A-K Valley basketball playoff capsules: Games for Friday, March 5, 2021

By: Michael Love
Thursday, March 4, 2021 | 5:36 PM

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Here’s a look at Friday’s WPIAL basketball playoff games involving A-K Valley teams:

Boys

Quarterfinals

Class 6A

7-North Allegheny (16-6) at 2-Fox Chapel (19-2)

6 p.m. Friday

Coaches: Dan DeRose, North Allegheny; Zach Skrinjar, Fox Chapel

Winner plays: Winner of 6-Pine Richland (12-5) at 3-Hempfield (12-5), 6 p.m. Tuesday

About North Allegheny: The Tigers have won four of their last five games, the only loss a controversial one against Butler. With a record of 8-4, the Tigers won Section 1-6A but received the No. 7 seed. The Tigers are averaging 70.4 points, which is the third highest in 6A.

About Fox Chapel: The Foxes have won 17 straight games since losing back-to-back games Jan. 9 and 12. Junior Jake DeMotte scored a career-high 28 points in Fox Chapel’s first-round win over Bethel Park. The Foxes are averaging 66.5 points.

Class A

6-Leechburg (8-4) vs. 3-Eden Christian Academy (11-1)

8 p.m. Friday at Sewickley Academy

Coaches: Damian Davies, Leechburg; Todd Aiken, Eden Christian Academy

Winner plays: Winner of 10-Western Beaver (11-4) at 2-Rochester (12-4), 6 p.m. Tuesday

About Leechburg: The Blue Devils are averaging 72.5 points, which is the second-highest average in Class A. Leechburg lost to Eden Christian twice this season by a combined 21 points. They scored 84 points in their first-round victory over Mapletown, which is their second-highest total this season.

About Eden Christian Academy: Eden hasn’t lost since Jan. 16 when it fell to Laurel, 58-49. Eden Christian has won eight straight games and took down Propel Montour in the first round 62-26. It is averaging 59.5 points.

8-St. Joseph (9-11) at 1-Bishop Canevin (13-5)

6 p.m. Friday

Coaches: Hart Coleman, St. Joseph; Gino Palmosina, Bishop Canevin

Winner plays: Winner of 5-Union (9-4) vs. 4-Imani Christian Academy (11-2), 6 p.m. Tuesday

About St. Joseph: Senior Andrew Sullivan became St. Joseph’s all-time leading scorer against Bethel Park. Sullivan is scoring 22.5 points per game. The Spartans advanced to the quarterfinals when Avella was forced to pull out of the playoffs because of covid.

About Bishop Canevin: The Crusaders lost their final two games of the regular season to Class 6A teams Mt. Lebanon, 55-52, and Fox Chapel, 79-71. They had won 10 straight games before those losses. They are averaging 73.7 points, which is the third highest in the WPIAL.

Girls

Quarterfinals

Class 4A

5-Blackhawk (13-5) at 4-Knoch (9-1)

6 p.m. Friday

Coaches: Steve Lodovico, Blackhawk; Chris Andreassi, Knoch

Winner plays: Winner of 8-Elizabeth Forward (8-5) at 1-Beaver (17-0), 6 p.m. Tuesday

About Blackhawk: Blackhawk punched its ticket to the quarterfinals with a 61-19 victory over No. 12 Highlands on Monday behind 15 points from Alena Fusetti, 14 from Jolie Strati and 12 more for Alivia Thompson. Blackhawk is hoping for a fifth straight trip to the WPIAL semifinals. The Cougars raised their Class 4A-leading points-per-game total to 62.4 with Tuesday’s win.

About Knoch: Knoch had no trouble with No. 13 Hopewell on Tuesday as it scored a 69-33 victory behind 17 points from Hattie McGraw, 16 from Madilyn Boyer and 15 from Nevaeh Ewing. The Knights hope to advance past the quarterfinals, the point last year where they were eliminated by Central Valley. Knoch will face Blackhawk for the first time since 2004 when the teams met in the consolation game of the Butler holiday tournament. The Knights are hoping for a better outcome, as the Cougars won that game 65-43.

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Bishop Canevin, Blackhawk, Eden Christian, Fox Chapel, Knoch, Leechburg, North Allegheny, St. Joseph