Westmoreland PIAA basketball capsule for March 10, 2020
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Monday, March 9, 2020 | 5:57 PM
Belle Vernon’s Thomas Hepple drives against Clearfield’s Cole Miller in the PIAA Class 4A first round Friday, March 6, 2020.
PIAA basketball playoffs
Boys
Class 4A
Second round
Belle Vernon (20-7) vs. Lancaster Catholic (24-3)
5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Altoona High School
Winner plays: Winner of Imhotep Charter (20-8) and Montoursville (21-5) on Friday in quarterfinals (time, site TBD)
Coaches: Joe Salvino, Belle Vernon; Joe Klazas, Lancaster Catholic
Players to watch: Mitch Poulot, Belle Vernon (Sr., 6-3, F); David Kamwanga, Lancaster Catholic (Sr., 6-6, G-F)
About Belle Vernon: The Leopards won their first PIAA playoff game since 1981 with a 65-60 win over Clearfield in the first round. Now, they can advance farther than any team in program history with a win Tuesday. Clearfield cut a lead that reached 15 to 61-60 with 40 seconds remaining, but Belle Vernon held on. Four Leopards scored in double figures, including sophomore Devin Whitlock, who had 15 points and 11 assists. Senior Thomas Hepple added 14 points and 10 rebounds, Jake Haney had 12 points and Daniel Gordon chipped in 10 off the bench. The WPIAL runners-up are averaging 68.9 points and rely on a fast-paced style. Salvino won two state titles when he coached at Monessen.
About Lancaster Catholic: The Crusaders have had a penchant for winning close games lately. They have secured victories in the final minute of their last three games. They downed Susquehanna Township, 48-46, on a late tip-in by junior guard Devin Atkinson, clipped Bishop McDevitt, 61-59, on a buzzer-beating jumper from Kamwanga in the District 3 final at Hershey’s Giant Center and needed a jumper from sixth man Ross Conway with 30 seconds remaining to get past Ringgold, 59-56, in the PIAA first round. Conway had 21 points in the win. Kamwanga averages 11.6 points and Atkinson 11.2. Senior 6-foot-6 forward Trey Wells is a West Chester football commit. Lancaster Catholic last made the state quarterfinals in 2011.
Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.
Tags: Belle Vernon
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