Westmoreland County girls basketball notebook: Latrobe takes playoff plunge

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Wednesday, February 14, 2024 | 11:01 AM

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Latrobe hopes to make a splash in the WPIAL Class 5A girls basketball playoffs, right after the team dries off.

First-year coach Mackenzie Livingston told her girls if they defeated Penn-Trafford last Thursday to clinch a playoff berth, she would jump into the school’s swimming pool, located near the gym.

When the final horn sounded and Latrobe was the proud owner of a 58-39 victory, Livingston and the girls made their way to the pool deck and took the playoff plunge.

“It was kind of cold but no regrets,” Livingston said. “I keep my word. … It was a great memory.”

Latrobe (11-11), the No. 12 seed in the 17-team bracket, plays at No. 5 Armstrong (17-4) at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the first round.

Revenge tour?

Monessen was plugging along on an eight-game win streak when it was doubled up by Riverview, 50-25, in a nonsection game in early February.

The loss never sat quite right with veteran coach Janine Vertacnik, but a rematch could be on the horizon.

If fifth-seeded Monessen (17-5) can get past No. 12 Leechburg (8-10) on Monday in the WPIAL Class A first round, it would face No. 4 Riverview (15-6) in the quarterfinals Thursday at Fox Chapel.

Riverview has an opening bye.

“I knew the loss at Riverview hurt us from being a 4 seed,” Vertacnik said. “Hopefully, we can move on and get a little revenge for the Riverview game. It definitely wasn’t our best game. I think we’re capable of bouncing back from that loss and can get some momentum and take a shot at the No. 1 team, Union.”

Vertacnik pointed out that all of the parochial schools are on the opposite side of the bracket.

Dupilka hurt

Greensburg Central Catholic senior Cara Dupilka was in a walking boot last week after the Centurions secured their third straight section title with a 12-0 record.

A starter at shooting guard, Dupilka has not been ruled out of the playoffs for Class 2A top-seeded GCC.

Coach Chris Skatell said the team is awaiting medical word to determine if she can play, and she is day-to-day for now.

Jones out

Jeannette could end the season with the same number of players it started with: five.

Junior forward Mary Jones broke her finger late in the regular season and is expected to miss the playoffs.

Jeannette had to finish a game early in the season with only three players and later ended with four.

Jones has been with the team all season.

Norwin ranked

Norwin moved into the TribLive HSSN state rankings in 6A for the first time.

The Lady Knights (18-3), seeded No. 1 in the WPIAL and off until Thursday’s quarterfinal opener against Seneca Valley (12-10), are No. 5 behind Upper Dublin (21-1), Cardinal O’Hara (19-3), Perkiomen Valley (21-1) and Dallastown (20-2).

State playoffs

The WPIAL playoffs are just getting started, but it’s never too early to look at the PIAA brackets.

The WPIAL will send the following number of teams to the state tournaments this season after they play for positioning in the consolation brackets: four in Class 6A, seven in 5A, six in 4A, seven in 3A, eight in 2A and five in A.

Teams that lose in the WPIAL quarterfinals and semifinals will play back in the consolation rounds.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Greensburg C.C., Jeannette, Latrobe, Monessen