Westmoreland WPIAL basketball playoff capsules: Games for Feb. 28, 2023

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Monday, February 27, 2023 | 3:42 PM

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WPIAL basketball playoffs

Boys

Class A

Semifinals

4-Greensburg Central Catholic (17-5) vs. 1-Aliquippa (17-6)

6 p.m. Tuesday, West Allegheny High School, Imperial

Winner plays: Winner of 6-Northgate (18-6)/2-Bishop Canevin (20-4) in championship 1 p.m. Saturday at Petersen Events Center, University of Pittsburgh

Coaches: Christian Hyland, Greensburg Central Catholic; Nick Lackovich, Aliquippa

Players to watch: Tyree Turner, Greensburg Central Catholic; DJ Walker, Aliquippa

Layup lines: Greensburg Central Catholic stormed into the semifinals for the third straight year with a 73-54 victory over No. 5 Eden Christian as junior forward Franco Alvarez scored a career-high 33 points and junior guard Turner had his second triple-double of the season with 18 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. Turner had 22 and Alvarez 21 in the first round. GCC has won 10 straight games and is averaging 70 points during that stretch. The Centurions were eliminated in the playoffs the last two years by Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, which had a record-setting run in recent years. OLSH moved to Class 3A this year. GCC lost to the Chargers in the finals two years ago at Peters Township. GCC lost to Aliquippa in the 2016 2A semifinals 71-62 at North Allegheny, and in the 2015 semis 85-61 at Canon-McMillan. The Centurions beat the Quips, however, in the 2014 semis 60-51 at Baldwin to advance to the championship at Duquesne’s Palumbo Center. That team featured current coach Hyland at point guard. … Aliquippa reached the 3A semifinals last year and lost to Shady Side Academy, 56-51, before making a run to the PIAA championship where the Quips fell to Devon Prep, 76-58. The Quips took care of Shenango in the quarterfinals 63-37 as Walker scored 16 and Cameron Lindsey added 14. Aliquippa cruised to a Section 1 title, relying on pressure defense. It has won 9 of 10 with its loss to 4A power Lincoln Park (66-54). The Quips also lost to 6A No. 1 New Castle, 55-50, and 5A Chartiers Valley, 52-49. Their other setbacks are to non-WPIAL teams Farrell (56-51), New Town, Md. (59-41), and Harrisburg (65-43). Cam Lindsey is another talented athlete.

Girls

Class 2A

Consolation round

Fifth-place game

Greensburg Central Catholic (20-5) at Serra Catholic (18-3)

7 p.m. Tuesday, Serra Catholic High School, McKeesport

Winner: Advances to PIAA playoffs as fifth seed in WPIAL.

Players to watch: Erica Gribble, Greensburg Central Catholic; Cate Clark, Serra Catholic

Layup lines: With a 68-42 win over Brentwood in the first round of the play-in bracket, Greensburg Central Catholic moved on to play for fifth in the classification. Gribble led the way with 19 points. Mya Morgan had 17, Cara Dupilka 12 and Avery Davis 11. It’s been five years since the Centurions have played in the state tournament. …. Serra Catholic, which shared a section title with GCC, split two games with the Centurions, winning 47-43 at GCC, and falling 40-35 at home. The Eagles, who have only seven players, rolled past Chartiers-Houston, 50-24, in the first consolation-round game.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Aliquippa, Greensburg C.C., Serra Catholic