High school roundup for March 8, 2021: 11th-seeded Ellwood City pulls off Class 3A upset

By: Tribune-Review
Monday, March 8, 2021 | 10:33 PM

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Joseph Roth scored 30 points, Alexander Roth added 21, and Ellwood City, the Cinderella of the WPIAL boys basketball playoffs, upset No. 3 Shady Side Academy, 81-73, in overtime Monday night.

No. 11 Ellwood City (12-4) is the only double-digit seed to advance to the boys semifinals. No. 14 Beaver Falls made the semifinals in Class 3A on the girls side.

Steve Antuono added 14 points for Ellwood City, which will try for another upset when it visits No. 2 Neshannock on Thursday. Thompson Lau led Shady Side Academy (14-3) with 25 points. Ethan Salvia had 15, Eli Teslovich 11 and Rian Fitzgerald 10.

Neshannock 40, Beaver Falls 33 – J.P. Mozzocio scored 12 points, Michael Sopko added 10, and No. 2 Neshannock (17-1) jumped out to a 21-6 halftime lead and held on in the Class 3A quarterfinals. Neshannock will meet No. 11 Ellwood City in Thursday’s semifinals. Isaiah Sharp scored 10 for No. 7 Beaver Falls (10-5), which closed to within two points in the second half.

Aliquippa 59, Laurel 50 – Deandre Moore scored 19 points and No. 4 Aliquippa (12-5) overcame a three-point halftime deficit to move into the Class 3A semifinals. Donovan Walker scored 11 points and Ty Crocker had 10 for the Quips, who will take on No. 1 South Allegheny on Thursday. Sam Haswell led No. 12 Laurel (12-11) with 36 points, including six 3-pointers.

Montour 57, Central Valley 47 – Isayah Mosley scored 20 points, Vason Stevenson added 14, and No. 3 Montour (14-7) pulled away in the second half in the Class 4A quarterfinals. Luke Persinger added 10 points for Montour, which will meet No. 2 Lincoln Park in the semifinals Thursday. Hayvin Thompson scored 14 points and Brandon Graham had 10 for No. 6 Central Valley (11-5).

Exhibition

Frazier 69, Ringgold 61 – Luke Santo scored 27 points, Owen Newcomer added 20, and Frazier (18-4) won an exhibition game. Colton Arison added 10 points. For Ringgold (5-12), Demetrius Butler scored 34 points to reach the 1,000 mark for his career. Nick Peccon added 19.

Girls basketball

Chartiers Valley 65, McKeeport 47 – Perri Page scored 20 points and Aislin Malcom added 17 as No. 2 Chartiers Valley pulled away in the second quarter. The Colts (20-3), who outscored the Tigers 20-8 in the second quarter, will meet No. 6 Latrobe in Thursday’s semifinals. Carmen Coles scored 16 points and Brooke Evans had 13 for No. 7 McKeesport (16-5).

Rochester 75, Avella 22 – Alexis Robison scored 29 points and Corynne Hauser added 22 as defending WPIAL champion Rochester (13-3) rolled past No. 8 Avella into the Class A semifinals. MeKenzie Robison had 11 points for the No. 1 Rams, who will meet No. 4 Aquinas Academy on Thursday.

Aquinas Academy 52, Clairton 37 – Elizabeth Russell scored 19 points and No. 4 Aquinas Academy (14-4) allowed only four points in the first half of a Class A quarterfinal victory. Isabella Hite added 11 points and Emilia Kartsonas had 10 for Aquinas, which will meet No. 1 Rochester in Thursday’s semifinals. Jerzee Sutton led No. 5 Clairton (11-4) with nine points.

West Greene 55, Bishop Canevin 36 – Jersey Wise scored 18 points and Elizabeth Brudnock added 15 to help No. 2 West Greene (16-2) to a Class A quarterfinal win. Anna Durbin added 12 for the Pioneers, who will meet No. 3 Eden Christian in Thursday’s semifinals. Ashley Lippold scored 10 points for No. 7 Bishop Canevin (7-7).

Eden Christian 48, Union 38 – Taylor Hering scored 18 points and Emilia Johnson added 17 for No. 3 Eden Christian (11-6) in the Class A quarterfinals. Eden Christian will meet No. 2 West Greene in Thursday’s semifinals. Elise Booker led No. 11 Union (10-11) with 11 points.