Westmoreland WPIAL basketball playoff preview capsules: Games for Tuesday, March 1, 2022

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Monday, February 28, 2022 | 3:34 PM

Purchase Photo Options

Semifinals

Boys

Class A

4-Greensburg Central Catholic (18-3) vs. 1-Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (21-0)

8 p.m. Tuesday at Gateway

Coaches: Christian Hyland, Greensburg Central Catholic; Mike Rodriguez, OLSH

Winner plays: Winner of 3-Carlynton (20-2)/2-Fort Cherry (22-2) in championship 1 p.m. March 5 at Petersen Events Center

Layup lines: Greensburg Central Catholic made it back to the semifinals with a 61-42 victory over No. 5 Monessen in the quarterfinals Friday at Norwin. Senior leadership has been a big part of this run for the Centurions, and it continued in the win as Ryan Appleby had 20 points and Brevan Williams added 19, including 12 in the fourth quarter. The win ended Monessen’s 16-game winning streak. GCC lost to OLSH in last year’s WPIAL title game, 71-52. Sophomore Tyree Turner continues to be a scoring weapon, and sophomore Anthony Semelka has played well off the bench. Senior Dylan Parsons also brings experience. Hyland is 50-14 since taking over the coaching duties from Dr. Greg Bisignani in 2019-20. … What hasn’t been said about OLSH? The three-time defending WPIAL champion and returning PIAA champion Chargers have 61 straight wins, and their closest game was a 65-54 win over 5A Franklin Regional in the season opener. They are averaging 78 points and allowing 43.4. In an 87-44 win over Sto-Rox in the quarterfinals, senior Jake DiMichele poured in 39 points. A 6-3 guard who has more than 2,000 career points, DiMichele had 51 in a win over Shady Side Academy earlier in the season. DiMichele is good, but he has help. Junior Rocco Spadafora and 6-5 senior Dawson Summers also are playmakers for the fast-paced Chargers. Also keep an eye out for 6-3 senior Kevin Wilson.

…

Girls

Class 4A

2-Southmoreland (18-3) vs. 3-Knoch (20-2)

6 p.m. Tuesday at Gateway

Coaches: Amber Cernuto, Southmoreland; Chris Andreassi, Knoch

Winner plays: Winner of 5-Elizabeth Forward (19-4)/1-Blackhawk (22-0) in championship 3 p.m. March 5 at Petersen Events Center

Layup lines: Southmoreland is back in the semifinals for the third consecutive time and is looking to get back to the finals at Petersen Events Center for the second time in three years. The Scotties set a school record Friday with their 44th straight win on their home court, breaking the boys’ mark of 43. The Scotties thumped Highlands, 50-24, in the quarterfinals. Highlands was held without a field goal until the 4-minute, 22-second mark of the second quarter. Senior Gracie Spadaro scored 18 points, and senior Delaynie Morvosh added 11 in the win. The Scotties, winners of 13 of their last 14, are allowing just 34.1 points, but that is the third-lowest average of the semifinal teams. Knoch gives up 30.5, Blackhawk 32.0 and Elizabeth Forward 40.8. … Knoch is back in the semifinals for the second straight year. The Lady Knights, like Southmoreland, returned after a 15-day layoff to play a quarterfinal game. They took care of No. 6 Montour, 67-48, in Jefferson Township. Senior Maddie Boyer led the way with 21 points and eight rebounds. The win was the 17th in a row for Knoch, which never has been to the WPIAL championship. The team won its first section title this season since 1972. Knoch lost to Beaver in the final four a year ago. Knoch and Southmoreland have secured PIAA playoff spots.

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., Knoch, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Southmoreland