Westmoreland PIAA basketball playoff capsules: Games for March 10, 2023

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Thursday, March 9, 2023 | 4:12 PM

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PIAA basketball playoffs

Girls

Class 6A

First round

Norwin (21-4) at Central Dauphin (20-5)

6 p.m. Friday, Central Dauphin High School, Harrisburg

District finish: Norwin 7-3; Central Dauphin 3-3

Winner plays: Winner of Haverford (27-1)/Lebanon (26-2) Tuesday in second round (time, site TBD)

Players to watch: Kendall Berger, Norwin; Lauren Cavoli, Central Dauphin

Layup lines: Norwin is back in the state tournament for the first time since 2019 after finishing third in the WPIAL. The Knights defeated Mt. Lebanon in the WPIAL consolation game 56-43, as junior forward Lauren Palangio had 19 points, junior guard Ava Kobus added 14 and sophomore Kendall Berger had 13. Norwin reached the quarterfinals in ’19, falling to Peters Township to finish 23-3. … Central Dauphin secured third in District 3 a year after finishing as the state runner-up. The Rams lost to Mt. Lebanon, 41-35, in the state final. In the third-place game, a 40-25 win over Dallastown, Cavolli hit four 3-pointers for 12 points and freshman Olivia Green added eight. Kenedy Cooper is another guard who can score, and 6-foot center Lex Ferguson is strong inside.

Class 2A

First round

Greensburg Central Catholic (21-5) at Windber (20-6)

7 p.m. Friday, Windber High School, Windber

District finish: Greensburg Central Catholic 7-5; Windber 5-1

Winner plays: Winner of Aliquippa (12-11)/Maplewood (20-5) Tuesday in second round (time site TBD)

Players to watch: Erica Gribble, Greensburg Central Catholic; Kaylie Gaye, Windber

Layup lines: Greensburg Central Catholic returns to the PIAA playoffs for the first time since 2018. The Centurions lost to Burgettstown in the WPIAL quarterfinals, then played back in the consolation bracket with a pair of wins, against Brentwood and section foe Serra Catholic. Gribble had 19 points, Mya Morgan 17, Cara Dupilka 12 and Avery Davis 10 against Brentwood. In the Serra win, Morgan put up 27, Gribble added 19 and Davis 15. Cadie Peters is back after she missed the Burgettstown game. Gribble and Gaye are freshmen. … District 5 champion Windber pushed past Tussey Mountain, 53-37, for its fifth straight win and its third consecutive WestPAC championship. Gaye had 20 points off the bench. Leading scorer Mariah Andrew was injured earlier in the season, so the Ramblers have worked to fill the void. Lexie James and Harmony Jablon are other key scorers, while Rylee Ott is one of the team’s top defenders. Windber lost in the first round last year to Bishop McCort, 63-32. … GCC and Windber played in last year’s PIAA soccer first round. GCC won 3-2 to hand the Ramblers their first loss of the season.

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

Tags: Greensburg C.C., Norwin