Westmoreland high school basketball playoff preview capsules for Feb. 28, 2024

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Tuesday, February 27, 2024 | 11:01 AM

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WPIAL basketball playoffs

Boys

Class 3A

Consolation tournament

Derry (15-7) vs. Shady Side Academy (17-8)

6 p.m. Wednesday at Fox Chapel

Winner: Earns fifth place in the WPIAL for the PIAA tournament

Players to watch: Stanley Rajkovich, Derry; Seamus Riordan, Shady Side Academy

Layup lines: Derry secured a state playoff berth for the first time in school history with a 59-40 win over Ellwood City as Rajkovich scored 18, Nate Papuga added 17 and Brady Angus 10. Rajkovich is a budding, 6-6 freshman. The Trojans were seeded 12th in the WPIAL playoffs. … After losing to upstart Burrell in the quarterfinals, Shady Side Academy beat Yough in the consolation first round, 61-47, behind Riordan’s 30-point effort. Eli Teslovich added 19. Former Norwin head coach Buddy Valinsky is an assistant for the Bulldogs.

Ellwood City (16-9) at Yough (19-6)

7 p.m. Wednesday

Winner: Earns seventh place in the WPIAL and clinches a PIAA playoff spot

Players to watch: Zander Aird, Yough; Joe Roth, Ellwood City

Layup lines: Yough senior Terek Crosby achieved a scoring milestone in the Cougars’ 61-47 loss to Shady Side Academy in the first round of the consolation bracket. He reached 2,000 career points, becoming the 35th player in WPIAL history to do so. He had 18 points in the win, and senior forward Austin Matthews had 20. Yough beat Mohawk in last year’s seventh-place game. It has never made the state playoffs in back-to-back years. … Ellwood City fell to Derry in the first round of the consolation tournament, 59-40, despite 23 from Roth, who also has 2,000 career points. The Wolverines did not make the state playoffs last year. … The loser is eliminated.

Class 2A

Consolation tournament

Bishop Canevin (14-11) at Jeannette (16-8)

7 p.m. Wednesday

Winner: Clinches fifth place in the WPIAL

Players to watch: Kymone Brown, Jeannette; Drew Allen, Bishop Canevin

Layup lines: Jeannette secured a PIAA playoff berth for the first time since 2017 with a 73-65 victory over Eden Christian as Brown scored 14, Jayce Powell added 13 and Markus McGowan had 12. Now, the Jayhawks will look to lock up fifth place for the state tournament. … Bishop Canevin raced past Serra Catholic, which finished a game behind Jeannette for third place in Section 3, 68-35 in the consolation first round. Allen scored 18 and Rakeem Hawkins added 14.

Girls

Class A

Consolation tournament

Bishop Canevin (8-14) at Monessen (19-6)

7 p.m. Wednesday

Winner: Earns fifth place in the WPIAL and clinches a PIAA playoff spot

Players to watch: Isabella Sysak, Bishop Canevin; My’Asia Majors, Monessen

Layup lines: Bishop Canevin defeated Eden Christian for the second time in three meetings this season, 46-34, as Julianna Umalin scored 21 points, and Amari Elliott and Sysak had eight apiece. The Crusaders have a nonsection win over West Greene, which lost to Monessen twice in three games. … Monessen is looking for a second straight trip to the PIAA playoffs as the No. 5 seed from District 7. The Greyhounds, playing without Hailey Johnson, who the team said was unjustly ejected from the previous game, held off West Greene, 34-30, in the first round of the consolation bracket. Majors and Madison Johnson scored 10 points each. … The loser is eliminated.

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

Tags: Derry Area, Monessen, Yough