Westmoreland County basketball playoff preview capsules for Saturday’s games

By:
Thursday, February 15, 2018 | 6:15 PM


Saturday's games

Boys

WPIAL Class 6A

First round

No. 9 Latrobe (15-7) vs. No. 8 Butler (18-4)

1:30 p.m. at Fox Chapel

On the air: 1050-AM, <a href='http://1480-AM/TribHSSN.triblive.com1480-AM/TribHSSN.triblive.com<span class=”bold”>

Winner plays: No. 1 Mt. Lebanon (19-3) Feb. 24

Coaches: Brad Wetzel, Latrobe; Matt Clement, Butler

Players to watch: Reed Fenton, 6-4, Jr., G, Latrobe; Ethan Morton, 6-5, So., G, Butler

Layup lines: Butler knocked off then-No. 2 seeded Latrobe in the quarterfinals last season 70-64 at Penn Hills. The Golden Tornado reached the WPIAL title game and lost to Pine-Richland, 72-61. … This is just the second year for six classifications in the WPIAL. … Latrobe had a bye last year and sat for 11 days before its playoff opener. … Morton averages 24 points and is a dynamic all-around player on both ends of the floor. He has Division I offers from Ohio State, Iowa, Duquesne and others. … Fenton leads Latrobe at 22.5 ppg and junior guard Bryce Butler scores 21 a game. … Clement is a former starting pitcher with the Padres (1998-2000), Marlins (2001), Cubs (2002-04) and Red Sox (2005-06). … Latrobe averages 72.5 points, Butler 68.3.

Girls

WPIAL Class 4A

First round

No. 6 Belle Vernon (17-5) vs. No. 11 Knoch (11-11)

3 p.m. at Baldwin

On the air:<a href='http://680-AM/TribHSSN.triblive.com680-AM/TribHSSN.triblive.com<span class=”bold”>

Winner plays: No. 3 Beaver on Feb. 22

Coaches: Lisa Fairman, Belle Vernon; Chris Andreassi, Knoch

Players to watch: Keira Boff, 5-6, Sr., G, Belle Vernon; Casey Kretzer, 5-1, Sr., G, Knoch

Layup lines: Belle Vernon put together a late-season winning streak, stretching it to eight before losing to Section 3 champion Keystone Oaks. The guard-oriented Leopards have won nine of 10 heading into the postseason. … Belle Vernon did not make the playoffs last season. … The Leopards allow just 43.2 points. … Knoch finished third in Section 1 behind top-seeded Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic (19-3) and No. 7 Freeport (13-8). The Knights were 3-7 out of section. … Andreassi used to coach the Knoch boys team, but took over the girls in 2016, the program's third coach in six years.

— Bill Beckner Jr.

Tags: , , ,

More High School Basketball

WPIAL launches investigations into Baldwin, Imani Christian over ‘possible recruiting violations’
Westmoreland high school notebook: Puck drops for area’s PIHL teams
Penn Hills notebook: Basketball grad to play professionally in Ireland
New coach Gabby Baldasare excited to fill big shoes with North Allegheny girls basketball
Dana Petruska comes out of retirement to take over as girls basketball coach at Deer Lakes