WPIAL Basketball Playoff Summaries for Thursday 2/23

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, February 23, 2017 | 10:50 PM

The name of the game in the First Round of the 2017 WPIAL Basketball Playoffs was no surprises. Outside of a #11 and a couple of #10 teams, all of the favorites prevailed in the opening round. That theme continued on the first night of the Second Round as the top four seeds advanced in three of the four classifications. Here are summaries from the Boys 3-A, Boys 1-A, Girls 4-A and Girls 2-A Quarterfinals from Thursday night on MSA Sports.

A special thanks to Mark Uriah, Paul Paterra, Sean Meyers, Brian Mroziak, Mike Azadian, Bob Orkwis, Mark Schaas, Cory Campano, James Dotson, Bob Gregg, Tom Hays and Kevin Zielmanski for their help on these recaps.

BOYS WPIAL CLASS 3-A Quarterfinals:

Lincoln Park Leopards 71 – Seton-LaSalle Rebels 70 
Evan Brown beat the buzzer with an off balance three-pointer to allow the number 1 seeded Leopards to escape North Allegheny with the win and advance to the semifinals. All seemed lost for Lincoln Park, trailing 70-68 with 15 seconds left. Senior Nelly Cummings missed a game tying shot, then committed his 5th foul to send Nick Deanes to the line. The junior missed both free throws to give Lincoln Park a chance. Following a timeout, Brown got the pass and in a double team, got off the shot that counted the most. Brown played the entire second half with a possible broken nose, suffered in the 2nd quarter. The senior had cotton stuffed in both nostrils held in with pre-wrap and was going to the bench at every opportunity to wipe away drainage. The Leopards looked like they were going to pull away in the 3rd but Seton LaSalle ended on a 6-0 run, setting up the dramatic final frame. That 4th quarter saw 5 ties and 5 lead chances as junior Matt Banbury allowed the Rebels to stay in the game with 10 of the 18 points, including 2 free throws in the final minute. Cummings hit a three to tie the score at 68 but Lincoln Park left George Mike IV open for a layup and a 70-68 lead that led the the missed free throws and the dramatic ending. Cummings scored 35 points to place him into the top 20 all time scorers in the WPIAL with a basket with 5 minutes left in the 2nd quarter, he needed 12 entering this game. Brown ended with 23 and sophomore Keeno Holmes added 13. The Leopards are now 20-4 overall and have won 9 straight. Seton LaSalle got 23 points from Banbury and 17 from Jakob Richardson, the Rebels go to 10-13 and remain alive for the PIAA tournament.

Shady Side Academy Indians 40 – Southmoreland Scotties 37 
It was a game that went down to the very last tick, but after Southmoreland missed two potential game-tying three pointers, Shady Side emerged victorious. The Indians (18-6) were keyed by a 15-0 run spanning the 2nd & 3rd quarters and led most of the remainder of this tight ballgame. Etai Groff paced Shady Side Academy with 16 points, including two clutch free throws in the waning seconds. Kirf Olander added 12 for the Indians. Southmoreland (19-5) was led by Zak Leighty with 14 points. Brandon Stone added 12 for the Scotties. Shady Side Academy advances to the semifinals to play top seed Lincoln Park.

Washington Little Prexies 43 – Aliquippa Quips 27
Jordan Swart scored a dozen points, hit 8 of 11 free throws and had two crucial assists leading Washington to a 43-27 win over Aliquippa.  The Little Prexies held the Quips to just two points over the game’s final 10 minutes.  Swart’s interior pass to Jake Swartz led to the final points of the third quarter, giving Washington a 27-25 lead, the seventh (and final) lead change of the night.  Then, just 15 seconds into the fourth, Swart drove and dished to Isaiah Robinson for a quick basket.  Tariq Wilson followed with a couple of made free throws and a six-point lead, matching the largest of the game.  The score stayed 31-25 for the next three minutes as the Little Prexies extended their defensive pressure and kept Aliquippa (12-12) off the scoreboard.  The Quips got multiple looks many times, but could not find the bottom of the net, a season-long struggle for them.  Washington (20-4) struggled at the foul line much of the game, keeping the Quips in it through the final minutes. WHS was 21-40 at the line, 9-17 in the fourth quarter.  Swart’s 12 points led all scorers.  Robinson and Swartz each finished with 10.  The Quips did not have a player reach double figures.

Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic Trojans 55 – Riverside Panthers 32
A complete defensive gem was seen at Sewickley Academy as Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic’s suffocating zone defense caused fits for Riverside all night long. The Trojans never trailed in the game, and led by as many as 29 points in their 55-32 victory. They forced 21 Panther turnovers, and turned many of those miscues into transition buckets on the other end. Kenny Fukon scored 21 for the Trojans, filled by eight a piece for Zach Offi and Vinnie DiNicola. DiNicola recorded a half dozen steals to lead the CWNC defense, which limited the deadly outside shooters of Riverside to only three 3s on the night. Justin Baust led with 8 points for Riverside (16-8), who can still advance to the PIAA playoffs if CWNC advances to the WPIAL Championship Game. The Trojans (19-5) can do just that with a win in the WPIAL semifinals. They will take on 2-seed Washington on Monday with a trip to the Petersen Events Center on the line.

BOYS WPIAL CLASS 1-A Quarterfinals:

Monessen Greyhounds 79 – Eden Christian Warriors 61 
Leading by 2 points entering the second quarter, the 1A top-seeded Monessen Greyhounds seized control of the game with an early 12-0 run which spurred them to a monster 29 point quarter on their way to a 79-61 victory over the #8 seeded Eden Christian Warriors. Known for pushing the tempo and applying full court pressure, Monessen pressed the Warriors from the opening jump, creating numerous turnovers which they converted into easy points. After a timeout, Eden Christian adjusted and fared well against the press, converting in transition and closing the gap to 17-15 at the end of the first quarter. Senior Guard Jaden Altomore asserted himself in the second quarter by scoring 15 of the team’s 29 points on his way to a game high 29 points; he also added 8 rebounds. Senior Guard Drew Aiken and Junior Guard Chase Haring were constantly hounded by the Greyhounds and did their best to beat the press but a 21 point halftime deficit was too much to overcome. Aiken scored 18 points to go along with the some nice assists while Haring scored 16 points. Seth Delposen also reached double figures with 11 points for the Warriors. Senior Justice Rice filled up the scoresheet for Monessen scoring 24 points and adding 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, & 2 steals in a stellar performance. Sophomore Lyndon Henderson added 13 points, the only other Greyhound to reach double-figures. Monessen advances to the 1A semifinals where they will play Union.
Eden Christian 15-10-13-23 = 61     Monessen 17-29-13-20 = 79

Union Scotties 60 – Clairton Bears 54 
The #5 Union Scotties defeated the #4 Clairton Bears Thursday night 60-54 from Montour High School. Led by Head Coach Mark Stanley, the Scotties were able to follow a well developed game plan and move on to the semifinals. Clairton out rebounded Union 44 to 26, but that turned out to be the only scoring column they would lead in. The Bears just seemed cold all night from the field and only shot 7 of 16 as a team from the free throw line. Union on the other hand consistently hit big shots when necessary and got contributions from everywhere. They got 19 points from Tre Charles, 12 from Kvon Huddleston, and 10 from Constantin Padure. The Scotties played as a team from beginning to end. Charles was the best player on the court and his big time scoring and ball handling stood out, but contributions from the entire team was the key reason for them getting the victory. Union will now move on to face #1 Monessen on Monday 2/27 at a site and time to be determined.

Vincentian Academy Royals 44 – Rochester Rams 42
After trailing Vincentian by 15 points after the first quarter,  Rochester came storming back to tie the game at 42 all with 4 seconds remaining. After a time out, Vincentian’s Zach McDonough had his shot blocked but Zach Collins got the rebound and threw up a prayer that was answered as time expired to give the Royals a thrilling 44-42 victory. Rochester was done in at the charity stripe by only converting 7 out of 23 free throws for the game. Mike Brooks led Vincentian in scoring with 17 points before fouling out and Zach McDonough had 15 points while going 7 for 7 at the free throw line for the Royals. The Rams were led by Chad Meny who had 20 points and Malik Strozier with 10. Vincentian advances to face Imani Christian in the semi finals on Monday.

Imani Christian Saints 92 – Cornell Raiders 57 
The #3 Saints used their athleticism on defense to overwhelm the Raiders on defense, overcoming a slow offensive start on the way to a 35-point victory at Northgate High School. Imani Christian opened up a 12-point lead after the first quarter and led by 26-points at halftime and in the process; the Saints secured a berth in the (1A) semifinals for the first time in school history. Much like the 1st round victory over Avella, senior Kenny Robinson and juniors Sam Fairley and Ray Jackson led the way for the Saints, and in this game, they were joined by junior DeSean Hubbard. Robinson, Fairley and Jackson combined for 66 points in the win over the Eagles. Tonight against the Raiders, the trio netted 63 as Robinson led the team with 25, with Jackson adding 22 and Fairley finishing with 16. Hubbard also added 16 points to help Imani Christian improve to (14-6) on the season. Freshman Kaden Divito was stellar in defeat for Cornell, tying for game high honors with 25 points. Freshman Eric Olexa scored 12 points of the bench for the Raiders while their leading scorer Na’Dhama Luster finished with 10 points as Cornell drops to (18-6). The Raiders season may not be over as they now partake in the WPIAL game of follow the winner. If Imani Christian wins the Class (1A) title, Cornell would qualify for the PIAA Playoffs from District 7. As for the state playoffs, with the win the Saints have qualified for that tournament for the first time ever as well.  Next up for Imani Christian in the semifinal round, is second seeded Vincentian. The Royals edged Rochester to reach the final four in the (1A) tournament. Imani Christian and Vincentian will do battle on Monday February 27th at a site and time to be determined.

GIRLS WPIAL CLASS 4-A Quarterfinals:

Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic Trojans 51 – Central Valley Warriors 45
The Lady Warriors gave the top-seeded Trojanettes all they could handle, but Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic was able to survive and advance with a 51-45 victory at Sewickley Academy. After a back-and-forth first quarter, CWNC used a 13-0 run in the second to take a 32-21 lead into the locker room. The Trojanettes adjusted to a zone defense during the run, stopping Central Valley’s dribble penetration. However, the Lady Warriors made the halftime adjustments and rallied off eleven straight points in the third quarter, and tied the score at 36-36 after three. They hit the first shot of the fourth quarter to take a 38-36 lead with 5:40 remaining, but then Sam Breen over. Quiet in the 3rd quarter (in which CWNC scored four only points), Breen immediately responded with a 3-pointer to give her team the lead back. On the next possession, she got a steal and completed a three-point-play on the other end. CWNC would control the rest of the way. Breen led the way with 31 points for the Trojanettes (21-2), who advance to face Beaver on Monday in the WPIAL semifinals. Central Valley (15-8) was led by the sharpshooting of freshman Christiane Frye with 19 points. The entire Central Valley team shot lights out, especially from beyond the arc, but committed 17 turnovers in the contest to limit their opportunities. The Lady Warriors now become CWNC fans in hopes of a PIAA playoff berth.

Beaver Bobcats 58 – Keystone Oaks Golden Eagles 45 
After a slow start, Beaver took control of this girls 4a quarterfinal game versus Keystone Oaks to race to a 30-19 half time lead and led 44-24 after three quarters. The Lady Bobcats were led by Bella Posset with 18 points while Sydney Barney and Paige Ziggas netted 11 and 13 points respectively . Keystone Oaks got a fine effort from Mayleyah Agurs who tallied 16 points to lead the Lady Golden Eagles. Gillian Piccolino also scored in double digits for KO with 10 points. Beaver moves onto the semis against Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic.

Blackhawk Cougars 67 – Freeport Yellow Jackets 44 
The 2nd seeded Cougars averaged 10 three-pointers per game in the regular season. They hit only 9 tonight but it was more than enough to move on to the semi finals. Leading 33-27 at the break, Blackhawk extended their advantage to 14 points with a tough defense and the scoring of Mady Aulbach, who had 7 of her 13 points in the 3rd. The Cougars opened the 4th on a 9-2 run , then used another 6-0 stretch to go up by 25, their biggest lead of the night. Mackenzie Amalia led with 14 points, Tailyn Silver also scored 13 and Breanna Hoover added 10. Blackhawk is now 15-8 on the year and have 2 straight and 10 of their last 11. Freeport was led by Jenna Manke with 14 points and Sidney Shemanski added 13. The Yellowjackets are 14-10.

South Park Eagles 64 – Ambridge Bridgers 57 
From Montour High School in WPIAL Girls 4A Quarterfinal playoff action, the South Park Eagles defeat the Ambridge Bridgers in a thriller 64-57. Both teams played a frenetic pace in the first quarter. Ambridge was on fire from outside hitting three 3 pointers early,  five total for the first half. South Park used their guard oriented offense to get easy transition baskets and the Eagles led after one 13-12. Momentum swung for the first time in the game in quarter two as Ambridge used their inside game to their benefit. Dasha Jackson and Aniya Walker dominated the boards and enabled the Bridgers to take a 29-23 halftime lead. Momentum swung again as South Park went on an 18-5 run to start the 3rd quarter. They led 45-38 heading into the 4th quarter. Ambridge would climb back into the  game with full court pressure defense. They would force 11 Eagle turnovers and got within four  points, but South Park survived and held on to win 64-57. Ambridge falls to 14-9 and will wait to see if it makes the PIAA playoffs. Four players scored in double figures for Ambridge: Walker with 15,  Sarah Fischer with 11, Chloe Rabold with 12, and Jackson with 10. South Park improves to 16-8 and will face the Blackhawk Cougars, the second seed in the semifinals on Monday February 28th. The Eagles were led by Alyssa Greer with 24 points, all coming in the second half. She was 10/10 from the free throw line. Brittany Andrews had 24, and Cassidy Zandier chipped in 10. Eagles coach Marty Matvey called the win “emotional and a character win for our program” after weathering the first half Ambridge storm.

GIRLS WPIAL CLASS 2-A Quarterfinals:

Chartiers-Houston Buccaneers 60 – Leechburg Blue Devils 44 
Leechburg gave top-seeded Chartiers Houston all it could handle until the Buccaneers pulled away in the game’s final minutes for a 60-44 victory. The Blue Devils (14-10) outscored Chartiers Houston 15-10 in the second quarter to cut the halftime deficit to two, and trailed by only five after three quarters. Chartiers Houston struggled with turnovers and foul trouble throughout most of game. The Bucs’ Alexa Williamson scored 20 points before fouling out with 3:30 left to play. Jayla Walker, who led all scorers with 23, took over down the stretch. Mikayla Lovelace score 19 for Leechburg. Chartiers Houston (21-2) advances to Monday’s semi-finals to face Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Chargers 49 – California Trojans 39 
The Our Lady of Sacred Heart Chargers downed the California Trojans 49 to 39 Thursday night in a Girls 2A Quarterfinal Round Game at Canon Mac.  The Chargers raced to a 25 to 7 lead at halftime before the Trojans made a game of it in the 2nd half.  California got 12 3rd quarter points out of Jenna Miller and outscored the Chargers 19 to 9 to cut the deficit to 34 to 26 entering the final quarter.  The Chargers held serve in the 4th quarter, outscoring Cal 15 to 13 to hold on for the 49 to 39 win.  Sophomore Ashley Norling lead OLSH with 15 points while freshman Haley Hamilton came off the bench to score 13 points. Jocelyn Nagy was also in double figures for OLSH with 10 points.  Miller lead California with 14 while Bailey Vigo added 11 and Love Porter scored 10 for the Trojans, who dropped to 20 and 4 overall and hope they can get one of 7 PIAA Girls 2A Playoff Berths.  OLSH improves to 18 and 5 and will meet Char-Houston in the Semi Finals Monday.

Vincentian Academy Royals 59 – Washington Little Prexies 30 
Vincentian Academy held Washington to one field goal over a 16 minute span, taking a tight game halfway through the second quarter and rolling to a comfortable 59-30 win.  A tight, up-tempo opening 12 minutes featured six lead changes and a couple ties before the Royals took control, using a 9-0 run in the second quarter and a 14-3 sprint in the third to put the game out of reach.  Vincentian Academy (19-4) got 16 points from Caroline Elliott, 10 more from Olivia O’Brien and Madi Very.  All told, the Royals had nine different players in the scoring column.  Washington was led by Carley Allen’s 17 points, but no one else approached double figures.  Randi Thomas had seven, but her last score put the Little Prexies (13-11) in front 17-16 with just over four minutes left in the half, the last time WHS led.  Wash High struggled from the floor and at the foul line, hitting just 9 of 25 free throws.  The Royals were only slightly better, 13-25, but kept their shot at a sixth consecutive WPIAL title alive with the win.

Greensburg Central Catholic Centurions 61 – Brentwood Spartans 47 
The Greensburg Central Catholic Centurions were a Cinderella story in reaching the WPIAL Championship game last year as the No. 14 seed, but this year the Centurions were expected to achieve similar success. Now, GCC is a step closer to replicating last year’s accomplishment, as the Centurions bested Brentwood 61-47 in the Class 2A quarterfinals at Gateway High School. The third-seeded GCC squad controlled the play for the vast majority of the contest, as the Centurions outscored the No. 6 Spartans in each quarter. After the Spartans held a lead in the early stages of the first stanza, GCC pulled ahead 9-7, and never looked back, as the Centurions defense forced a bevy of turnovers. Those turnovers frequently resulted in transition points for GCC, with Haley Moore pacing the team’s attack with 22 points. She was joined in double-figures by Brittany Stawovy, who chipped in with 12 points. In the setback, the Spartans were led by Natalie Murrio, who had all 15 of her points after the intermission. Stefanie Thomas also scored in double figures with 12. Courtesy of the victory, the Centurions advance to the semifinals, which will be played on Monday, Feb. 27.