Westmoreland County WPIAL girls basketball playoff capsule for Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Monday, February 24, 2025 | 4:43 PM

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WPIAL basketball playoffs

Girls

Class 6A

Semifinals

4-Canon-McMillan (14-8) vs. 1-Norwin (14-7)

6 p.m. Tuesday at Mt. Lebanon

Winner plays: Winner of 6-Mt. Lebanon (14-9)/2-Upper St. Clair (17-6) 5 p.m. Saturday in championship at Petersen Events Center

Players to watch: Madison Clair, Canon-McMillan; Bella Furno, Norwin

Layup lines: Canon-McMillan defeated No. 5 Butler, 58-41, to reach the semifinals for the first time. The Big Macs did not make the playoffs in past seven seasons and had not won a playoff game since 2015. They used a 15-4 run in the second quarter to take control. Clair led all scorers with 16 points, and Sam Miller added 13, including four 3-pointers. Lauren Borella made a three-quarter-court shot to beat the buzzer just before halftime. Canon-McMillan averages 47 points and gives up 41.4. Hempfield took the Big Macs to overtime but fell 48-47. … Norwin, the defending champion, returns to the semifinals for the third straight season. The Lady Knights cruised past rival North Allegheny in the quarterfinals, 52-30, as Furno, a West Virginia Wesleyan commit, made 6 of 8 3-pointers for 18 points. Kendall Berger added 15 points, 10 in the first quarter. Norwin swept the Big Macs in Section 2 play, 56-40 and 32-30. Norwin is the top seed for the second straight tournament. All four semifinal teams are from Section 2. The Lady Knights have won 10 of their past 12 games. The losses were to Bishop Guilfoyle and South Fayette, teams outside of 6A. Berger and Ava Christopher were starters in last year’s playoff run. The winner clinches a spot in the PIAA playoffs. The loser will play for third place and a state berth.

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

Tags: Canon-McMillan, Norwin