Westmoreland basketball playoff preview capsules for Tuesday’s games

By: HSSN Staff
Sunday, February 18, 2018 | 6:14 PM

Boys

Class 5A

First round

No. 12 Greensburg Salem (12-10) vs. No. 5 Trinity (18-4)

6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Peters Township

Winner plays: No. 13 Armstrong (8-14)/No. 4 McKeesport (14-8) winner on Feb. 23.

Coaches: Craig Mankins, Greensburg Salem; Tim Tessmer, Trinity.

Players to watch: Marvel McGowan, 6-foot, Sr., G, Greensburg Salem; Joey Koroly, 6-0, Sr., G, Trinity.

Layup lines: Greensburg Salem is back in the playoffs after a two-year absence, but the Golden Lions have not won a game in the postseason since the 2008-09 season, when they reached the PIAA finals. … McGowan is 10th on the program's all-time scoring list with more than 1,100 points. He averages 23.7 and scored 33 in a recent win. … What the guard-oriented Lions lack in size, they make up for in shooters. … Koroly, a Washington & Jefferson football recruit, leads the Hillers backcourt with his 17 points per game. … Trinity, which averages 66 points, has won 13 of its past 14, with the only loss coning against No. 4 seed McKeesport. … Senior 6-foot-7 forward Zach Ecker is a load under the rim.

Girls

Class 6A

First round

No. 7 Hempfield (11-11) vs. No. 11 Seneca Valley (11-10)

6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Fox Chapel

Winner plays: No. 2 Peters Township (19-3) on Feb. 23.

Coaches: Lindsy Muchnock, Hempfield; Rob Lombardo, Seneca Valley.

Players to watch: Allison Podkul, 5-8, Sr., G, Hempfield; McKenna Gross, 5-6, Jr., G, Seneca Valley.

Layup lines: Hempfield won five of its final seven games and secured its 17th consecutive WPIAL playoff berth. The Spartans reached the quarterfinals last winter as the No. 8 seed. … Podkul has taken over the primary scoring role, averaging about 16 points. … Sophomore guard Sarah Liberatore is a key secondary scorer. … The Raiders did not win more than three games in a row all season but play sound team defense. Like Hempfield, scoring has been an issue at times. Hempfield averages 44.8 points, Seneca Valley 45.1. Both teams allow less than 48 a game. … The Raiders beat Penn-Trafford, 54-45. They slowed down top-seeded North Allegheny (22-0) but fell 35-24 after a 30-point loss to the Tigers earlier in the season.

No. 4 Norwin (11-9) vs. No. 13 Pine-Richland (7-13)

8 p.m. Tuesday at Plum

Winner plays: No. 5 Mt. Lebanon (11-11)/No. 12 Penn Hills (13-8)

Coaches: Brian Brozeski, Norwin; Tom Reighard, Pine-Richland.

Players to watch: Olivia Gribble, 5-7, So., G, Norwin; Taylor Brenner, 5-8, Sr., G, Pine-Richland

Layup lines: After a 1-5 start, Norwin went 6-2 and 4-0 in section play to claim the Section 2 title. The Knights defeated Pine-Richland, 64-33, on Dec. 28. Norwin has a young, balanced lineup that includes outside threat Gribble. The Knights won WPIAL titles in 2015 and ‘16. … Pine-Richland earned wins over Butler and Penn Hills down the stretch to secure a share of fourth place in Section 1. The Rams started 2-7 but won three of their last five games. Pine-Richland was the No. 2 seed last year but was upset by Bethel Park in the quarterfinals and lost to Norwin in the semifinals in 2016.

No. 6 Latrobe (16-6) vs. No. 11 Shaler (10-12)

6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Plum

Winner plays: No. 3 Bethel Park (16-5)

Coaches: Mark Burkardt, Latrobe; Cornelius Nesbit, Shaler.

Players to watch: Laura Graytok, 5-7, Sr., G, Latrobe; Megan Lydon, 5-9, Sr., G, Shaler

Layup lines: After an eight-game winning streak during the midpoint of the season, Latrobe went 3-4 over its final seven games and dropped its final four Section 2 games. The Wildcats, who did not make the playoffs last season, topped Shaler, 71-63, on Jan. 20. Graytok, an American recruit, is one of the top scorers in the WPIAL, averaging 23.3 points. … Shaler went 3-7 over its last 10 games and finished tied for fourth in Section 1 with Pine-Richland. Lydon is Shaler's leading scorer at 17 points per game. The Titans last made the postseason in 2015 and won a WPIAL title in 2011.

District 6

Class 3A

First round

No. 10 Ligonier Valley (11-12) at No. 7 Tyrone (14-8)

7 p.m. Tuesday

Winner plays: No. 2 Juniata (22-1)

Coaches: Luke Rhoades, Tyrone; Tim Gustin, Ligonier Valley.

Players to watch: Emily Lehman, 5-8, Sr., C, Tyrone; Lexie Petrof, 5-7, Sr., C, Ligonier Valley

Layup lines: Ligonier Valley won an early-season matchup against Tyrone, 41-40 on Dec 21. After missing the postseason a year ago, Ligonier Valley enters this year's playoffs with a 2-3 record in its last five games, which includes a 44-42 overtime win over Marion Center. Petrof, which missed last year because of injury, nearly averages a double-double with 17.8 points and 9.7 rebounds. She needs five points for 1,000. …. Junior Alexia Boyd averages eight points. … Tyrone has wins over No. 9 Penn Cambria and No. 3 Penns Valley and lost by five points against top-seeded Central (Martinsburg). Lehman scored a career-high 23 points in the win over Penns Valley, which was undefeated at the time. The Eagles lost in the District 6 finals last year to West Shamokin.

— Jerin Steele and Bill Beckner Jr.

Tags: Greensburg Salem, Hempfield Area, Latrobe, Ligonier Valley, Norwin, Pine-Richland, Seneca Valley, Trinity