Jeannette boys to put playoff wisdom to ultimate test in WPIAL championship game

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Thursday, February 27, 2025 | 11:01 AM

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Sixth man Lonnie Greene was out last year with a leg injury and couldn’t contribute to the Jeannette boys basketball team.

You can bet it irked him, too.

But the 6-foot-4 senior forward is healthy now and playing his best heading into the WPIAL finals. He doesn’t intend to come home empty handed.

“Winning a title means everything to us,” Greene said. “We’ve been talking about going to the championship all season long.

“I just want a medal for my wall.”

No. 3 seed Jeannette (22-2) will take on No. 8 Union (19-6) at 5 p.m. Friday for the WPIAL Class 2A title at Petersen Events Center.

The Jayhawks have seized momentum and borrowed from last year’s playoff experience to make a run. Last year, they lost in the WPIAL quarterfinals to Northgate but rallied to go two rounds deep in the PIAA playoffs, including a second-round upset of rival and favored Greensburg Central Catholic.

“Our guys have learned what it takes to win,” coach Adrian Batts said.

Now, they have rallied to beat OLSH in the quarterfinals and silenced Sewickley Academy in the semis to get back to their first title game in a decade.

Jeannette will rely on balance to get by the underdog Scotties, who made the Class A finals in 2022 and ’23 but have not won a title since 2003.

The Jayhawks’ only title came in 2008.

“We have to continue to share it and take great shots,” Batts said.

“We must stay aggressive attacking the rim.”

Balance means consistency from their guards, Kymon’e Brown, Jayce Powell and Markus McGowan and a continued upswing from post players Xavier Odorisio-Farrow, Noah Sunder and Greene.

“Our three bigs came to play, and they were the difference in the game,” Batts said of Monday’s 45-25 win over No. 2 Sewickley Academy, a tidy team defensive effort underlined by play in the paint and signed by Odorisio-Farrow’s highlight dunk.

Batts told Odorisio-Farrow to “rip it” early in the third quarter, and the junior did, taking off from the wing and dunking over 6-8 Panthers center Mamadou Kane.

“It feels good to prove everybody wrong,” Odorisio-Farrow said.

Batts said early pressure could go a long way.

“We have to be able to pressure the ball without fouling,” he said. “Box out and rebound the ball. We must match their energy and toughness. Also have to have a great start.”

Jeannette put a zone defense into its game plan at the practice before the semifinal and trapped relentlessly, keeping Sewickley Academy away from the paint and rendering its two 6-8 players less effective.

“The guys executed,” Batts said. “We talk about the little things that win close games. We defended so well.

“We’ll have our hands full with Union.”

The zone is in place, but Jeannette could have a different scheme lined up for Union and star Lucas Stanley (26.4), a smooth left-hander who can score in bunches.

Union coach Mark Stanley said his team has surprised him. The Scotties have only three seniors.

“Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good,” Stanley said.

The Jayhawks know they can only avoid foul trouble for so long before it bites them. Four players who had four or more fouls played deep into Monday’s game.

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

Tags: Jeannette, Union