A-K Valley high school basketball playoff preview capsules for March 9, 2024

By: Michael Love
Friday, March 8, 2024 | 3:29 PM

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PIAA basketball playoffs

Boys

Class 3A

First round

Bishop Guilfoyle (23-4) at Burrell (16-9)

1 p.m. Saturday

District seeds: Bishop Guilfoyle 6-3; Burrell 7-2

Winner plays: Winner of 10-1 Girard (23-2)/7-6 Derry (15-7) Wednesday in second round (time, site TBD)

Players to watch: Jude Haigh, Bishop Guilfoyle; Macky Bennis, Burrell

Layup lines: After a surprising loss to Westmont Hilltop in the District 6 semifinals, Bishop Guilfoyle rebounded to defeat Tyrone, 72-58, in the third-place game to earn a spot in the PIAA tournament field. Jude Haigh had 36 points, and Trevor Rehm added 15 points and 15 rebounds. The Marauders, who won the Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference, lost to two WPIAL teams in December: 73-64 to Butler and 42-39 to Gateway. Haigh was third-team all-state last season. The 6-foot-5 guard is averaging 19 points, 5 rebounds and 3.7 assists. … Burrell is coming off a 55-49 loss to Deer Lakes — their third loss to the Lancers this season — in the WPIAL championship game. Macky Bennis had 17 points for the Bucs, who were seeking their first WPIAL title. He averages nearly 20 ppg. Burrell allows just 47.0 ppg.

Mercyhurst Prep (17-8) at Deer Lakes (21-4)

1 p.m. Saturday

District seeds: Mercyhurst Prep 10-3; Deer Lakes 7-1

Winner plays: Winner of 6-2 Forest Hills (20-4)/4-3 Southern Columbia (18-7) Wednesday in second round (time, site TBD)

Players to watch: Maddox Brzuz, Mercyhurst Prep; Billy Schaeffer, Deer Lakes

Layup lines: Mercyhurst Prep has won 12 of its last 13 games. The Lakers lost to Franklin, 69-43, in the District 10 semifinals but rebounded to defeat Fairview, 55-39, in the third-place game. Against Fairview, Maddox Brzuz had 16 points, and Craig Buckner added 13 for Mercyhurst Prep. Derek Bly and JJ Ganska also have been key contributors during the playoffs. Mercyhurst Prep finished second in Region 4 of District 10 at 11-3. The Lakers are averaging 57.4 points while allowing 51.6 ppg. … Deer Lakes is riding high after winning a second straight WPIAL Class 3A title with a 55-49 win over Burrell. Senior guard Billy Schaeffer had 20 points, and sophomore guard Collin Rodgers added 12 points. The Lancers have won 14 of their past 16 games. They advanced to the PIAA championship game last season before losing to District 12’s West Catholic, 83-55. The Lancers beat Seneca, Loyalsock Township, Neshannock and Penn Cambria en route to the state finals.

Girls

Class 4A

First round

Highlands (18-7) at St. Marys (21-5)

4 p.m. Saturday

District seeds: Highlands 7-5; St. Marys 9-1

Winner plays: Winner of 7-2 Blackhawk (22-3)/10-3 Harbor Creek (14-10) Wednesday in quarterfinals (time, site TBD)

Players to watch: Kalleigh Nerone, Highlands; Maura Caskey, St. Marys

Layup lines: A Highlands rally fell short in a PIAA first-round loss to District 6 champion Penn Cambria last year. It was the Golden Rams’ first state playoff trip in program history. Highlands clinched back-to-back PIAA berths with a rout of section rival Greensburg Salem in a consolation semifinal Feb. 26 at home. The Golden Rams then topped Knoch on Feb. 29 in another section rematch to secure the fifth-place spot from the WPIAL. Seniors Kate Myers and Jocelyn Bielak tallied 11 and 10 points, respectively, in the win over the Knights. Highlands is averaging 49.6 points a game and giving up 35. … St. Marys returns to the PIAA playoffs after a one-year hiatus. The Flying Dutch beat Punxsutawney for the District 9 title after losing to the Chucks in the district championship game last year. St. Marys traveled to Knoch in 2022, and the Knights dealt the Flying Dutch a 30-point defeat. This year’s St. Marys team has won 13 of its last 15 games. The only losses were to District 9 Class A champ Elk County Catholic. Senior guard Jayssa Snelick, one of the Flying Dutch’s top players two years ago in the game with Knoch, led St. Marys with 20 points in the win over Punxsutawney. Caskey, a senior threat from 3-point range, added 11 points.

Knoch (15-11) at Fairview (19-5)

1 p.m. Saturday

District seeds: Knoch 7-6; Fairview 10-1

Winner plays: Winner of 6-1 Greater Johnstown (12-12)/7-4 Laurel Highlands (20-4) Wednesday in second round (time, site TBD)

Players to watch: Adah Fuller, Knoch; Ella Garrity, Fairview

Layup lines: Knoch will play in the PIAA Class 4A tournament for the third year in a row. The Knights took down the District 9 champion the past two years — St. Marys at home in 2022 and Punxsutawney last year — but also lost in the second round both times. Knoch clinched a spot in this year’s state playoffs with a 60-40 win over Central Valley in the consolation semifinals. The Knights then lost to section rival Highlands by three points in the fifth-place game. Fuller, a senior, led Knoch with 14 points against the Golden Rams, and junior Naturelle Ewing added 13. … Fairview defeated Warren, 28-26, in the District 10 title game last Saturday. Ella Garrity, the Tigers’ only senior, joined junior 6-foot-1 center Bre Heidt in leading the way with seven points apiece. Junior forward Riley Sholes and freshman Paige Garrity scored six points each in the win. Fairview also played in the PIAA playoffs last year as the District 10 champ. The Tigers beat Beaver in the first round and District 6 champ Penn Cambria in overtime in the second round before losing to Blackhawk by six in the quarterfinals. Fairview has won seven games in a row.

Class A

First round

Riverview (16-8) at Bishop Guilfoyle (24-3)

3 p.m. Saturday

District seeds: Riverview 7-4; Bishop Guilfoyle 6-1

Winner plays: Winner of 10-1 Jamestown (7-15)/9-3 DuBois Central Catholic (14-11) Wednesday in second round (time, site TBD)

Players to watch: Katerina Tsambis, Riverview; Morgan Ruggery, Bishop Guilfoyle

Layup lines: Riverview and Bishop Guilfoyle will meet in the PIAA girls basketball playoffs for the fourth time. The Marauders won the previous three: 1980, 1999 and, most recently in 2015, 50-28. The schools also met during the PIAA Class A girls soccer playoffs with the Raiders earning a 4-1 win in a semifinal matchup. … Riverview earned a trip to the state playoffs for the 10th time with a WPIAL quarterfinal win over Monessen. The Raiders are 1-8 all-time in the PIAA tournament. The last win came against District 9’s Ridgeway in 1979. Tsambis, junior Lily Bauer and senior Lola Abraham have been key players for Riverview in the playoffs. Tsambis and Bauer scored 10 points each in a 45-37 loss to Aquinas in the WPIAL third-place game. … Bishop Guilfoyle rallied to defeat Williamsburg in the District 6 championship game. The Marauders lost to Williamsburg in last year’s district final. BG’s lone losses this season came to District 6 Class 5A champ Hollidaysburg, District 6 Class 2A third-place Bishop McCort and District 6 Class 3A champion Forest Hills. The Marauders defeated WPIAL Class 4A champ North Catholic by six Dec. 28 at the North Allegheny Holiday Bash. BG made it into last year’s PIAA second round before losing to District 9 champion Otto Eldred. Ruggery, just a freshman, scored a team-best 20 in the district title win over Williamsburg. Maurie Querry, a 3-point threat, added 14 against Williamsburg.

St. Joseph Catholic Academy (25-2) at St. Joseph (21-4)

1 p.m. Saturday

District seeds: St. Joseph Catholic Academy 6-3; St. Joseph 7-2

Winner plays: Winner of 5-1 Berlin Brothersvalley (21-5)/9-4 Clarion (14-12) Wednesday in second round (time, site TBD)

Players to watch: Julie Spinelli, St. Joseph; Naomi Crispin, St. Joseph Catholic Academy

Layup lines: The WPIAL runner-up St. Joseph Spartans hope to bounce back from a heartbreaking overtime loss to Union in the WPIAL title game. Spinelli tallied a team-best 19 points in against the Scotties. She is averaging 25 points per game in the postseason. Senior 6-foot-3 center Anna Kreinbrook pulled down 13 rebounds against Union. The Spartans are in the state playoffs for the third consecutive season. They lost to District 6’s Williamsburg in last year’s first round and to District 5’s Shanksville-Stonycreek in the 2022 first round. St. Joseph has won 41 games the past two seasons. … St. Joseph Catholic Academy, from Boalsburg in Centre County, has pulled off a dramatic turnaround from an 0-17 record in the program’s first season last year. The team earned its 25th victory of this season with a 23-point win over Bishop Carroll in the District 6 third-place game. Both of the Wolfpack’s losses came to District 6 runner-up Williamsburg. Crispin, a sophomore point guard, is the daughter of former Penn State men’s standout and current Nittany Lions assistant Joe Crispin. She is in her first season with the team. Sophomore 6-0 forward Aubrey Yartz led the Wolfpack with 24 points against Bishop Carroll.

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: Burrell, Deer Lakes, Highlands, Knoch, Riverview, St. Joseph