield.

Players to watch: Makenna Marisa, 5-11, Jr., G, Peters Township; Allison Podkul, 5-8, Sr., G, Hempfield

Layup lines: Hempfield is in the quarterfinals for the third straight season and is seeking its first semifinal trip since 2014. The Spartans scored a 64-40 first-round win over Seneca Valley on Tuesday. Podkul scored 18 points in the victory, 16 in the first half. Jessica Persin and Sarah Liberatore scored 11 each. Hempfield lost to eventual champion North Allegheny in the quarterfinals last year. … Peters Township, the Section 3 champion, received a first-round bye. Marisa is one of the top scorers in the WPIAL, averaging 23 points. The Indians won nine of their last 10 games in the regular season, the lone loss coming to top-seeded North Allegheny.

No. 3 Bethel Park (16-5) vs. No. 6 Latrobe (17-6)

6:30 p.m. Friday at Gateway

On air: TribHSSN.triblive.com

Winner plays: Winner of No. 2 Peters Township (19-3)/No. 7 Hempfield (12-11) in semifinals Tuesday.

Coaches: Jonna Burke, Bethel Park; Mark Burkhardt, Latrobe.

Players to watch: Maria Cerro, 5-7, Jr., G, Bethel Park; Laura Graytok, 5-7, Sr., G, Latrobe

Layup lines: Latrobe earned its first playoff victory in 11 years with a 44-31 win over Shaler on Tuesday. Graytok, an American recruit and Latrobe's leading scorer (23 ppg), had 18 points and five assists, and senior forward Mackenzie Markle recorded 12 points and 10 rebounds. A 14-2 second-quarter run gave the Wildcats a cushion to work with in the second half. … In 2007, the last time the Wildcats made the quarterfinals, they lost to Bethel Park, 62-46. … Bethel Park, the second-place team in Section 3, received a bye to the quarterfinals. The Black Hawks lost to North Allegheny in the finals last year. Cerro leads a balanced offense that includes freshman Olivia Westphal and sophomore Madelyn Dziezgowski.

No. 4 Norwin (12-9) vs. No. 5 Mt. Lebanon (12-11)

6:30 p.m. Friday at Peters Township

On air: TribHSSN.triblive.com

Winner plays: Winner of No. 1 North Allegheny (22-0)/No. 9 Upper St. Clair (13-9) in semifinals Tuesday.

Coaches: Brian Brozeski, Norwin; Dori Oldaker, Mt. Lebo.

Players to watch: Emily Brozeski, 5-8, Jr., G, Norwin; Alyssa Hyland, 5-8, Sr., G, Mt. Lebanon

Layup lines: This will be a rematch of last year's quarterfinal, which Mt. Lebanon won 47-44. Norwin advanced to the quarterfinals for the sixth consecutive season with a 48-29 win over Pine-Richland on Tuesday. The Knights fell to Mt. Lebanon, 65-58, in the season opener at the North Allegheny tournament. Brozeski had 16 points in Tuesday's win and Megan Polczynski scored 15. … Hyland sank two free throws with 5.9 seconds left to give the Blue Devils the lead and survive a first-round scare against No. 12 Penn Hills, 31-30. Hyland finished with 15 points. Mt. Lebanon and Norwin have been top programs the last 10 years, with Mt. Lebanon making four consecutive finals from 2009-12, winning three, and Norwin winning back-to-back in ‘15-16.

— Bill Beckner and Jerin Steele

Tags: Bethel Park, Franklin Regional, Hempfield Area, Jeannette, Latrobe, Moon, Mt. lebanon, Norwin, Peters Township, Shenango