Westmoreland County basketball notebook: Greensburg Central Catholic girls looking for playoff heroes to emerge

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Friday, February 21, 2025 | 11:01 AM

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Greensburg Central Catholic has a formidable scoring tandem in junior guards Erica Gribble and Jayla Peterson.

But the second-seeded Centurions (19-5) know they will likely need a third player – or more — to step into a scoring role as they move ahead in the WPIAL 3A playoffs.

“One-hundred percent,” coach Chris Skatell said.

That player in the quarterfinals was Avery Jones, a sophomore forward who scored 10 points in a 56-47 win over No. 7 Quaker Valley.

Gribble (22 ppg) and Peterson (15 ppg) combine to average around 37 of GCC’s 59.2 points per game.

Gribble had 22 and Peterson 16 in the latest win.

“We played well as a team (against Quaker Valley),” Skatell said. “Avery is starting to fill it. It was a good team win and we were not exactly at our best.”

Skatell said the team is leaning on its playoff experience as it builds toward a second straight title, but it also is making its own path.

“Every team is different,” he said. “Once you’re on the floor, you’re a different team.”

GCC only has one senior in Erica Rodriguez.

GCC plays Our Lady of the Sacred Heart at noon Saturday in the semifinals at Peters Township’s AHN Arena.

Most expect it to be GCC and No. 1 Shady Side Academy (23-0) in the finals at 7 p.m. next Thursday at Pitt’s Petersen Events Center.

GCC has secured a spot in the PIAA playoffs.

Scorer’s delight

Saturday’s WPIAL 4A semifinal between top-seeded Belle Vernon (19-4) and No. 4 Avonworth (19-5) at Peters Township will feature the top two scorers in the WPIAL.

Rowan Carmichaels of Avonworth and Zion Moore of Belle Vernon are both career 2,000-point scorers.

Carmichaels averages 33 points per game, while Moore sports a 26-point average.

The Leopards and Antelopes tip at 3 p.m. at Peters Township.

Next up

Third seed Jeannette (21-2) is set to take on No. 2 Sewickley Academy (20-4) in the boys 2A semifinals. The Jayhawks will return to Fox Chapel for a 7:30 tip on Monday.

In the 2A consolation tournament, Greensburg Central Catholic (21-3) will look to bounce back from an upset loss to Union when it hosts Northgate (14-10) at noon Saturday.

GCC already has clinched a PIAA spot but will play back for seeding.

Matchup time

GCC knew it would have a tough time guarding 6-foot-4 forward Mimi Thiero, Quaker Valley’s star Division I prospect. But 5-11 guard Erica Gribble was up to the task.

Thiero managed 32 points, but Gribble scored 22 and got the quarterfinal win.

Gribble is a Richmond commit and a career 1,500-point scorer.

“Gribs isn’t afraid to guard anybody,” Skatell said. “Thiero is 6-6. That is tough for us.”

Gribble often gets the other team’s standout player. When the Centurions played 5A Peters Township, Gribble guarded star Natalie Wetzel one-on-one.

GCC lost 61-55 in overtime.

State of mind

The Penn-Trafford girls won’t finish the season undefeated, but the Warriors still can win a championship.

While their WPIAL 5A title hopes were dashed Wednesday night in a razor-thin 65-60 loss to Thomas Jefferson, the state playoffs remain.

“TJ is a good, skilled team,” Penn-Trafford coach John Giannikas said. “It was a great, back-and-forth game. Every time we made a run, they made a run. It just wasn’t our night.”

The Warriors (23-1) will open the state bracket following the WPIAL play-in tournament, where teams compete for seeding.

They will host Indiana (18-6).

“There aren’t a lot of teams that get the chance to play in states,” Giannikas said. “We have a chance. We’ll get back to work. The (Thomas Jefferson loss) hurt, but there are a lot worse things than losing a basketball game.”

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

Tags: Belle Vernon, Greensburg C.C., Penn-Trafford