What to watch for in WPIAL sports on Feb. 22, 2023: Quarterfinal action ready to tip off

By: Don Rebel
Tuesday, February 21, 2023 | 6:43 PM

Welcome to the WPIAL basketball elite eight.

Over the next three nights, the district will hold quarterfinals in all six classifications for boys and girls basketball to determine the final four in each class.

On opening night of the quarters, Boys 5A and A along with girls 3A and 2A take center stage with second-round action.

Last year, Fox Chapel faced North Hills in the WPIAL 6A championship game. The Foxes stunned the favored Indians, 43-36.

Both schools dropped to 5A in realignment during the offseason.

Now they collide in the postseason again, this time in a 5A quarterfinal at 8 p.m. at North Allegheny.

North Hills (18-5) won the Section 4-5A crown while Fox Chapel (14-9) finished third behind Penn Hills and Shaler in Section 2-5A.

The No. 3-seeded Indians had a first-round scare but put away Kiski Area, 76-71, while the No. 11-seeded Foxes won on the road in the opening round, beating Thomas Jefferson, 62-45.

The other three 5A quarterfinals games are:

• Top-seed Peters Township (20-3) faces No. 8 South Fayette (14-9) at 7 p.m. at Bethel Park. The Indians have won 13 straight and beat Penn-Trafford in the opening round, 66-54. The Lions have six wins in a row, including a first-round victory over Shaler on an Elijah Hill basket with eight seconds left, 34-33.

• Section 3 rivals Gateway (16-5) and McKeesport (11-10) meet for the third time this season at 8 p.m. at Norwin. The two split their regular season contests with McKeesport handing Gateway its only loss section loss of the season. The Gators defeated Woodland Hills in Round 1, 55-40, while the Tigers surprised No. 5 seed Moon, 56-50.

• Section 2 champion Penn Hills (18-3) battles Mars (15-8) at 8 p.m. at Chartiers Valley. The Indians scored 38 points and defeated Trinity by 9 while the Fightin’ Planets won by 36 points over Bethel Park, 76-40.

Boys A-OK

Three Class A boys basketball teams will be making their postseason debuts in the quarterfinals Thursday after enjoying first-round byes.

The only game where both teams had to compete in the opening round is No. 4 Geibel Catholic (16-6) taking on No. 5 Neighborhood Academy (18-4) at 8 p.m. at Peters Township.

Geibel was co-champion in Section 2 while Neighborhood finished in second place in Section 3.

Geibel Catholic knocked off Neighborhood Academy in a nonsection contest on Jan. 21, 70-61.

The Gators rolled past Avella in the first round, 70-33, while the Bulldogs got by Mapletown, 70-41.

The other three A quarterfinals games are:

• Top-seeded Imani Christian (15-6) had a bye and now faces Rochester (11-12), an opening-round winner over Summit Academy, 57-52.

• Second-seeded Union (20-2) is home in its playoff lid lifter as it hosts Aquinas Academy, a first-round winner over Jefferson-Morgan, 61-40, for the school’s first WPIAL playoff win.

• Third-seeded Carlynton (15-6) will also make its playoff debut at home when it hosts Monessen (21-2), a Round 1 victor over Western Beaver, 60-44.

3A girls sharing quarters

The tournament that owned the basketball playoff spotlight this past Saturday, girls Class 3A, will now share center stage with three other classes on Quarterfinals Wednesday.

Since 2019, several girls basketball programs have won multiple WPIAL championships, including traditional powers North Catholic (3), Chartiers Valley (3), Rochester (3) and North Allegheny (2).

Don’t forget a couple of Lawrence County rivals on that list as well as Neshannock won 3A gold in 2019 and 2A titles in 2021 and 2022 while Mohawk won back-to-back 3A championships in 2020 and 2021.

Now No. 3 seed Neshannock (17-6) will square off with rival Mohawk (15-8) at 8 p.m. at Union for a spot in the 3A semifinals.

The Lancers were co-champs with Laurel in Section 1 while the Warriors finished third. Neshannock won both regular season meetings, but they were close, winning at home, 53-50, and at Mohawk, 48-44.

Both teams enjoyed double-digit wins in the first round. The Lancers cruised past Charleroi, 73-29, while the visiting Warriors upset Apollo-Ridge, 55-41.

The other three 3A quarterfinals games are:

• Top-seeded Shady Side Academy (21-2) meets Waynesburg (20-3) in a battle of section champs at 6 p.m. at Norwin. The Section 3-winning Bulldogs beat Beaver Falls in their postseason opener, 57-46, while the Section 4 champion Raiders knocked off Seton LaSalle, 64-55.

• The top two teams in Section 2 meet for a third time when Avonworth (16-5) faces Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (17-6) at 6 p.m. at North Allegheny. Avonworth swept OLSH in two regular season meetings. The Antelopes galloped past McGuffey in Round 1, 48-30, while the Chargers eliminated Mt. Pleasant, 51-38.

• Section 1 co-champion Laurel (21-2) faces Keystone Oaks (16-7) at 6 p.m. at Beaver. The Spartans crushed Burrell in the first round, 64-36, and the Golden Eagles flew past South Park, 61-57.

Twice as nice second round

The top eight teams in the girls basketball Class 2A postseason all won in the first round with one exception.

No. 11 Aliquippa (11-9) went on the road and stunned Section 4 champion Washington, 45-39.

Now another section champion awaits the Cinderella Quips.

No. 3 Serra Catholic (17-2) finished tied for the Section 3 championship with GCC.

The Eagles defeated Rochester in their first playoff game, 52-35.

Serra Catholic and Aliquippa will clash at 6 p.m. at Chartiers Valley.

The other three 2A quarterfinals games are:

• No. 1-seeded Shenango (19-4) will play Brentwood (13-9) at 8 p.m. at Beaver. The Wildcats nearly doubled Carmichaels in the first round, 63-32, and the Spartans edged Clairton, 49-43.

• The team Shenango tied with for the Section 1 title, Freedom (18-4), will go up against Chartiers-Houston (16-7) at 6 p.m. at Moon. The Bulldogs cruised past Carlynton in the opening round, 56-24, while the Buccaneers held off Fort Cherry, 38-36.

• A pair of section champions go at it when Greensburg Central Catholic (19-4) is challenged by Burgettstown (18-5) at 6 p.m. at Peters Township. The Section 3 co-champion Centurions beat California by 60 in Round 1, 83-23, while the Section 2-winning Blue Devils beat Winchester Thurston, 56-40.