‘Get your tickets now’: Jeannette, Greensburg CC boys prep for clash in PIAA quarterfinals

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Thursday, March 13, 2025 | 6:39 PM

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Two basketball teams from Westmoreland County remain in the PIAA postseason. They will face each other this weekend for a spot in the Class 2A boys final four.

That the matchup is one of the county’s best rivalries is a treat for local fans.

Jeannette (25-2) and Greensburg Central Catholic (25-3) will jump center for a third time this season at noon Saturday in a quarterfinal game at Norwin.

Both teams posted double-digit wins in the second round to reach the 25-win mark and lock in the rematch.

“Get your tickets now,” GCC coach Christian Hyland said Wednesday after his team defeated Neshannock, 66-52, to advance to the state quarters for the first time since 2017. “This is good for the kids. Some of them are relatives, some of them are good friends.

“Two local teams left, and they’re playing for a spot in the final four? You couldn’t ask for more.”

GCC will try to climb the slippery slope many teams encounter in the state postseason by attempting to beat a team three times.

Jeannette is a WPIAL champion and playing with the confidence of one driven for more.

The Centurions beat Jeannette, 53-47 and 58-48, in their Section 1 series — a pair of sellouts — for the only losses on the Jayhawks’ record.

Both times, the teams were 1 and 2 in the WPIAL rankings.

And don’t forget, this also is a state playoff rematch. Last year, Jeannette stunned GCC, 48-46, in a second-round game at Norwin.

“I can’t wait to play (GCC),” Jeannette sophomore Markus McGowan said. “I want to beat them like we did last year.”

The rivalry runs deep. Jeannette’s Kymon’e Brown and GCC’s Samir Crosby are close friends and opposing quarterbacks in football. GCC’s AJ Tarpley and Brown are cousins.

While their third matchup didn’t take shape in the WPIAL final, it is just as appealing in the state bracket.

“It is just a game,” Jeannette coach Adrian Batts said. “You got to go play it. We got to prepare. It’s going to be a gut check. We have to be ready. We have to do things we did not do in the first two (PIAA) playoff games.”

The winner will move one step closer to the state finals in Hershey. Jeannette or GCC will get the winner of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (21-7) and Sewickley Academy (22-5) in the semifinals.

Five of the “Elite 8” teams in 2A are from the WPIAL: Jeannette, GCC, Northgate (17-11), OLSH, and Sewickley Academy.

Of course, there will be down time. The semis aren’t until next Saturday, and the championship will be at 2 p.m. March 28. The Giant Center in Hershey, the host site for the finals, is booked during the usual weekend of the finals so the PIAA this season had to stretch the tournament out an extra week.

The lull in between games might be necessary for recovery after the latest GCC-Jeannette mashup.

“I expect it to be just like the last game — brutal,” Hyland said. “Neck and neck. It’s going to take poise and resiliency (to win).”

Jeannette defeated Northern Cambria, 70-54, in the second round Wednesday in Johnstown. McGowan and junior Noah Sunder combined for 40 points – 21 and 19 – as the Jayhawks reached the third round for the second straight season.

The Jayhawks lost to Fort Cherry, 70-60, in last year’s quarterfinals.

GCC senior Liam Gallagher made six 3-pointers and scored 22 points in Wednesday’s second-round win at North Allegheny. Tarpley added 16, junior Crosby had 12 and senior Brady O’Rourke 10.

Batts continues to chase the perfect game for the Jayhawks, challenging his team to find it.

“We went to a little bit of a full-court press, and I thought it hurt (Northern Cambria),” Batts said. “We sped them up a lot, and that’s the way that we got to play. I mean, we can’t just go through the motions. We weren’t connected at all.”

Jeannette led early in both games, but GCC rallied to pull ahead both times, particularly in a more free-moving rematch.

Tarpley, a sophomore guard, had 17 points, O’Rourke added 13 and Gallagher had 11 in the second game, at GCC. Sophomore Jayce Powell led Jeannette with 16, Brown added 14 and McGowan had 11.

In the first meeting, Crosby scored 19 — 15 in the second half — to pace the Centurions. O’Rourke had 13, including three 3s.

McGowan led Jeannette with 17 and Brown had 12. But Jeannette went 8 of 17 from the foul line.

“We have to guard the best players, and we need to rebound,” Batts said. “Their effort has to be there. I’m sure they want us. It should be a great game. We can’t afford to have a slow start. “

Crosby didn’t play basketball last season as he eyes a college football future, but he is thrilled he returned to the sport for moments like these.

“We’re coming for them,” Crosby said. “We have to attack on defense. Defense sets up offense.”

With the teams knowing one another so well, game-planning surprises are not likely. However, last year in the state game, Jeannette put a “junk” defense on Gallagher to prevent his long-range shooting from being a factor while forcing the rest of the Centurions to beat them.

“I have tons of respect for coach Batts and their team,” Gallagher said. “They’ll bring it. For us, it’s about a mentality. We have to be ready. For the seniors, it’s our last ride. Everyone wants to see Jeannette-GCC play.”

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Greensburg C.C., Jeannette