Westmoreland WPIAL basketball playoff capsules: Games for Monday, Feb. 20. 2023

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Sunday, February 19, 2023 | 3:54 PM

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BOYS

Class 3A

First round

10-Belle Vernon (10-11) at 7-Quaker Valley (14-6)

7 p.m. Monday, Quaker Valley High School, Leetsdale

Winner plays: Winner of 15-Freeport (13-9)/2-Laurel Highlands (19-2) Thursday (time, site TBD) in quarterfinals

Players to watch: Zion Moore, Belle Vernon; Joey Coyle, Quaker Valley

Layup lines: Belle Vernon had an up-and-down regular season as it tried to get the same lineup in the floor consistently. The Leopards, who have made the WPIAL semifinals three straight years, are led by Moore (24 ppg) and Quinton Martin (18 ppg/10 rpg). They have dropped four of five and have not won two in a row since Jan. 27 and 28 when they played three games on a row. … The Quakers have won five of their past six. They shared the Section 4 title with South Allegheny. Coyle is the go-to scorer with his 17.7-point average, and Troy Kozar averages 10.9 points. Quaker Valley beat Belle Vernon in last year’s quarterfinals 86-75, and Belle Vernon edged the Quakers in the quarters two years ago 66-61. One of the Quakers’ losses this season is to Latrobe, 50-46. … This is a matchup of coaching greats: Belle Vernon coach Joe Salvino has 710 wins, and the Quakers’ Mike Mastroianni has 569.

10-Burrell (13-9) at 7-Yough (15-7)

7 p.m. Monday, Yough High School, Herminie

Winner plays: Winner of 15-Keystone Oaks (9-13)/2-Neshannock (16-5) Thursday (time, site TBD) in quarterfinals

Players to watch: Terek Crosby, Yough; Macky Bennis, Burrell

Layup lines: Yough won its first section title since 2005 and takes a 10-game winning streak into the postseason. The Cougars’ last loss was Jan. 6 against Washington. Crosby is one of the WPIAL’s top scoring juniors. He averages 22.8 points and has three 30-point games this season on the way to 1,000 career points. Forward Austin Matthews is developing into one of the better post players in the area. Yough allows just 39.1 points. … Burrell, the third-place team in Section 3, won four of its last five games to secure a playoff berth. Bennis is a talented scorer who can produce from long range. He averages 21 points. The Bucs played a strong schedule, with losses to Highlands, Shaler, Monessen, and Gateway.

13-Derry (11-9) at 4-Mohawk (19-3)

7 p.m. Monday at Mohawk High School, New Castle

Winner plays: Winner of 12-Ellwood City (15-7)/5-Deer Lakes (13-8) Thursday (time, site TBD) in quarterfinals

Players to watch: Nate Papuga, Derry; Jay Wrona, Mohawk

Layup lines: The fourth-place team in Section 3, Derry won four of its last five regular-season games to lock up a postseason berth. One was a 65-59 win over Shady Side Academy, the third seed in the tournament. Papuga and Gabe Carbonara average 18 points each for the Trojans, who like to play at a fast pace and shoot 3-pointers. They made 17 3s in a game this year. … Mohawk also plays quickly. The style led to a 67-point average and a Section 1 co-championship with Neshannock. Mohawk has won 10 of 12. It has topped 75 points four times. Wrona is a backcourt leader who averages 17 points.

GIRLS

Class A

First round

11-Jeannette (2-19) vs. 6-Eden Christian (6-14)

6 p.m. Monday, AHN Arena, Peters Township

Winner plays: At 3-Aquinas Academy (14-8) Thursday (time, site TBD) in quarterfinals

Players to watch: Zoey Vincent, Jeannette; Hope Haring, Eden Christian

Layup lines: Jeannette clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2013-14. The Lady Jayhawks, led by first-year coach Anna Leonard, have two wins, and they both are against winless Hillel Academy. The first win broke a 51-game losing streak. … Eden Christian did not win a section game but landed a No. 6 seed, despite finishing last in a four-team Section 1. Twelve of 15 teams in single-A made the playoffs. Haring averages 11 points and 5 rebounds.

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

Tags: Belle Vernon, Burrell, Derry Area, Eden Christian, Jeannette, Mohawk, Quaker Valley, Yough