Westmoreland WPIAL basketball playoff capsules for Feb. 21, 2022

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Sunday, February 20, 2022 | 4:59 PM

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Monday’s games

Boys

First round

Class 3A

9-Ligonier Valley (12-10) at 8-Avonworth (15-5)

7 p.m. Monday

Winner plays: Winner of 16-Summit Academy (7-8)/1-Ellwood City (20-2) on Thursday in quarterfinals

Layup lines: Second-year WPIAL member Ligonier Valley won four of its final five games and finished third in Section 3. Senior Matthew Marinchak is one of the WPIAL’s top scorers at 24 points per game. The Rams like to play fast. Second-year coach Tim Gustin, who used to coach the Rams girls team, is the head golf professional at Oakbrook Golf Club in Stoystown. … The third-place team from Section 3, Avonworth won four of its final six regular-season games. The Antelopes have a win over against good 2A teams in Winchester Thurston and 20-win Fort Cherry, as well as 5A Moon. Jordan Kolenda and Rowan Carmichael are a formidable scoring tandem.

Girls

First round

Class 2A

13-Chartiers-Houston (11-10) at 4-Greensburg Central Catholic (17-4)

7 p.m. Monday

Winner plays: Winner of 12-Sto-Rox (9-10)/5-Seton LaSalle (15-6) on Thursday in quarterfinals

Layup lines: Chartiers-Houston finished fourth in Section 3 behind Burgettstown, Fort Cherry and Sto-Rox. The Buccaneers average just 36.7 points but only allow 30.7. They have a win over 3A playoff team Waynesburg, their only victory against a team with a winning record. … Greensburg Central Catholic, in the WPIAL postseason for the 22nd straight year, won seven of its final eight games, including its second win over 5A Franklin Regional and another over 3A Waynesburg. The Centurions’ losses are to 5A Greensburg Salem and McKeesport, Berlin Brothersvalley (District 5) and Laurel. Senior swing-guard Bailey Kuhns in a Mercyhurst commit.

Class A

12-Riverview (5-13) at 5-Monessen (16-5)

7 p.m. Monday

Winner plays: At 4-Aquinas Academy (12-6) Thursday in quarterfinals

Layup lines: Riverview finished next to last in Section 3 and averaged just 23.6 during the regular season. Their season high for points in a game is 48. … Monessen had one of its better regular seasons in recent memory. The Greyhounds were 0-22 just five seasons ago. Now, their goal is to win a playoff game for the first time since 2011-12. That year, the Greyhounds lost to Riverview in the quarterfinals, 56-47, at Cal (Pa.). Monessen allows just 32.6 points. Senior Mercedes Majors is one of the top guards in Class A.

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

Tags: Avonworth, Chartiers-Houston, Greensburg C.C., Ligonier Valley, Monessen, Riverview