A-K Valley basketball playoff preview capsules for Feb. 18, 2025

By: Bill Hartlep
Tuesday, February 18, 2025 | 5:50 PM

WPIAL basketball playoffs

Boys

Class 4A

Quarterfinals

5-Knoch (17-6) at 4-Avonworth (17-5)

7 p.m. Wednesday

Winner plays: Winner of 1-Belle Vernon (18-4)/8-Elizabeth Forward (18-5) Saturday in semifinals (time, site TBD)

Players to watch: Jackson Bauman, Knoch; Rowan Carmichael, Avonworth

Layup lines: Knoch reached the quarterfinals after beating No. 12 West Mifflin, 56-23, in the first round. Bauman poured in 30 points, and Teegan Finucan added 12. Bauman averages nearly 20 points. The Knights finished second in Section 1 at 10-2 and averaged 62.4 points while allowing just 45.1. They have won three straight games and four of their past five. … Avonworth’s Carmichael was the WPIAL’s leading scorer in the regular season at 32.0 ppg. Noah Goetz added 15.8 ppg for the Lopes, who tied Beaver for the Section 2 title at 8-2. Avonworth averages 73.5 points, which is tops in Class 4A, while allowing 58.8.

7-Deer Lakes (17-5) at 2-North Catholic (17-5)

7 p.m. Wednesday

Winner plays: Winner of 3-Beaver (18-4)/6-Central Valley (19-4) Saturday in semifinals (time, site TBD)

Players to watch: Nathaniel Moore, Deer Lakes; Jason Fredericks, North Catholic

Layup lines: Two-time defending WPIAL Class 3A champion Deer Lakes advanced to the quarterfinals with an 83-58 win over No. 10 Quaker Valley. Moore, who averages 20.6 points, led the scoring with 27 points. J.T. McCue added 14, and Collin Rodgers had 11. The Lancers finished third in Section 1 at 9-3 and average 64.4 ppg. They have won five of their past seven games. … North Catholic won both Section 1 meetings this season: 61-46 on Jan. 14 and 69-60 on Feb. 7. The Trojans won the Section 1 title at 11-1. They average 68 ppg, which is second in Class 4A behind No. 1 seed Belle Vernon (69.3). North Catholic has won eight straight games. Fredericks averages 19 points for the Trojans, who seek their first title since 2020.

SWCAC playoffs

Semifinals

Cheswick Christian (11-0) at Cornerstone Prep (7-4)

5 p.m. Wednesday

Winner plays: Winner of Portersville Christian School/Pittsburgh Christian Academy in SWCAC championship Saturday, 7 p.m. at Beaver County Christian School

Players to watch: Brady Rochkind, Cheswick Christian Academy; Dan Fabian, Cornerstone Prep

Layup lines: Cheswick Christian advanced to the semifinals with an 81-40 victory over East Liverpool Christian on Monday. Brady Rochkind had 26 points to become the 12th player and fifth junior in Cheswick Christian Academy history to surpass 1,000 career points. Joseph Rosio added 25 points and 10 steals. CCA limited East Liverpool to 16 points in the second half. CCA swept the season series with Cornerstone Prep, winning 73-46 on Jan. 11 and 59-46 on Feb. 4. … Cornerstone Prep, the third-place finisher in the Greater Pittsburgh division of SWCAC, defeated Jefferson County Christian, 69-63, in the opening round Monday. In the most recent meeting, Dan Fabian had 14 points, and Landon Tomasiak had 12 for Cornerstone Prep.

Bill Hartlep is the TribLive sports editor. A Pittsburgh native and Point Park graduate, he joined the Trib in 2004, covering high school sports. He held various editing roles before assuming his current position in 2019. He can be reached at bhartlep@triblive.com.

Tags: Avonworth, Cheswick Christian, Deer Lakes, Knoch, North Catholic