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Competition in Section 2-6A has girls basketball teams prepped for playoffs

By: HSSN Staff
Monday, February 19, 2018 | 7:42 PM

When the WPIAL basketball playoff pairings were released last week on an overhead projector in a crowded hotel ballroom in Green Tree, the eyes of girls Section 2-6A coaches immediately went to their teams' positions on the bracket.

Sure, the opponent mattered, but their concern was whether they gained a favorable spot in the tournament.

With no dominant teams in Section 2, which did not sort itself out until the final days of the regular season, there was some concern the WPIAL might look at the section with disdain.

After all, its team records are not showy, and it had more defensive struggles than high-scoring thrillers.

But coaches were pleasantly surprised to see three of their four qualifiers received top-seven seeds. Now, they want to prove their worth.

Section champion Norwin (11-9) is No. 4, Latrobe (16-6) is No. 6 and Hempfield (11-11) is No. 7.

Penn Hills (13-8), hindered by injuries most of the season, was seeded 12th after finishing fourth in Section 2.

“Section 2 was up for grabs from the start,” Norwin coach Brian Brozeski said. “The section was composed of teams that on any given night could beat anyone. No one was ever safely ahead of the pack. In all my years of coaching, Section 2 this year had the most parity, and teams were peaking and streaking at different times.”

Norwin won WPIAL titles in 2015 and '16 but didn't face the nightly tests like this year's group.

After a stunning, 38-37 loss to Penn-Trafford at the buzzer, the Knights regrouped to win five consecutive section games to take control of the section and clinch their 17th playoff trip in a row, the same number as Hempfield.

Norwin, which opens the playoffs against Pine-Richland at 8 p.m. Tuesday at Plum, played arguably the toughest schedule in the section and stayed close with 6A No. 1 seed and undefeated North Allegheny (61-52), and lost by a point against No. 2 Peters Township (56-55).

“We just focused on what we could control,” Brozeski said. “And that was playing our game and doing what we could to win that given matchup on that given day.”

Hempfield was the other hot team late, which worked in its favor with a steering committee that often operates with a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately mentality.

Hempfield upset state No. 9-ranked Altoona, then topped Latrobe and Penn Hills before having a five-game win streak halted by Norwin, 50-23.

The Spartans, who face Seneca Valley at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Fox Chapel, made the quarterfinals last year as a No. 8 seed and also were pulled into the PIAA playoffs when North Allegheny won the WPIAL title.

“I think the thing about our section was it was so competitive anyone could win or lose on any given night,” Hempfield coach Lindsy Muchnock said. “So we were battle tested every night, which will help prepare us for the competition we will see in the playoffs.”

Muchnock said the key for Hempfield late in the season was finding ways to close out games.

“That was something we struggled to do at the beginning of the year,” she said. “We have grown and matured as a team since the beginning of the season up to this point, and I think it will help us in the playoffs.”

Latrobe, which opens against No. 11 Shaler at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Plum, missed the playoffs last season but did a quick about-face and held first place in the section until the tail end of January.

The Wildcats beat Norwin, a feat they had not accomplished in 20 games.

But Norwin passed Latrobe and Hempfield down the stretch and ended up winning the section by two games, at 8-2.

Latrobe is the newest Section 2 member to get into the postseason, but the Wildcats hope they have the talent to be the most dangerous.

“We are excited to be back in the playoffs,” Latrobe coach Mark Burkhardt said. “This is a new challenge we are looking forward to.”

The Wildcats have not won a playoff game since 2006-07.

“It is hard to say that there is anything that separates Section 2 from the other sections as far as style of play,” Brozeski said. “Each team in the playoffs from any section has their own little twist to the style of play they use and each team executes their style effectively.”

Bill Beckner Jr. is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at bbeckner@tribweb.com or via Twitter @BillBeckner.

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