Alle-Kiski Valley WPIAL basketball playoff capsules for Feb. 23, 2022

By: Michael Love
Tuesday, February 22, 2022 | 5:56 PM

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Wednesday’s games

Boys

Quarterfinals

Class 4A

7-Burrell (14-8) at 2-Montour (18-4)

7 p.m. Wednesday

Winner plays: Winner of 11-Freeport (13-9)/3-Belle Vernon (18-3) in semifinals on Saturday (site and time TBD)

Layup lines: Burrell kicked off the WPIAL playoffs in successful fashion Friday with a 63-42 victory over No. 10 Elizabeth Forward. It was the Bucs first-ever home playoff game. Brandon Coury led the way with a game-best 22 points. Sophomore Macky Bennis added 14 points, and Travis Bitar pulled down 10 rebounds. The Bucs have won five of its past seven games, and the two losses (Freeport, Eden Christian) came by a combined five points … Montour received a bye into the quarterfinals. The Spartans finished tied for second place with Lincoln Park in Section 3 at 11-3 behind No. 1 Quaker Valley. Montour won its final six games of the regular season, That streak included a 65-48 victory over Belle Vernon at the Hoops For a Cure Classic at North Allegheny. Senior guard/forward Vason Stevenson led all scorers with 24 points, while senior guard Diaun Pinkett and sophomore guard Jake Wolfe added 17 and 11 points, respectively. Montour seeks its first WPIAL title since winning Class 3A in 2013.

8-Deer Lakes (16-5) at 1-Quaker Valley (20-0)

7 p.m. Wednesday

Winner plays: Winner of 5-Lincoln Park (16-6)/4-North Catholic (18-3) in semifinals on Saturday (site and time TBD)

Layup lines: Deer Lakes punched its ticket to the quarterfinals in dramatic fashion with a 39-37 victory over Blackhawk on Friday at Deer Lakes. Senior Justin Brannagan nailed a 3-pointer with 2 seconds left to give the Lancers the lead. Senior forward Armend Karpuzzi led all scorers with 24 points. Deer Lakes is in the WPIAL quarterfinals for the third time in the past four seasons. The Lancers have won five games in a row since a close loss to Burrell on Feb. 1 … Quaker Valley is one of four Class 4A teams to average more than 70 points per game this season. The Quakers, at 73.9 points, are third behind Lincoln Park (75.5) and North Catholic (74.2). QV won the Section 2 title at 14-0, and its closest win was 47-46 at Montour on Jan. 7. Senior 6-foot-6 forward Markus Frank is one of the leading scorers in the WPIAL at 27.2 points a game. Senior 6-6 guard Adou Thiero is not too far behind at 24.7. The Quakers are seeking their first WPIAL title since capturing the Class 2A crown in 1997.

11-Freeport (13-9) at 3-Belle Vernon (18-3)

7 p.m. Wednesday

Winner plays: Winner of 7-Burrell (14-8)/2-Montour (18-4) on Saturday in semifinals

Layup lines: Freeport pulled the first “upset” of the playoffs with a 56-49 win over No. 6 Uniontown on Friday. Vinnie Clark scored 22 points, including 18 in the second half and 11 in the fourth quarter, for the Yellowjackets. Zach Clark scored 11, and Brian Kijowski added 10. Freeport was the fourth-place team from Section 1. It averaged 56.5 points and allows 54.5. … Belle Vernon reached the semifinals last year and lost to North Catholic, 77-76. The highlight-reel Leopards made the finals two years ago but lost to Highlands, 72-54. Is this the year the Leopards break through? The talent is there with senior guard Devin Whitlock and sophomore Quinton Martin leading the way alongside a better supporting cast. The team averaged 71.4 points. Their losses are to 5A No. 1 Laurel Highlands (21-0), Class A No. 1 Bishop Canevin (17-4) and Montour (18-4), the No. 2 seed they could see in the semifinals.

Class A

6-Leechburg (18-3) at 3-Union (20-2)

7 p.m. Wednesday

Winner plays: Winner of 2-Imani Christian (14-5)/7-Neighborhood Academy (12-7) in semifinals on Saturday (site and time TBD)

Layup lines: Leechburg is coming off a dominant 84-30 victory over West Greene in the first round Friday. Five players scored in double figures, led by Eli Rich (20 points) and Marcus Cleveland (15). The Blue Devils closed the game on a 42-6 run. Leechburg is seeking a second straight trip to the WPIAL semifinals. … Union also reached the WPIAL semifinals last season before losing to Bishop Canevin. The Section 1 champion Scotties went 10-0 against section opponents. They have outscored foes 64.8-40.4 this season and are on a seven-game winning streak. Union earned a first-round bye, which has kept them idle since Feb. 11. Brothers Matt Stanley (19.1 ppg) and Mark Stanley (11.5 ppg, 8.7 rpg), who are sons of coach Mark Stanley Sr., and Peyton Lombardo (11 ppg) lead the Scotties.

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: Belle Vernon, Burrell, Deer Lakes, Freeport, Leechburg, Montour, Quaker Valley, Union