WPIAL releases basketball playoff pairings

By: Bill Hartlep
Tuesday, February 12, 2019 | 7:33 PM

The Pine-Richland boys basketball team has reached the WPIAL championship game in the largest classification the past three seasons.

The Rams have expectations of returning this year after compiling a 20-2 record in the regular season.

On Tuesday night, the Rams were awarded the No. 1 seed for the 2019 Class 6A playoffs.

Latrobe (18-2), Mt. Lebanon (19-3) and Upper St. Clair (19-3) were the next three seeds and all received a first-round bye.

Joining Pine-Richland as a No. 1 seed on the boys side are Mars (21-1) in Class 5A, New Castle (18-4) in 4A, Lincoln Park (18-4) in 3A, OLSH (19-2) in 2A and Vincentian Academy (14-7) in Class A.

The top seeds for the WPIAL girls basketball tournament are Peters Township (22-0) in Class 6A, Chartiers Valley (22-0) in 5A, North Catholic (19-3) in 4A, Neshannock (20-2) in 3A, Bishop Canevin (20-2) in 2A and West Greene (20-2) in Class A.

The basketball playoffs will begin Friday and Saturday with first-round games.

The quarterfinals are set for Feb. 21-23, with the semifinals planned for Feb. 25-27.

The championship games will be Feb. 28-March 2 at Petersen Events Center.

For analysis of each classification, listen to the live or archived broadcast of the WPIAL Basketball Pairings Show on Trib HSSN .

Basketball

Boys

WPIAL playoffs

Class 6A

First round

Feb. 19 schedule

Penn-Trafford (14-8) vs. Peters Township (15-7) at Mt. Lebanon, 8 p.m.; Butler (17-4) vs. Connellsville (8-14) at Canon-McMillan, 8 p.m.; Canon-McMillan (14-8) vs. North Allegheny (13-8) at West Allegheny, 8 p.m.; Fox Chapel (15-7) vs. Seneca Valley (11-10) at North Allegheny, 8 p.m.

Byes: Pine-Richland (20-2), Latrobe (18-2), Mt. Lebanon (19-3), Upper St. Clair (19-3)

Class 5A

First round

Monday’s schedule

Shaler (15-7) vs. McKeesport (11-9) at Fox Chapel, 8 p.m.; Woodland Hills (17-5) vs. West Allegheny (9-13) at Mt. Lebanon, 8 p.m.; Chartiers Valley (16-5) vs. Albert Gallatin (5-14) at Peters Township, 8 p.m.; Montour (14-8) vs. Hampton (12-9) at North Allegheny, 8 p.m.; Franklin Regional (16-6) vs. Thomas Jefferson (11-10) at Norwin, 8 p.m.

Byes: Mars (21-1), Penn Hills (19-3), Moon (21-1)

Class 4A

First round

Feb. 20 schedule

Freeport (11-9) vs. Ringgold (13-8) at Gateway, 8 p.m.; Uniontown (18-3) vs. Beaver (6-15) at Peters Township, 8 p.m.; Highlands (15-7) vs. Belle Vernon (8-14) at North Hills, 8 p.m.; Blackhawk (9-13) vs. Derry (12-7) at North Allegheny, 8 p.m.; Knoch (17-5) vs. South Park (10-12) at Fox Chapel, 8 p.m.

Byes: New Castle (18-4), Ambridge (14-8), Quaker Valley (18-3)

Class 3A

First round

Saturday’s schedule

Lincoln Park (18-4) vs. Shady Side Academy (9-11) at Fox Chapel, 1:30 p.m.; Steel Valley (14-7) vs. Beaver Falls (9-13) at Keystone Oaks, noon; Seton LaSalle (17-4) vs. Southmoreland (12-9) at Gateway, 1 p.m.; Washington (13-8) vs. Keystone Oaks (12-10) at Peters Township, 2:30 p.m.; Aliquippa (14-7) vs. Avonworth (12-9) at Sewickley Academy, 1 p.m.; Neshannock (17-5) vs. McGuffey (15-7) at Sewickley Academy, 2:30 p.m.; North Catholic (18-4) vs. Valley (8-10) at Fox Chapel, 3 p.m.; Deer Lakes (15-6) vs. Charleroi (11-10) at Keystone Oaks, 3 p.m.

Class 2A

First round

Saturday’s schedule

Summit Academy (10-9) vs. Shenango (10-12) at Fox Chapel, noon; South Side Beaver (16-6) vs. Brentwood (11-11) at Peters Township, 1 p.m.; Sto-Rox (13-7) vs. California (12-9) at Keystone Oaks, 1:30 p.m.; Jeannette (12-10) vs. Springdale (12-8) at Gateway, 2:30 p.m.

Byes: OLSH (19-2), Serra Catholic (18-3), Sewickley Academy (12-8), Winchester Thurston (16-5)

Class A

First round

Friday’s schedule

Bishop Canevin (14-7) vs. Leechburg (12-9) at Fox Chapel, 8 p.m.; St. Joseph (17-5) vs. West Greene (7-14) at Mt. Lebanon, 8 p.m.; Greensburg Central Catholic (16-6) vs. Geibel (11-11) at Charleroi, 8 p.m.; Union (16-6) vs. Clairton (9-10) at Hampton, 8 p.m.

Byes: Vincentian Academy (14-7), Cornell (18-4), Nazareth Prep (16-3), Monessen (14-8)

Girls

WPIAL playoffs

Class 6A

Quarterfinals

Feb. 22 schedule

Times, sites TBD

Peters Township (22-0) vs. Fox Chapel (15-7); Bethel Park (20-2) vs. Seneca Valley (15-7); North Allegheny (21-1) vs. Upper St. Clair (11-11); Norwin (20-1) vs. Mt. Lebanon (12-10)

Class 5A

First round

Feb. 19 schedule

Penn-Trafford (13-9) vs. Trinity (11-11) at Mt. Lebanon, 6:30 p.m.; Franklin Regional (16-6) vs. South Fayette (13-9) at Keystone Oaks, 8 p.m.; Mars (17-5) vs. Woodland Hills (12-10) at Hampton, 8 p.m.; Thomas Jefferson (16-6) vs. Plum (11-1) at North Allegheny, 6:30 p.m.

Byes: Chartiers Valley (22-0), Penn Hills (15-6), Oakland Catholic (19-3), Gateway (19-3)

Class 4A

First round

Monday’s schedule

Keystone Oaks (13-8) vs. Belle Vernon (14-8) at Peters Township, 6:30 p.m.; Freeport (18-4) vs. Quaker Valley (12-9) at North Allegheny, 6:30 p.m.; Elizabeth Forward (15-7) vs. Knoch (9-13) at Mt. Lebanon, 6:30 p.m.; McKeesport (12-8) vs. Greensburg Salem (12-10) at Fox Chapel, 6:30 p.m.; Southmoreland (17-5) vs. Apollo-Ridge (15-7) at Norwin, 6:30 p.m.

Byes: North Catholic (19-3), Central Valley (20-1), Blackhawk (18-4)

Class 3A

First round

Feb. 20 schedule

Washington (18-4) vs. Mohawk (7-15) at North Allehgeny, 6:30 p.m.; Carlynton (18-4) vs. Ellwood City (13-9) at North Hills, 6:30 p.m.; Avonworth (15-6) vs. Beth-Center (12-9) at Gateway, 6:30 p.m.; Deer Laks (16-6) vs. Seton LaSalle (11-10) at Fox Chapel, 6:30 p.m.; Beaver (16-4) vs. East Allegheny (14-7) at Peters Township, 6:30 p.m.

Byes: Neshannock (20-2), South Park (16-6), Shady Side Academy (17-3)

Class 2A

First round

Friday’s schedule

Ellis School (15-7) vs. Aliquippa (7-15) at Fox Chapel, 6:30 p.m.; OLSH (17-4) vs. Burgettstown (12-10) at Peters Township, 8 p.m.; Serra Catholic (17-4) vs. Sto-Rox (10-12) at Peters Township, 6:30 p.m.; Frazier (14-7) vs. Winchester Thurston (10-9) at Charleroi, 6:30 p.m.; Laurel (18-4) vs. Chartiers-Houston (8-14) at Mt. Lebanon, 6:30 p.m.; South Side Beaver (14-8) vs. Riverview (9-12) at Hampton, 6:30 p.m.

Byes: Bishop Canevin (20-2), Brentwood (17-3)

Class A

First round

Feb. 19 schedule

Sewickley Academy (11-7) vs. California (10-10) at Canon-McMillan, 6:30 p.m.; Vincentian Academy (10-11) vs. Leechburg (7-12) at Hampton, 6:30 p.m.; Avella (16-5) vs. Aquinas Academy (10-8) at Keystone Oaks, 6:30 p.m.; Quigley Catholic (12-10) vs. Mapletown (12-10) at West Allegheny, 6:30 p.m.

Byes: West Greene (20-2), Clairton (16-4), Rochester (16-6), Greensburg Central Catholic (19-3)

Bill Hartlep is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Bill at bhartlep@tribweb.com or via Twitter @TribHSInsider.

Bill Hartlep is the TribLive sports editor. A Pittsburgh native and Point Park graduate, he joined the Trib in 2004, covering high school sports. He held various editing roles before assuming his current position in 2019. He can be reached at bhartlep@triblive.com.

Tags: Bishop Canevin, Chartiers Valley, Lincoln Park, Mars, Neshannock, New Castle, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Peters Township, Pine-Richland, Vincentian Academy