2022 WPIAL Class 5A boys basketball championship breakdown: Laurel Highlands vs. New Castle

By: Chris Harlan
Friday, March 4, 2022 | 11:34 AM

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No. 1 Laurel Highlands vs. No. 2 New Castle

9 p.m. Friday, Petersen Events Center

On the air: Video livestream: TribHSSN.TribLive.com

WPIAL titles: Laurel Highlands 2 (1968, 2020), New Castle 14 (1927, ’36, ’82, ’93, ’97, ’98, ‘99, 2012, ’13, ‘14, ’17, ’18, ’19, ‘21 )

Laurel Highlands (24-0)

Coach: Rick Hauger

1, Keondre Deshields, 6-3, jr., G/F

2, Rodney Gallagher, 6-0, jr., G

3, Brandon Davis, 6-1, jr., G

15, Joe Chambers, 6-2, sr., G/F

33, Nico Johns, 6-2, sr., F

Notable: Laurel Highlands has won 24 games in a row since losing to New Castle, 69-60, in last year’s WPIAL semifinals. … The Mustangs average 75.7 points per game, best in WPIAL Class 5A, and have the statistically best defense, allowing only 46.6 points. … They have three double-digit scorers in Deshields (20 ppg), Gallagher (18.1) and Davis (17.1). … Laurel Highlands reached the finals by defeating No. 16 Woodland Hills, 74-44; No. 8 Hampton, 52-44; and No. 5 Highlands, 61-44. … Gallagher is a Division I athlete with college offers in both basketball and football. … Gallagher made two free throws with 4.8 seconds left to defeat Mars, 52-51, in the 2020 WPIAL Class 5A final.

New Castle (23-1)

Coach: Ralph Blundo

1, Michael Graham, 5-11, sr. G

3, Michael Wells, 6-4, sr., G/F

5, Isaiah Boice, 6-0, jr., G

10, Cahmari Perkins, 6-4, sr., G

12, Jonathan Anderson, 5-10, jr., G

Notable: New Castle has reached the WPIAL finals for the eighth time in 11 seasons. … Blundo is 7-0 in WPIAL finals. … Wells is a 21-point scorer and Boice averages 14. They combined for 45 points in a 72-62 win over No. 6 Gateway in the semifinals. … Wells is a Youngstown State football recruit. … New Castle also defeated No. 15 West Mifflin, 85-52; and No. 10 Shaler, 63-42, in these playoffs. … New Castle averages 71.1 points per game and allows 48.2. Both figures rank third in WPIAL Class 5A behind Laurel Highlands and Mars. … The Red Hurricanes are the defending WPIAL champions. They defeated Chartiers Valley in last year’s finals, 61-45. … New Castle’s only loss this season was to WPIAL 6A semifinalist Central Catholic, 46-40, on Dec. 19. The team has won 20 games in a row since.

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.

Tags: Laurel Highlands, New Castle