What to watch for in WPIAL sports on Feb. 22, 2022: First round ends with appealing matchups

By: Don Rebel
Monday, February 21, 2022 | 11:51 PM

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Welcome to the final day of the first round in the 2022 WPIAL basketball playoffs.

Five years ago, Pine-Richland (11-11) won the first WPIAL Class 6A boys basketball championship with a 72-61 victory over Butler.

The title run was the second in a row for the Rams, who captured the 2016 Class AAAA championship as well.

They began their quest for a three-peat in the first round of the 2018 6A playoffs with a matchup against Bethel Park (16-6). Pine-Richland won by four points and once again advanced to the finals, but its run of district gold ended with a loss to Penn Hills.

This season, the Rams are trying to return to the finals for a second straight year as they once again battle the Black Hawks in the opening round.

The two meet at Pine-Richland in one of five Class 6A first-round contests.

Hawks and the Hounds

There are eight first-round games Tuesday in the boys Class 2A tournament including two legendary programs squaring off as No. 5 seed Monessen (18-4) hosts No. 12 seed Jeannette (10-11).

Monessen has won eight WPIAL boys basketball championships, including five this decade.

Seven years ago, these teams battled each other in the 2015 Class A district championship game.

The Greyhounds led 52-46 going into the fourth quarter before pulling away from the Jayhawks and winning, 73-57.

Justice Rice led Monessen with 22 points while Julian Batts and Anthony Schmidt had 15 points each for Jeannette.

This will be the first postseason matchup between the two since that game at Duquesne University.

Fighting for five

The Thomas Jefferson girls basketball team has won its first-round WPIAL playoff game four years in a row.

It will be a challenge to make it five straight years to the quarterfinals for the Jaguars.

Five years ago, TJ lost to Chartiers Valley in the first round. The Colts went on to win district gold, their first of four in a five-year span.

On Tuesday, Thomas Jefferson (12-10) faces an Indiana (19-3) team that is on the rise.

The Little Indians have won 12 straight, including victories over playoff-bound teams Mars, Southmoreland, Hampton, Armstrong and North Allegheny.

The Thomas Jefferson-Indiana game will be played at Hampton at 6 p.m. and is one of eight 5A first-round games on Tuesday.

Home for Christmas

There are five Class 4A girls basketball first-round games on the schedule for Tuesday and only one of them is a rematch from earlier this season.

Highlands (18-4) will host West Mifflin (7-15) for the second time in less than two months.

After both teams lost in the first game of the Highland Holiday Tournament, they played in the consolation game. The Golden Rams routed the Titans, 71-46.

It was the last of an eight-game losing streak for West Mifflin while it began a 10-1 run for Highlands.

The Central Valley (7-13) at Elizabeth Forward (17-4) game Tuesday is also a rematch of an opening-round game in the 2021 postseason.

EF beat CV to win the battle of the Warriors. Elizabeth Forward fell in the quarterfinals to eventual district champion Beaver.