Westmoreland WPIAL basketball playoff capsules: Games for Feb. 17, 2025

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Saturday, February 15, 2025 | 5:49 PM

WPIAL basketball playoffs

Monday’s games

Girls

Class 4A

First round

10-Belle Vernon (11-11) at 7-Central Valley (14-7)

7 p.m. Monday

Winner plays: Winner of 15-Hampton (10-11)/2-Oakland Catholic (19-3) on Thursday (time, date TBD) in quarterfinals

Players to watch: Saylor Lee, Belle Vernon; Nyah Hayes, Central Valley

Layup lines: Belle Vernon made the playoffs in Cornelious Nesbit’s first season as coach. The Leopards were fourth in Section 3. They are only averaging 38.5 points but only give up 39.6. Aubrey Brown, a 6-foot-1 forward, is one of the WPIAL’s rising freshmen. … Central Valley came in third in Section 2 behind Blackhawk and Beaver. The Warriors allow just 37.1 points and took Beaver to overtime before falling 67-63.

16-Yough (12-11) at 1-Blackhawk (20-2)

7 p.m. Monday

Winner plays: Winner of 9-Knoch (12-10)/8-Laurel Highlands (16-5) on Thursday (time, site TBD) in quarterfinals

Players to watch: Brooke Wieland, Yough; Aubree Hupp, Blackhawk

Layup lines: Yough outlasted Highlands in two overtimes 53-47 in the preliminary round to post its first playoff win since 2009. Hailey Bock led the Cougars with 13 points. Brooke Kowalski hit a jumper, and Wieland had a steal and layup to put the Cougars in control in the second overtime. Yough’s playoff win in 2009 also was against Highlands. … Defending PIAA champion Blackhawk has won 13 straight games and has not lost since a 51-48 setback against 3A Shady Side Academy. The Cougars’ other loss was to Mt. Lebanon on opening night. Hupp is a talented 1,000-point career scorer. The 5-11 forward averages 20 points and 11 rebounds. The Cougars reached the WPIAL final last year and lost to North Catholic.

14-Mt. Pleasant (6-15) at 3-North Catholic (19-3)

7 p.m. Monday

Winner plays: 11-Burrell (13-9)/6-South Park (15-5) on Thursday in quarterfinals (time, site TBD)

Players to watch: Ryleigh Drzal, Mt. Pleasant; Brady Wehner, North Catholic

Layup lines: Mt. Pleasant has the second-lowest scoring average of any team to make the playoffs, at 30 ppg. The Lady Vikings tied Yough for fifth in Section 3. They have won two of their last three games. … North Catholic has three straight WPIAL titles and seven in eight years. The Trojanettes are the second-highest scoring team in 4A at 58.8 ppg. Wehner is a streaky shooter, but there are multiple weapons including Sam Weir, Harmony Jones and Sarah Loughry. North Catholic had a 112-game section winning streak snapped this season by Oakland Catholic. Coach Molly Rottman has 12 WPIAL titles.

Boys

Class 6A

First round

11-Norwin (10-11) at 6-Mt. Lebanon (15-7)

7 p.m. Monday

Winner plays: At 3-Imani Christian (13-7) on Thursday (time TBD) in quarterfinals

Players to watch: Chris McKnight, Norwin; Liam Sheely, Mt. Lebanon

Layup lines: Norwin returned to the playoffs under first-year coach Cam Auld, an alum and former Knights guard. Norwin is 2-5 in its last seven games and struggled in a 49-32 loss to Hempfield in the section finale. McKnight is one of several quality guards on a young team that has two seniors. … Mt. Lebanon split with Norwin in a pair of Section 2 games, the first matchup ending in a 51-49 overtime Norwin victory. The Blue Devils controlled the second game, 84-60. Mt. Lebanon has won 8 of its last nine. The loss was to top-seeded Upper St. Clair, 41-31. Carter Gould and Sam Deibert are other effective scorers.

Class 2A

First round

16-Laurel (12-11) at 1-Greensburg Central Catholic (20-2)

7 p.m. Monday

Winner plays: 9-Fort Cherry (13-8)/8-Union (16-6) on Thursday (time, site TBD) in quarterfinals

Players to watch: Luca Santini, Laurel; Liam Gallagher, Greensburg Central Catholic

Layup lines: Laurel held Eden Christian to four points in the fourth quarter and posted a 50-42 win in the preliminary round. Jayden Iorio scored a game-high 26 points, and Mason Ernst added 12 for the Spartans, who went 2-20 last season. … GCC is a No. 1 seed for the first time as it chases its first WPIAL title. The Centurions were the runners-up last season to Aliquippa, which is now in 3A. GCC has won 12 of 13 overall with its only loss coming to 4A top seed Belle Vernon. The Centurions are riding a 28-game winning streak at home. Gallagher can shoot it, and A.J Tarpley can score going to the rim. They are two of several offensive weapons.

19-Brentwood (10-12) at 3-Jeannette (19-2)

7 p.m. Monday

Winner plays: Winner of 11-Clairton (8-10)/6-OLSH (17-5) on Thursday (time, site TBD) in quarterfinals

Players to watch: Forest Betz, Brentwood; Kymon’e Brown, Jeannette

Layup lines: Brentwood put up 23 points in the second quarter on the way to a 59-49 victory over West Greene in the preliminary round. Betz led all scorers with 21 points, and Colton Rosing scored 12 for the Spartans. Brentwood played in Class 3A last season but did not make the playoffs. … Jeannette has won 8 of 9 with its only loss in that stretch coming against Greensburg Central Catholic, 58-48. Both of the Jayhawks’ losses are to GCC, a longtime rival. Jeannette is the highest-scoring team in the bracket at 68 points per game. Markus McGowan has emerged as a go-to scorer in a guard-heavy Jayhawks lineup, showing 3-point touch. Brown runs the offense, but Jayce Powell is a talented off-guard.

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

Tags: Belle Vernon, Central Valley, Greensburg C.C., Jeannette, Mt. lebanon, Mt. Pleasant, North Catholic, Norwin