Westmoreland PIAA basketball playoff capsules: Games for March 11, 2023

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Friday, March 10, 2023 | 5:13 PM

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PIAA basketball playoffs

Girls

Class 5A

First round

Penn-Trafford (17-9) at Greencastle-Antrim (23-2)

4 p.m. Saturday, Greencastle-Antrim HS, Greencastle

District finish: Penn-Trafford 7-7; Greencastle-Antrim 3-1

Winner plays: Winner of McKeesport (21-5)/Northern (21-4) Wednesday in second round (time, site TBD)

Players to watch: Olivia Pepple, Penn-Trafford; Rylee Henson, Greencastle-Antrim

Layup lines: Penn-Trafford rallied after a loss to eventual champion South Fayette in the WPIAL quarterfinals to win two consolation-round matchups and finish seventh in the WPIAL. The Warriors held off Hampton, 49-44, in the seventh-place game to clinch their first state playoff berth since 2013-14. Pepple had 11 of her 17 points in the fourth quarter, and Lauren Marton scored 15. … Greencastle-Antrim, a school located just north of the Maryland border, won the District 5 title with a 44-30 victory over York Suburban. The 5-foot-8 Henson had 12 points and made three 3-pointers. She had 16 points and six rebounds in a quarterfinal win over Susquehannock. Haley Noblit, also a talented soccer player, is another long-range threat. She had a game-high 19 points against York Suburban.

Class A

First round

Monessen (17-6) at Otto-Eldred (23-2)

3 p.m. Saturday, Otto-Eldred High School, Duke Center

District finish: Monessen 7-5; Otto-Eldred 9-1

Winner plays: Winner of Bishop Guilfoyle (14-11)/Bishop Canevin (12-8) Wednesday in second round (time, site TBD)

Players to watch: Hailey Johnson, Monessen; Katie Sheeler, Otto-Eldred

Layup lines: Monessen, back in the state playoffs after a first-round loss last season to Elk County Catholic, played three straight home games in the playoffs but now has a near four-hour trip north for its state opener. The Greyhounds beat West Greene, 46-43, then Avella, 48-37, to secure fifth place in the WPIAL. Johnson had 12 points, and Madison Johnson added 11 in the win over Avella. The team is down to seven players, so depth has become an issue. … Otto-Eldred won the District 9 championship with a 45-40 victory over Elk County at Clarion. Sheerer had 15 points, and Brooke Close added 10 for the Terrors, who made 8 of 9 free throws in the fourth. Otto-Eldred made the PIAA quarterfinals last year but fell to Kennedy Catholic, 77-30. They beat Bishop Canevin in the second round.

Boys

Class 3A

First round

Yough (17-9) at Penn Cambria (21-5)

5 p.m. Saturday at Mt. Aloysius College, Cresson

District finish: Yough 7-7; Penn Cambria 6-1

Winner plays: Winner of Bedford (10-14)/Steel Valley (15-10) Wednesday in second round (time, site TBD)

Players to watch: Austin Matthews, Yough; Garrett Harrold, Penn Cambria

Layup lines: Yough has played some of its best basketball late in the season. It won its first section title and playoff game for the first time in 18 years, reaching the WPIAL quarterfinals before falling to Neshannock, 53-49. A 53-51 loss to Shady Side Academy followed, but then the Cougars rallied past Mohawk, 70-67, to secure seventh place and a state berth. Yough has not been to the state tournament since 2005 when it reached the second round. Terek Crosby (21 ppg), who is nearing 1,300 career points, and Matthews (15 ppg) are a solid tandem, but Tyler Travillion, Brandon Converso, Parker Rost and Zander Aird are effective in their roles. Yough has two losses since Jan. 10. … Penn Cambria pulled an upset to win the District 6 title, 56-55, over top-seeded Bishop Guilfoyle. Harrold made a floater with three seconds remaining to lift the Panthers, the 4A champion last year. Bishop Guilfoyle beat the Panthers by 33 earlier in the season. The Panthers used a triangle-and-two defense to hold Guilfoyle standout brothers Patrick and Jude Haigh in check. Harrold, who plays quarterback for Penn Cambria, had a game-high 19 points. He averages 18.2 points and 10.3 rebounds, and Vinny Chirdon averages 13.1 points.

Class 2A

Greensburg Central Catholic (18-6) at Otto-Eldred (23-2)

4:30 p.m. Saturday, Otto-Eldred, Duke Center

District finish: Greensburg Central Catholic 7-3; Otto-Eldred 9-2

Winner plays: Winner of United (25-2)/Serra Catholic (15-11) Wednesday in second round (time, site TBD)

Players to watch: Samir Crosby, Greensburg Central Catholic; Shene Thomas, Otto-Eldred

Layup lines: Greensburg Central Catholic will make its second straight trip to the state tournament after reaching the second round last year. The Centurions came in third in the WPIAL after a third straight trip to the semifinals, where they fell to eventual champion Aliquippa, 61-36. They rebounded to defeat Bishop Canevin in the third-place game 60-51 as Franco Alvarez scored 26 points and Tyree Turner added 20. Turner averages 20 and Alvarez 19. Last year, GCC edged Conemaugh Township, 62-60, before falling to Ridgway, 59-53. Coach Christian Hyland is 69-22 in four seasons leading the team. … Otto-Eldred advanced to the District 9 championship for the first time since 1997 but fell to Clarion-Limestone, 68-54. Thomas had 22 points, Landon Francis added 14 and Manning Splain chipped in 11. The Terrors beat Ridgway, the defending champion, 41-35 in the semifinals. Thomas and Brax Caldwell combined for 24 points in the win. Defensively, Otto-Eldred allows 38.2 points a game.

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

Tags: Greensburg C.C., Monessen, Penn-Trafford, Yough