Jeannette overwhelms Union to win school’s 2nd WPIAL boys basketball title

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Friday, February 28, 2025 | 6:29 PM

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Jeannette received new shoes for the WPIAL Class 2A boys basketball championship.

The Jayhawks beat the socks off of Union to win their first title in 17 years.

Playing an up-tempo style from the beginning, third-seeded Jeannette started quickly, owned the fast break and used balanced scoring and pressure defense to top the No. 8 Scotties, 63-39, on Friday night at Petersen Events Center.

“It was not the shoes,” coach Adrian Batts said. “It was heart.”

Jeannette (23-2) last won a title in 2008 when Terrelle Pryor was a senior.

Sophomore Jayce Powell scored 14 points, sophomore Markus McGowan had 12 and junior Xavier Odorisio-Farrow added 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Jayhawks, who led comfortably most of the night.

“No moment is ever too big for us,” said Powell, who made 6 of 9 shots.

This is the first time in Westmoreland County history two boys teams have won titles in the same year and the first time three county teams were crowned champions in the same year. The Belle Vernon boys and Greensburg Central Catholic girls won titles Thursday.

The Norwin girls will play for a championship Saturday night.

Junior Kymon’e Brown had eight assists, six rebounds and six steals for Jeannette, which racked up 14 assists, 18 fast-break points and 16 points off turnovers to jump in front and stay there.

“This is a great feeling,” Batts said. “I’ve been telling the guys the last two weeks they have a chance to go out and make their own legacy.”

Jeannette led 14-5 after the first quarter with 12 points coming via fast breaks.

“We knew we could win,” Brown said. “We watched film and knew we could beat them.”

It was 25-12 at the half and 42-24 after three quarters.

Union fell to 19-7.

The advantage reached 25 in the fourth (52-27).

Jeannette limited Union senior Lucas Stanley (24.6 ppg) to 17 points. Stanley was the focal point of the Jayhawks defense.

“Jayce did an exceptional job on him,” Batts said. “Everybody had a hand in it. Total team win.”

Stanley was held to 6-for-20 shooting.

“Jeannette is a great defensive team,” the standout guard said. “They hedged out. A lot of this win is due to their defense.”

The Jayhawks shot 52.2% from the field, making 24 of 46 shots.

“On film, we knew Jeannette would be the best team we’ve played,” Union coach Mark Stanley said. “They showed that tonight.”

The Scotties made just 13 of 49 shots and were 4 for 22 from 3-point range.

Jeannette used a 15-2 run in the third quarter to push the lead to 40-16.

McGowan made a pair of 3s, and Powell scored off a steal, one of 11 Jeannette produced.

Jeannette watched film of the ’08 team to prepare for the final.

“We saw how hard they played,” said Odorisio-Farrow, who made 3 of 4 shots and 5 of 7 free throws. “We had to play that way, too.”

Batts congratulated all of his coaches but embraced his son, Julian Batts, the team’s associate head coach.

Julian Batts was the point guard on the 2015 Jeannette team that lost in the final to Monessen.

Fellow Jayhawks assistants Swade Redman and Michael Pompei also played on the ’15 team.

“Any time you can experience something like that with your son, it’s a big moment,” coach Batts said. “We finally got one. All these guys are like sons to me. They’re like family.”

Jeannette will open the PIAA playoffs March 8 at home against the third-place team from District 10.

Union will play Bishop McCort, the third-place team from District 6, on the same night.

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

Tags: Jeannette, Union