Breaking down the 2022 WPIAL girls basketball playoff brackets

By: Bill Beckner Jr. And Michael Love
Monday, February 14, 2022 | 7:02 PM

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Previous Next

Favorite: Mt. Lebanon (20-1) was undefeated and allowing just 36.7 points per game before a loss to Upper St. Clair on Thursday. The Blue Devils feature standout 5-foot-10 senior guard Ashleigh Connor, a St. Louis commit, and have plenty of coaching know-how with veteran leader Dori Oldaker. Mt. Lebanon lost to North Allegheny in last year’s semifinals, 70-36.

Challengers: Two-time defending WPIAL champion and returning PIAA champion North Allegheny (20-1) has one loss, to Section 1 rival Norwin, and features Pitt commit Jasmine Timmerson in the backcourt. North Allegheny has won four of five WPIAL titles since the birth of 6A in 2017. The Tigers like the home-court advantage concept: They have won 67 straight at home dating to 2017. … Norwin (15-5) has plodded along as one of the top defensive teams in the classification, allowing just 33.2 points per game. The Knights snapped North Allegheny’s 33-game section winning streak. They are dealing with some injuries. … Upper St. Clair (17-4) split with Mt. Lebanon in Section 2. The Panthers also are strong defensively, allowing 39.3 points per game. They have won six of their last seven.

Don’t overlook: Penn-Trafford’s best days might lie ahead because the Warriors (12-8) have only one senior in Maura Suman, but the Warriors have won six in a row, including a 37-36 upset of Norwin.

Prediction: North Allegheny over Mt. Lebanon

Class 5A

Favorite: The WPIAL champion in four of the last five years, high-scoring Chartiers Valley (20-1) is looking for a four-peat. The Colts, who average 68.3 points and are one of the deadliest 3-point shooting teams in the state, take a 15-game winning streak into the playoffs. Seniors Aislin Malcolm (Pitt), Perri Page (Columbia), Helene and Hallie Cowan (Seton Hill), and Abby Vaites (Westminster) are all set to play in college. Chartiers Valley was the PIAA runner-up last year.

Challengers: Section 3 champion Trinity (17-4), which puts up 70.1 points per game, is led by guard Alyssa Clutter, a North Alabama commit who averages 17 a game. The Hillers have losses to Chartiers Valley and Oakland Catholic. … South Fayette and Moon are coin-flip teams from Section 1, won by Chartiers Valley. They split with one another. South Fayette (17-4) lost by a combined 10 points in two losses to Chartiers Valley and beat Peters Township, Seneca Valley and Oakland Catholic. Moon (17-4) started 11-0 and has quality wins over Peters Township, Oakland Catholic and Upper St. Clair. The Tigers lost by five to Mt. Lebanon. Senior point guard Reilly Sunday (Duquesne) and 6-0 forward Emma Theodorsson (Bucknell) power the Tigers.

Don’t overlook: Section 4 champion Latrobe (16-3) is a returning semifinalist. Senior Anna Rafferty and junior Emma Blair both average a double-double.

Prediction: Chartiers Valley over Trinity

Class 4A

Favorite: Blackhawk (20-0) is the only undefeated girls team in the WPIAL and the Cougars are good enough to run the table. They average 68.4 points and allow a slim 31.5. A solid 3-point shooting team that relies on balanced scoring, the Cougars hit 82 points in a game and scored 70 or more nine times. Sophomore Alena Fusetti and junior Kassie Potts lead the way.

Challengers: Southmoreland (17-3) has three experienced starters who have been through playoff runs the last two years in seniors Gracie Spadaro and Delaynie Morvosh and junior Olivia Cernuto. The Scotties won Section 3 and allow 34.6 points per game. They have a pair of two-point losses. … Knoch (19-2) is a returning semifinalist and has a 16-game winning streak. The Knights are winning by an average of 25 points and are giving up just 29.6 a game. … Defending champion Beaver (14-5) finished second in Section 2 behind Blackhawk. The Bobcats are led by 6-foot senior Payton List, a Virginia Tech softball commit who averages 22 points.

Don’t overlook: Highlands (18-4) is having one of its best seasons but was not challenged much out of section.

Prediction: Blackhawk over Southmoreland

Class 3A

Favorite: North Catholic (16-4) hopes to reach the top of the mountain after falling just short of a WPIAL title in its Class 3A debut last year. The Trojanettes had won four straight WPIAL titles in Class 4A before dropping down. North Catholic went 12-0 in capturing the Section 1-3A title. Its losses came at the hands of Class 4A No. 1 Blackhawk, Class 5A No. 1 Chartiers Valley, Class 6A No. 2 North Allegheny and Class 5A Oakland Catholic. Sophomore guard Alayna Rocco has been a scoring threat all season for North Catholic as she leads the way at 17.1 points per game. Junior Dacia Lewandowski, who has received Division I offers from Akron, Colgate, Marshall and Toledo, averages 15.3 points and also is among the team leaders in rebounds and assists. If North Catholic makes the WPIAL championship game this year, it would be its eighth consecutive finals trip.

Challengers: Avonworth (18-2) lost its season opener to Seton LaSalle at the Deer Lakes Tournament before rattling off 15 straight victories. The Antelopes, led by the scoring of sophomore forward Rebecca Goetz and freshman guard Greta O’Brien at about 15 points per game apiece, captured the Section 3 title with a 12-0 record … Freedom (16-4) faced North Catholic twice in section play and lost by just five to the Trojanettes in the second meeting Jan. 20. The Bulldogs are paced by the duo of sophomore Shaye Bailey (16.1 ppg.) and senior Renae Mohrbacher (15.2 ppg.) … Waynesburg and South Park split their Section 2 season series and were declared co-champions with 11-1 marks. The Raiders (15-3) are fronted by the scoring prowess of sophomore guard Kaley Rohanna (18.3), while the Eagles (18-3) have received double-figure scoring from senior guard/forward Maya Wertelet (17.1), junior guard/forward Maddie Graham (15.1) and senior guard/forward Nora Ozimek (14.6) … Freedom, South Park and Waynesburg made the WPIAL quarterfinals last year.

Don’t overlook: Charleroi (14-8) won seven of eight to close out the regular season with its only loss coming by eight points to Waynesburg in Section 2 play Jan. 27. Sophomore guard McKenna DeUnger leads the team in scoring at 15.8 points a game.

Prediction: North Catholic over Avonworth

Class 2A

Favorite: Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (18-4) started 4-4 but currently is riding a 14-game winning streak since a 60-34 loss to Neshannock on Jan. 3. OLSH and Neshannock finished as co-champions of Section 1 with 11-1 records. Junior guard Kyleigh Nagy and senior guard/forward Emily Shuck front the Chargers’ scoring efforts. OLSH owns nonsection wins over Class 5A Penn Hills and Class A power Rochester.

Challengers: Serra Catholic’s only loss was to 4A Belle Vernon. The Eagles (18-1) rolled through Section 2-2A with a 10-0 record. Chloe Pordash, a 5-foot-9 senior guard who has committed to Wooster (Ohio) College in NCAA Division III, fronts the offensive attack at 17.3 points per game. The Eagles hope to bring home the title after Neshannock last year stopped their undefeated season and quest for WPIAL gold in the title game at North Allegheny. … The Lancers (19-2) hope to defend their WPIAL Class 2A title and capture their third championship in four seasons. Neshannock won the Class 3A title in 2019. The Lancers are paced by junior guard/forward Mairan Haggerty (18.8 ppg) as well as title-game veterans in junior forward Megan Pallerino and senior guard Neleh Nogay, a Fordham softball commit … Burgettstown junior Jill Frazier averages 15 points a game for the Section 3 champions. The Blue Devils (17-2) started the season 11-0. Burgettstown is seeking its first WPIAL title … Greensburg Central Catholic (16-4) ruled Section 4 with its closest section win coming by 13 points against Winchester Thurston on Jan. 21. The Centurions are seeking their sixth WPIAL title and first since winning back-to-back crowns in 2006-2007. Bailey Kuhns fronts the GCC offense at 16 points a game.

Don’t overlook: Seton LaSalle (15-6) finished 8-2 in Section 2 and kept pace with Serra Catholic before falling in both matchups. Sophomore guard Mallory Daly finished the regular season as one of the top scorers in the WPIAL with a 24.5 average for 21 games. The Rebels last won WPIAL gold in 2015 and hope to win their eighth title.

Prediction: Serra Catholic over OLSH

Class A

Favorite: Rochester (15-4) is no stranger to a big postseason atmosphere. The Rams, after all, are three-time defending WPIAL Class A champions. Rochester won a battle of heavyweights as it took down previously undefeated Union, 44-31, last Thursday. The win earned the Rams a share of the Section 1 title with the Scotties. Senior guard Corynne Hauser, one of the top scorers in the WPIAL at more than 25 points per game, scored 25 to lead Rochester to the win over Union and a split of the season series. The Rams have won eight in a row since a seven-point loss to Class 2A power Our Lady of the Sacred Heart on Jan. 20. Rochester edged Section 1-2A co-champion Neshannock early in the season, topped Class 5A Plum and handed Class 3A Avonworth one of its two losses in the regular season.

Challengers: Union (19-1) almost ran the table in the regular season. The Scotties lead Class A in scoring defense at 28.2 points a game. Union is going after its first WPIAL title. Union is paced at the top by the scoring efforts of sophomore forward Kelly Cleaver, freshman guard Kylie Freuhstorfer and junior forward Zoe Lepri. The Scotties, as the No. 11 seed, made the WPIAL quarterfinals last year … West Greene (18-3), last year’s WPIAL Class A runner-up, is on a roll with 14 straight victories. Its losses came to Class 4A power Southmoreland, Buckhannan-Upshur, W.Va., and Class 5A playoff qualifier Thomas Jefferson. Junior guard/forward Anna Durbin leads the way for the Pioneers at 20 points a game … Aquinas Academy (12-6) is hoping to make another postseason run after making the WPIAL semifinals last year. Led by Elizabeth Russell and Emilia Kartsonas, the Crusaders won Section 3 with an 8-0 record. Aquinas saw a six-game win streak end Saturday with a loss to Class 3A power Avonworth … Clairton (14-3) lost a pair of section battles to Aquinas Academy and fell by just one point to Class 3A South Allegheny. The Bears own wins this season over playoff-bound Connellsville (Class 5A) and West Mifflin (Class 4A). Freshman point guard Iyanna Wade has provided a spark, scoring 22.5 points per game.

Don’t overlook: Monessen (16-5) has won four in a row and 11 of 13 with its only setbacks coming to West Greene and Class 2A playoff qualifier Fort Cherry. The Greyhounds, led in scoring by senior guard Mercedes Majors (20.1 ppg.), is averaging 53.5 points a game this season and is giving up 32.6 a contest.

Prediction: Rochester over West Greene