What to watch for in WPIAL sports on Feb. 25, 2023: Top 4 seeds square off in Class 5A semifinals

By: Don Rebel
Saturday, February 25, 2023 | 12:05 AM

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Welcome to the start of the 2023 WPIAL basketball final four.

The first of three days of district hoops semifinals action tips off Saturday with third-round games in boys Class 5A and Class A, along with girls 3A and 2A.

Three Indians and a Gator are part of the boys 5A semifinals.

At noon at Peters Township, two tribes collide as No. 2-seeded Penn Hills (19-3) battles No. 3 North Hills (19-5) in a battle of wills.

North Hills has the second highest scoring team in 5A, averaging nearly 71 points per game. Penn Hills has the best team defense in the classification, allowing only 44 points per game.

Both Indians have lived up to their reputations in the first two rounds.

Penn Hills has knocked off Trinity, 38-29, and Mars, 60-41.

North Hills beat Kiski Area, 76-71, and then knocked off the team that beat them in the 6A finals last season, Fox Chapel, 67-62.

The other 5A semifinal has top-seeded Peters Township (21-3) taking on Gateway (17-5) at 2 p.m. at Mt. Lebanon.

The Indians have wiped away the postseason gang green by beating Penn-Trafford and South Fayette in the first two rounds while the Gators have playoffs wins over eastern rivals Woodland Hills and McKeesport.

Top 4 meet in boys A

Three of the top four seeds had first-round byes and only needed one victory to reach the semifinals in Class A.

Geibel (17-6) is the lone exception.

The Section 2 co-champion Gators were the No. 4 seed and crushed Avella in the opening round, 70-33. It was a different story for Geibel in the quarterfinals as it squeezed by Neighborhood Academy, 66-64.

Now they have the tall task of facing top-seeded Imani Christian (16-6), a team that hasn’t lost to a school smaller than 4A all season.

The Saints cruised in their postseason opener, 78-41 over Rochester.

The teams meet at high noon at Mt. Lebanon.

In the other Class A semifinal, Union (20-2) faces Carlynton (16-6) at noon at Montour.

The Section 1 foes played twice this year with the Scotties beating the Cougars in two tight games by three points and two points.

You again

Lawrence County rivals Laurel (22-2) and Neshannock (18-6) split their two regular season meetings and also shared the Section 1-3A crown.

Now the rubber game of their season series will decide which team will complete the Path to the Pete.

On Jan. 5, the Spartans won big at home, 59-35. In the rematch Jan. 30, the Lancers were victorious on their court, 72-55.

The third meeting takes place at noon Saturday at Ellwood City.

Neshannock has been dominant in the first two rounds. The two-time defending champions have defeated Charleroi and Mohawk by 44 and 16 points.

Laurel also cruised into the quarterfinals with an opening-round win over Burrell by 28 points. However, its quarterfinal was a tight one, a win over Keystone Oaks, 45-44.

In the other 3A semifinal, top-seeded Shady Side Academy (22-2) battles Avonworth (17-5) at 2 p.m. at Montour.

The Bulldogs defeated Beaver Falls and Waynesburg to reach the final four as the Antelopes were knocking off McGuffey and OLSH.

Surprise semifinalist

While there have been few surprises in the first two rounds of the girls basketball playoffs, somebody forgot to tell Aliquippa that the favorites were supposed to move on.

The No. 11-seeded Quips surprised No. 6 Washington in the first round, 45-39, before stunning No. 3 Serra Catholic, 60-56.

Up next for Aliquippa (12-9) is fellow Section 1 foe Freedom (19-4). The Bulldogs beat the Quips twice this year by three points and by 31 points.

Another Section 1 team, Shenango (20-4), will take on Burgettstown (19-5) at 2 p.m. at Beaver Falls.

The Wildcats have wins over Carmichaels and Brentwood while the Blue Devils knocked off Winchester Thurston and No. 4 Greensburg Central Catholic.

Consolation semis

The WPIAL has returned to play-back games, allowing teams to earn their spot and seed for the PIAA state basketball playoffs. The second batch of consolation semifinals takes place Saturday for quarterfinals losers in boys 4A, boys 3A and girls A.

Boys 4A

• South Allegheny (19-5) at Hampton (21-3) at 12 p.m.

• Belle Vernon (11-12) at Uniontown (19-4) at 12 p.m.

Boys 3A

• Seton LaSalle (12-11) at Mohawk (20-4) at 12 p.m.

• Yough (16-8) vs. Shady Side Academy (16-8) at Keystone Oaks at 12 p.m.

Girls A

• West Greene (13-10) at Monessen (15-6) at 12 p.m.

• Avella (13-11) vs. Shady Side Academy (16-8) at Keystone Oaks at 2 p.m.

Diving for 3A gold

The top boys and girls Class 3A divers in the WPIAL will gather at North Allegheny on Saturday for the final day of the 2023 WPIAL diving championships.

The 3A boys divers begin the championships at 9:30 a.m. with the girls following at 1:15 p.m.

Maggie Foley of North Catholic won a fourth straight 2A girls diving championship on Friday, now Christina Shi will attempt to duplicate the rare golden sweep.

The North Allegheny senior hopes to become only the second 3A diver to win district crowns in four straight years. Jen O’Brien of Penn Hills did it from 2000-2003.

On the boys side, two Seneca Valley divers had the highest qualifying scores with junior Isaiah Clerklev and senior Jeremiah Laslavic.

Golden mats

Saturday marks the finish of the 2023 WPIAL Class 2A individual wrestling championships at Chartiers Valley.

Wrestling begins with consolation matches begin at 10 a.m. with the championship matches set for 3:30 p.m.

Also on Saturday, the WPIAL Class 3A sectionals will take place at three sites: East sectionals at Norwin, North sectionals at North Allegheny and south sectionals at South Fayette, all beginning at 9:30 a.m.