Westmoreland County high school basketball playoff preview capsules for Feb. 25, 2026

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Tuesday, February 24, 2026 | 11:01 AM

Boys

Class 3A

Seventh-place game

11-Ligonier Valley (13-12) at 5-Southmoreland (15-10)

7 p.m. Wednesday

Players to watch: Michael Wisniewski, Ligonier Valley; Ty Whoric, Southmoreland

Layup lines: The winner advances to the PIAA playoffs as the No. 7 seed from the WPIAL. The loser is eliminated from state contention. … Ligonier Valley dropped a 72-45 decision to Seton LaSalle to move into the seventh-place game against Southmoreland, a team it was swept by in two section games. Michael Vargulish-Graver had 11 points and Michael Wisniewski added 10 in the opening consolation loss. The Rams are seeking their first PIAA berth since rejoining the WPIAL in 2020. … Southmoreland fell to top-seeded Mohawk in the first round of the consolation tournament, 59-37, despite 10 points from Noah Felentzer. The Scotties return home after the long road trip to try to clinch their first PIAA playoff spot since 1987. The Section 4 champion Scotties beat Ligonier Valley, 60-47 and 61-45.

Girls

Class 4A

Consolation round

Fifth-place game

7-South Park (15-9) at 4-Belle Vernon (21-4)

7 p.m. Wednesday

Players to watch: Nika Contakos, South Park; Aubrey Brown, Belle Vernon

Layup lines: Both teams have qualified for the state tournament, but the winner is the fifth seed and the loser is sixth. … South Park defeated Beaver, 47-29, including a 13-0 first quarter, in the first consolation round. Hayley Bennett had 20 points and Andrea Kuczma added 10 in the victory. The Eagles lost to Oakland Catholic, 46-12, in the quarterfinals. Eagles coach Ronnie Drennen used to be the coach at Belle Vernon. … Belle Vernon, which looks to be building a title contender with a young lineup, beat Burrell in the consolation opener, 42-25. Saylor Lee had 15 points and eight rebounds for the Leopards, who set a single-season team record with 21 wins. The teams split during the regular season. South Park won 39-38 before Belle Vernon answered with a 42-32 victory. The Leopards last made the playoffs in 2018.

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

Tags: Belle Vernon, South Park