Westmoreland County basketball playoff preview capsules for Saturday’s games

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, February 15, 2018 | 6:15 PM

Saturday's games

Boys

WPIAL Class 6A

First round

No. 9 Latrobe (15-7) vs. No. 8 Butler (18-4)

1:30 p.m. at Fox Chapel

On the air: 1050-AM, <a href='http://1480-AM/TribHSSN.triblive.com1480-AM/TribHSSN.triblive.com<span class=”bold”>

Winner plays: No. 1 Mt. Lebanon (19-3) Feb. 24

Coaches: Brad Wetzel, Latrobe; Matt Clement, Butler

Players to watch: Reed Fenton, 6-4, Jr., G, Latrobe; Ethan Morton, 6-5, So., G, Butler

Layup lines: Butler knocked off then-No. 2 seeded Latrobe in the quarterfinals last season 70-64 at Penn Hills. The Golden Tornado reached the WPIAL title game and lost to Pine-Richland, 72-61. … This is just the second year for six classifications in the WPIAL. … Latrobe had a bye last year and sat for 11 days before its playoff opener. … Morton averages 24 points and is a dynamic all-around player on both ends of the floor. He has Division I offers from Ohio State, Iowa, Duquesne and others. … Fenton leads Latrobe at 22.5 ppg and junior guard Bryce Butler scores 21 a game. … Clement is a former starting pitcher with the Padres (1998-2000), Marlins (2001), Cubs (2002-04) and Red Sox (2005-06). … Latrobe averages 72.5 points, Butler 68.3.

Girls

WPIAL Class 4A

First round

No. 6 Belle Vernon (17-5) vs. No. 11 Knoch (11-11)

3 p.m. at Baldwin

On the air:<a href='http://680-AM/TribHSSN.triblive.com680-AM/TribHSSN.triblive.com<span class=”bold”>

Winner plays: No. 3 Beaver on Feb. 22

Coaches: Lisa Fairman, Belle Vernon; Chris Andreassi, Knoch

Players to watch: Keira Boff, 5-6, Sr., G, Belle Vernon; Casey Kretzer, 5-1, Sr., G, Knoch

Layup lines: Belle Vernon put together a late-season winning streak, stretching it to eight before losing to Section 3 champion Keystone Oaks. The guard-oriented Leopards have won nine of 10 heading into the postseason. … Belle Vernon did not make the playoffs last season. … The Leopards allow just 43.2 points. … Knoch finished third in Section 1 behind top-seeded Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic (19-3) and No. 7 Freeport (13-8). The Knights were 3-7 out of section. … Andreassi used to coach the Knoch boys team, but took over the girls in 2016, the program's third coach in six years.

— Bill Beckner Jr.

Tags: Belle Vernon, Butler, Knoch, Latrobe