WPIAL Class 6A, 4A boys semifinals on deck in Wednesday’s games to watch

By: HSSN Staff
Tuesday, February 27, 2018 | 9:36 PM

Pine-Richland, New Castle and Quaker Valley already know the way to Petersen Events Center.

Those three finalists from last season will try to earn return trips to the WPIAL boys basketball championships when the Class 6A and 4A semifinals are held Wednesday night.

The championship matchups already are decided in Class 5A, 3A, 2A and A, leaving eight teams to compete for the final four spots.

Class 6A: Pine-Richland vs. Woodland Hills at North Hills, 6 p.m.

Woodland Hills sits one win away from the first WPIAL finals appearance in team history. But the No. 2 seed Wolverines (20-3) must defeat No. 6 Pine-Richland (19-5), a two-time defending WPIAL champion.

The Wolverines, who finished 0-21 in 2013-14, are in the WPIAL semifinals for the second year in a row. The team's strength is its backcourt, led by senior point guard Amante Britt, a 20-point scorer. Britt scored 18 in Woodland Hills' 57-41 semifinal victory over Canon-McMillan.

Pine-Richland hasn't lost a WPIAL playoff game since 2015. The Rams reached the semifinals with a 48-39 victory over No. 3 Fox Chapel. Junior guard Dan Petcash averages 17.9 ppg, and senior forward Phil Jurkovec averages 15.9.

Class 6A: Mt. Lebanon vs. Penn Hills at Baldwin, 6 p.m.

Top-seeded Mt. Lebanon (20-3) shoots 3-pointers as well as anyone and owns the highest-scoring offense in WPIAL Class 6A. Led by guard Antonio Garofoli, the Blue Devils average 72.1 points.

Mt. Lebanon scored 89 points in its semifinal victory over Canon-McMillan. Caden Hinckley scored 21 points and Garofoli had 17.

But Lebo now faces a Penn Hills defense that held Central Catholic without a 3-pointer in the quarterfinals. Central went 0 for 13 from the arc, and Penn Hills won 59-49.

Penn Hills last reached the WPIAL finals in 2003. Mt. Lebanon reached in 2010.

Class 4A: Belle Vernon vs. New Castle at Moon, 6 p.m.

New Castle is chasing its fifth WPIAL title since 2012. Belle Vernon seeks its first championship appearance since 1978.

Belle Vernon's offense ranks second among WPIAL Class 4A teams with a 67.3-point average. In the semifinals, the Leopards defeated Ambridge, 64-59, led by Joey Sabolek with 25 points and Cameron Nusser with 17.

New Castle has the top-ranked defense, allowing just 45.4 ppg. The Red Hurricanes defeated South Fayette, 55-45, in the quarterfinals. Marcus Hooker led New Castle with 17 points and Carrington Smith had 16.

Class 4A: Quaker Valley vs. Indiana at Fox Chapel, 6 p.m.

At 22-0, Quaker Valley is the only undefeated boys basketball team in the WPIAL. The top-seeded Quakers have the highest-scoring offense in WPIAL Class 4A behind Coletrane Washington (23.3 ppg), Ryan Stowers (16.0) and Danny Conlan (15.4).

Quaker Valley was WPIAL runner-up to New Castle last season.

No. 4 seed Indiana (18-5), which won a WPIAL title in 2015, has two top scorers in Carlos Carter (23.7) and Tommy Arbuckle (17.7).

Chris Harlan is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at charlan@tribweb.com or via Twitter @CHarlan_Trib.

Tags: Belle Vernon, Indiana, Mt. lebanon, New Castle, Penn Hills, Pine-Richland, Quaker Valley, Woodland Hills