Basketball
PIAA Basketball Championship Recaps
March 23, 2017
While 6 WPIAL teams played for titles, there were other championships handed out this weekend in Hershey. Here are recaps of all of those games.
WPIAL Alum Q&A – Jimmy Leichliter
March 21, 2017
Averaging double figures in scoring for a college basketball season is quite an accomplishment, but averaging double figures in each of the first three seasons of a player's collegiate career is even more impressive. Former Connellsville star Jimmy Leichliter has achieved that feat at Geneva College, as he's become one of the top performers in his conference. Leichliter is the featured athlete for this weeks' installment of the WPIAL Alum Q&A. In high school, Leichliter was a two-year starter for the Falcons, although his team did not taste the postseason in either of those campaigns. In 2012-13, Connellsville compiled a mark of just 7-15. In Leichliter's senior campaign, the team improved to 11-10, as he netted approximately 18 points per game.
Coaches Corner – Molly Rottman
In this feature titled “Coach’s Corner”, I will be interviewing a different coach every week and asking them questions about their personal life and about coaching. Hopefully their answers will not only shed some light on how they coach their respective teams, but also allow readers to get to know the men behind the fields/courts. This week features Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic’s girls basketball head coach Molly Rottmann. Coach Rottmann is in her 19th year as the head coach of the Trojanettes, with over 380 wins, 5 WPIAL titles, and one PIAA crown. She is a graduate of CWNC, and played under WPIAL legend Don Barth. Let’s take a look inside Coach Rottmann’s corner: Personal:PIAA Basketball Semifinals Preview
There are 12 final fours in Pennsylvania high school basketball this year – and 12 WPIAL teams are involved. This is the first year of six classifications in basketball and the PIAA semifinals for all boys and girls teams are Monday and Tuesday around the state. The championships are Thursday through Saturday in Hershey. Seven boys teams and four girls teams from the WPIAL are still alive. Bishop Canevin has both its boys and girls teams alive. Besides Bishop Canevin, the WPIAL boys teams still left standing are Pine-Richland, Quaker Valley, Lincoln Park, Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic, Sewickley Academy and Monessen. The WPIAL girls teams in the semifinals are Bishop Canevin, North Allegheny, South Fayette, Trinity and Bishop Canevin.This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 03/19/2017
March 19, 2017
The high school basketball and high school hockey seasons come to a golden end this week on the MSA Sports Network. Our winter sports postseason coverage concludes with the PIAA state basketball Semifinals and Championship Games as well as PIHL Penguins Cup Championships and the Pennsylvania Cup state hockey title games with all seven hockey Finals on video stream as well, plus we have final editions of the season of The WPIAL Roundball Report and The PIHL Power Play Show ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, March 20th: TALK SHOW - Carlow Sports Talk at 8:30pm on MSAsports.net
WPIAL Alum Q&A – Mariah Wells
March 13, 2017
Just more than one week ago, the Chartiers Valley girls basketball team claimed the WPIAL Championship in the 5A classification. Four years prior, the Colts also made an appearance in the title game, but came up just short. Among the standouts on that team in 2012-13 was Mariah Wells, who just completed a successful career on the hardwood at Seton Hill University. She is this week's feature for the WPIAL Alum Q&A.This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 03/13/2017
The high school hockey playoffs move into the Final Four round while the state basketball postseason hits the Second Round and the Quarterfinals all this week on the MSA Sports Network. Our winter sports postseason coverage continues with PIAA basketball Second Round and Quarterfinals boys and girls basketball games and PIHL Penguins Cup Playoffs Semifinals action, plus we have The WPIAL Roundball Report, The PIHL Power Play Show and final edition this season of Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, March 13th: TALK SHOW - Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle at 7:00pm on MSAsports.netScholastic Notebook – 03/12/2017
March 12, 2017
New Castle was a good 3-point shooting team in the regular season. But the Red Hurricanes’ marksmanship has even improved in the postseason, and is it any wonder New Castle hasn’t lost a playoff game? New Castle won the WPIAL Class 4A championship and romped past Sharon in the first round of the PIAA playoffs. New Castle has averaged nine made 3-pointers a game in four postseason games and coach Ralph Blundo’s team is shooting 43 percent behind the arc in playoff games. That is excellent for any team, let alone a high school team. New Castle made 11, 9 and 10 3-pointers in three WPIAL playoff games, and then made 7 of 22 against Sharon in the first round of the playoffs.
WPIAL Alum Q&A – Geno Thorpe
March 6, 2017
Thorpe has been a prominent name in WPIAL athletics for quite some time, and Geno Thorpe has carried on the tradition by producing an impressive basketball resume. Thorpe, who excelled at both Shady Side Academy and Shaler, is now a top performer at the University of South Florida. As a high-school freshman in 2009-10, Geno played in a star-studded lineup at Shady Side Academy. Along with future Division I athletes Michael Young and Reggie Mitchell, Thorpe helped guide the Indians to a 19-5 mark, including playoff victories against Bishop Canevin and Jeannette. The team fell in the Class AA semifinals, however, and was also defeated in the PIAA second round.
WPIAL Coaches Corner – Joe Salvino
In this feature titled “Coach’s Corner”, I will be interviewing a different coach every week and asking them questions about their personal life and about coaching. Hopefully their answers will not only shed some light on how they coach their respective teams, but also allow readers to get to know the men behind the fields/courts. This week highlights Monessen boys basketball coach Joe Salvino. Coach Salvino, a graduate of Monessen, is in his 33rd year coaching the Greyhounds. He has 622 wins and just won his 6th WPIAL title this season. He also has guided the Greyhounds to 2 PIAA crowns. In the past 6 years alone, he has led his squad to 4 WPIAL championship games. Let’s take a look inside Coach Salvino’s corner:Scholastic Notebook – 03/06/2017
It doesn’t take an analytics whiz to figure out that 3-point shooting has become a big part of high school basketball. But if one can deduce anything from the WPIAL championships over the past three days, it is this: While accuracy from 3-point range might be nice, the biggest factor in winning a championship is to hit the boards. Look at the statistics from the 12 boys and girls championships (six in each classification) Thursday through Saturday and rebounding was by far the biggest key and not shooting. Here is what the statistics showed:This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 03/06/2017
We move from the district championships to the start of the state playoffs in basketball and the state championships in wrestling as well as the drop of the puck on the high school hockey postseason all this week on the MSA Sports Network. Our postseason coverage continues with PIAA First Round boys and girls basketball games, the PIAA 3-A and 2-A Individual Wrestling championships and First Round and Quarterfinals action of the PIHL Penguins Cup high school hockey playoffs, plus we have The WPIAL Roundball Report, The PIHL Power Play Show and Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, March 6th:2017 WPIAL GIRLS BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS Results
March 5, 2017
While there were no repeat district winners in girls basketball, 2017 did mark the end of the second longest title run in WPIAL history as Vincentian Academy fell in the finals ending their five year championship winning streak. Three teams picked up first ever WPIAL girls basketball crowns with Chartiers Valley in 5-A, Chartiers-Houston in 2-A and Winchester Thurston in 1-A and while it was the schools second title, it was 45 years since their last girls golden basketball for North Allegheny in 6-A. Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic in 4-A captured a 17th WPIAL girls roundball title while Bishop Canevin in 3-A won it all for the second time in three years and third time in six seasons.2017 WPIAL BOYS BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS Results
For the first time ever, SIX boys basketball teams have been crowned district champions. Two of them, Pine-Richland and Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic were repeat winner from a year ago. Three teams, Pine-Richland in 6-A, New Castle in 4-A and Monessen in 1-A went the distance from top-seed to gold medal winner, while Moon in 5-A as a #2-seed, Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic in 3-A as a #3-seed and Sewickley Academy as a #3-seed won it all from the bottom of the bracket. Here are ALL the results from the 2017 WPIAL Boys Basketball Playoffs. You can go back and listen to EVERY district playoff game anytime you want here on the MSA Sports Network.
Pine-Richland Beats Butler for 3rd Time, Repeats as WPIAL Champs
March 4, 2017
For the second time in as many years, the Pine Richland Rams boys took gold in the WPIAL’s highest classification. The Rams used a late 11-2 run in the 4th quarter to pull away from the Butler Golden Tornado and win the 6-A Championship, 72-61. It was the third time in as many tries that Pine Richland defeated their Section 1 foe. The Rams had to defeat North Hills a third time in the 6-A semifinals to even make it to the championship game.
Char Valley Avenges Loss, Beats Oak Cath for WPIAL 5-A Girls Crown
Ever since losing to Oakland Catholic in a non-section game back on January 21st, Chartiers Valley has had one word on their mind. Redemption. Six weeks and 11 straight victories later, and the Lady Colts have completed that redemption. A stifling defense that limited Oakland Catholic to ten second-half points, coupled with clutch shooting from beyond the arc and at the free throw line, allowed Chartiers Valley to pull away late with a 52-36 victory in the WPIAL 5A Championship Game.
New Castle Wins Rubber Game Over Quaker Valley and WPIAL 4-A Title
New Castle and Quaker Valley battled for 4A supremacy all season long, splitting their two matchups in Section 2 play in the regular campaign. With the WPIAL 4A Championship on the line at the Petersen Events Center on Saturday, the Red Hurricane used a dominant second half to prevail, 73-58. With the victory, New Castle claimed its 11th boys WPIAL title, and fourth since 2012. The top-seeded Red Hurricane held a three-point edge at the intermission, but outscored the No. 2 Quakers 20-11 in the third frame to extend their lead to double digits. The Hurricanes fended off a fourth-quarter surge by the Quakers to close out the win in convincing fashion.
Bishop Canevin Lances Neshannock in Girls 3-A Finals
For the second time in three years, Bishop Canevin claimed girls basketball championship gold at the Peterson Event Center, this time with a blow out win over #3 seed Neshannock in the Class-3A title game. The top seeded Crusaders scored the first 9 points of the game, before the Lancers finally got their first basket of the game with 3:51 left in the opening quarter. Shamyjha Price scored 10 points for Bishop Canevin in the 1st quarter, and Sarah Green knocked down two three-pointers to pace the Crusaders to a 21-7 lead after the eight minutes.
Moon Beats Hampton for First WPIAL Boys Crown Since 2006
March 3, 2017
The Moon Tigers and the Hampton Talbots met twice during the regular season in Class (5A) Section 2, with the Tigers winning both regular season conference games. The stakes for the third meeting were much higher, with the WPIAL Championship on the line at the Petersen Event Center, but the results were the same, as Moon defeated Hampton 69-62 to capture the school’s 4th title.
Sewickley Academy Sweeps Past OLSH for Boys 2-A Crown
Sewickley Academy coach Win Palmer admitted his team was a bit nervous in the 2016 WPIAL championship game and ended up losing to North Catholic. Turn the calendar ahead one year and the nerves seemed to disappear, as did that losing feeling at the Petersen Events Center as the Panthers defeated Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in the Class 2A title game 71-60. The championship is the fourth in school history and being able to carry on that legacy was not lost on the Panthers' players. "It's a great feeling," said Chris Groetsch, senior guard, adding that the seniors took some ribbing from the coach's son Tyler, who was an assistant coach last season and a member of a past championship team. "Tyler always rubbed it in. He can't hold that over us anymore."
