Westmoreland County PIAA basketball playoff capsules for March 8, 2025

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Friday, March 7, 2025 | 11:01 AM

Purchase Photo Options

Boys

Class 2A

First round

Mercyhurst Prep (19-7) at Jeannette (23-2)

1 p.m. Saturday

District seeds: Jeannette 7-1; Mercyhurst Prep 10-3

Winner plays: Winner of 9-3 Clarion Limestone (16-10)/6-2 Northern Cambria (14-12) on Wednesday in second round

Players to watch: Tanner Ashton, Mercyhurst Prep; Kymon’e Brown, Jeannette

Layup lines: Mercyhurst Prep defeated Eisenhower, 69-58, scoring 28 points in the third quarter, to take third in District 5. Ashton made five 3-pointers and scored 29 points, and Alex Manendo added 20, including four 3s. The Lakers average 68.1 points. Ashton, a senior point guard, averages 19.4 points, and Manendo produces 11.9 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists. Mercyhurst Prep went 9-0 at home, 6-4 on the road and 3-3 at neutral sites. … Jeannette won its first WPIAL title in 17 years with a 63-39 win over Union last Friday at Pitt. Jayce Powell had 14 points and Xavier-Odorisio-Farrow had 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Jayhawks, who have relied on pressure defense during this playoff run. The Jayhawks made the PIAA quarterfinals last year and fell to Fort Cherry. A 48-46 win over Greensburg Central Catholic in the second round was a growing-up moment for the current rotation. Jeannette also made the quarterfinals in 2018.

Greensburg Central Catholic (23-3) at McConnellsburg (25-1)

1 p.m. Saturday

District seeds: Greensburg Central Catholic 7-5; McConnellsburg 5-1

Winner plays: Winner of 7-4 Neshannock (21-4)/ 10-2 Rocky Grove (21-4) on Wednesday in second round

Players to watch: Brady O’Rourke, Greensburg Central Catholic; Brayden Ramsey, McConnellsburg

Layup lines: Greensburg Central Catholic fell to Union in the WPIAL quarterfinals but played back to get fifth place by convincingly winning consolation-round games against Northgate (76-47) and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (57-40). GCC made the PIAA second round last year but was upset by Jeannette, 48-46. The WPIAL champion Jayhawks have two losses, and both are to GCC. … McConnellsburg ran through District 5 with a fast-paced team that averages 64 points. The Spartans’ only loss is to a team from Maryland. They have won 24 straight games. The 6-foot-4 Ramsey averages 18 points, and Hoyt Glenn (15) and Dominic Jefferson (11) also score in double figures.

Girls

Class 5A

First round

Penn-Trafford (25-1) at Middletown (22-3)

1 p.m. Saturday

District seeds: Penn-Trafford 7-5; Middletown 3-2

Winner plays: Winner of 7-6 Baldwin (16-10)/10-1 Cathedral Prep (16-7) on Wednesday in second round

Players to watch: Torrie DeStefano, Penn-Trafford; Emma Cleland, Middletown

Layup lines: Penn-Trafford rebounded from a tough loss to Thomas Jefferson in the WPIAL quarterfinals to win twice at home in the consolation bracket. The Warriors defeated Indiana, 42-26, and Baldwin, 70-69, in overtime. In the latter win, Hannah Weishaar had a career-high 22 points, Kamryn Pieper added 18 points and 10 rebounds and Lauren Marton had 10 points and 10 rebounds. Penn-Trafford made the state playoffs in 2023 and beat Greencastle-Antrim, 40-39, in the first round before falling to McKeesport, 63-25, in the second round. … Middletown reached the District 3 finals at Hershey’s Giant Center but fell to York Suburban, 42-28. Cleland scored 20 points, but the rest of the team managed eight. The Blue Raiders finished 12-0 at home and were 8-2 on the road with a 1-2 mark at neutral sites. They average 52.6 points.

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, Penn-Trafford