WPIAL Basketball Playoff Summaries for Saturday 2/18

By: HSSN Staff
Saturday, February 18, 2017 | 5:59 PM

Day Two of the opening round of the district hoop postseason was similar to what we saw in Day One with hardly any surprises and the higher-seeds all winning and advancing. While this does nothing for the shock value of the boys and girls tournaments, it is making for what should be a must see Quarterfinals Weekend coming up. Here are ALL the recaps from the First Round of Boys 3-A, Girls 4-A and Girls 1-A games from Saturday afternoon in the WPIAL Basketball Playoffs.

A special thanks to Bob Orkwis, James Dotson, Brian Mroziak, Andy Stanko, Mark Schaas, Rob Longo, Mike Azadian, Sean Meyers, Steve Nagler, Lanny Frattare, Bob Gregg, Bob Barrickman and Donny Chedrick for their help on these recaps.

BOYS WPIAL CLASS 3-A First Round:

Lincoln Park Leopards 74 – Steel Valley Ironmen 62 
With Nelly Cummings struggling from the floor in the first half, it was fellow senior Evan Brown who stepped up for the Leopards. Brown hit four first-half threes to spark Lincoln Park and lead the Leopards to a 74-62 victory over Steel Valley in the first round of the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs. Brown's sharp shooting fueled an 8-0 run to start the second quarter and a 10-0 run to end the half, with Lincoln Park taking a 37-20 lead to the locker room. Cummings began to heat up after the break, scoring 12 of his game high 27 points in the third quarter. Lincoln Park led by as much as 25 points, but Steel Valley fought back to cut the lead to 11 with 5:00 left to play. The Ironmen couldn't get any closer, and Lincoln Park hit their free throws down the stretch. Cummings led all scorers with 27 points, including going 15-20 from the free throw line. Brown scored 19 points for Lincoln Park (19-4), followed by Keeno Holmes with 13. Both Brown and Holmes snagged nine rebounds for the Leopards. Chase Polak led the way with 22 points, including six three pointers, for Steel Valley (10-13). Ja'Mier Fletcher scored 17 points and had 14 rebounds for the Ironmen, who only dressed seven players and finished with four due to players fouling out of the game. Lincoln Park advances to the quarterfinals to take on the winner of Seton LaSalle and East Allegheny on Thursday and a site and time to be determined.

Seton-LaSalle Rebels 57 – East Allegheny Wildcats 52 
In a class 3A boys first round game, Seton LaSalle rebounded from a 12 point third quarter deficit and defeated East Allegheny, in overtime, 57 to 52.  The Rebels outscored the Wildcats 18 to 9 in the fourth quarter and 10 to 5 in the extra period.  Freshmen Michael Bigley and Dylan Preston combined to post 9 of the Rebels 10 overtime points.  Seton LaSalle advances to play number one Lincoln Park in the quarter finals.

Shady Side Academy Indians 60 – Carlynton Cougars 41 
With the physicality of Saturday's WPIAL opening round game between Shady Side Academy and Carlynton, it seemed like the 13th-seeded Cougars would be able to hang with the Indians, as both teams committed a combined 20 fouls in the first half. However, Carlynton's foul shooting said otherwise. The Cougars went 3-13 from the foul line and saw themselves down 34-21 at the break. A significant improvement from the charity stripe could have made a difference, but Shady Side Academy rolled in the second half and limited Carlynton on defense to open up the playoffs with a 60-41 win. Freshman Grady Munroe led the Indians and all scorers with 15 points, while Etai Goff, Kirf Olander and Skyy Moore were also in double figures. Courtney Mickens capped off his high school career with a team-high 13 points for Carlynton, while Shady Side moves on to face No. 5 seed Southmoreland in the WPIAL Quarterfinals on Thursday.

Southmoreland Scotties 64 – Avonworth Antelopes 55  (OT)
#5 Southmoreland survived an upset bid by #12 Avonworth with 64-55 overtime victory in the first round of the boys 3-A playoffs thanks to strong second-half performances from Tommy Pisula, Zack Leighty, Brandon Stone, and Tanner Schwartz. Avonworth used a 21-point second quarter to take a 30-22 lead after the first two quarters of play, but Southmoreland opened the second half on a 13-3 run. The Scotties led 39-36 going into the fourth quarter. The final eight minutes of regulation featured seven lead changes, but ended tied at 51. The Antelopes led 51-49 with a minute to play, but Pisula's steal and layup tied the game, and neither team could score in the final moments. Southmoreland scored the first five points of overtime and never trailed in the game's final four minutes. The Scotties connected on 9-12 free throws in OT to secure the victory. Pisula's 21 points were a game high. Stone scored 14 points, 10 in the second half. Schwartz added a dozen for Southmoreland, and all nine of Leighty's points came in the second half and overtime. Avonworth was paced by 17 points from senior Matt Crilley. Fellow seniors Mike Noethiger added 13 and Garrett Day tallied 12, and both fouled out in overtime. The 'Lopes knocked down 10 three-pointers on the afternoon, however none in overtime. Southmoreland advances to the 3-A quarterfinals for the first time in nearly three decades and meets the winner of #4 Shady Side Academy and #13 Carlynton. Site and time TBA.

Washington Little Prexies 57 – Ellwood City Wolverines 29 
Isaiah Robinson scored 29 points, 12 in the opening quarter, to lead Washington to a 57-29 win over Ellwood City.  Playing without their leading scorer, Matt Popeck, the Little Prexies jumped in front 14-3 after one quarter and were never threatened.  Robinson added eight points in the second while forward Jake Swartz added four more as Wash High (19-4) pushed the lead to 28-15 at the break.  Ellwood City (9-11) went eight minutes without scoring as the margin ballooned to 21 late in the third.  Dan Ethridge, starting in place of Popeck, dominated in the fourth, pumping in eight points as the Little Prexies won for the 16th time in the last 17 outings.  Swartz finished with 13 points.  Anthony Roth lead the Wolverines with 10 points.  Wash High will face #7 Aliquippa for the second straight year in the quarterfinals.  The Quips beat the Little Prexies, 49-36, on the way to last year's WPIAL championship.

Aliquippa Quips 70 – Charleroi Cougars 51 
Aliquippa withstood a furious Charleroi rally in the third quarter and eventually pulled away to a 70-51 victory in a boys 3-A First Round game Saturday at Baldwin HS.  The Quips once enjoyed a 14-point lead in the first half and were in front at the intermission, 29-18.  However, the Cougars scored the first seven points in the third period and sliced the deficit to three midway through the quarter.  But, the defending WPIAL and PIAA champions responded to go up 48-36 after three quarters and then coasted in the final frame.  Senior guard Thomas Perry had the hot hand for Aliquippa early on by hitting three shots from behind the arc in the first half.  Sophomore Will Gipson came on in the second half to pace the winners with 21 points while Perry added 12.  Charleroi senior guard Sam Miceli came into the game averaging 22.2 points but was held to four tallies in the first two quarters.  Miceli found his stroke in the third period when the Cougars made their run and had 21 points overall.  Senior forward Dremar Everette added 15 for Charleroi but sat out much of the first half with three fouls.  The Cougars ended their season at 12-11.  Aliquippa will take the same record into the Quarterfinals on Thursday against Washington.

Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic Trojans 51 – Burrell Buccaneers 41 
The Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic Trojans began their 2017 postseason in defense of their Class A Championship with a solid win at the hands of the Burrell Bucs on Saturday at North Hills HS.  The Trojans, moved up to Class 3A by the WPIAL, were never seriously challenged by the 14th-seeded Bucs as they had a 9-point halftime lead that they extended to 18 points by the end of the 3rd quarter.  Seniors Kenny Fukon (19) and Vincent DiNicola (15) led the way for the Trojans offensively.  Point guard Isaiah Wilson also chipped in with 10 points for CWNC.  The Trojans also flexed their muscle defensively, as they forced a dozen Burrell turnovers and held Bucs’ leading scorer, Max Garda, to 7 points before he fouled out in the 4th quarter.  Burrell’s Donovan Russell scored twelve points off the bench, eight in the 2nd quarter to help keep the Bucs within reach.  With the loss, the Bucs’ season ends with a 8-15 record.  The Trojans now advance to the quarterfinal round and will face the Riverside Panthers.

Riverside Panthers 65 – Burgettstown Blue Devils 42
The Panthers picked up their first post-season win since 2012 with the 3-A victory at NA. Justin Baust drained 3 three-pointers on the way to a 17-6 advantage after one quarter as Riverside extended the lead to 36-19 at the break and 50-28 after three. Dylan Speicher led the way with 16 points, Baust had 14 and Jason Dambach added 10. The Panthers go to 16-7 overall, hitting 7 trifectas for the game and shooting 6 of 7 from the line. Max Shaw scored 14 off the bench for the Blue Devils, who were in the playoffs for the 1st time since 2011. Cole LaRocka added 11 for the Burgettstown, who finishes at 11-12.

GIRLS WPIAL CLASS 4-A First Round:

Central Valley Warriors 49 – Mount Pleasant Vikings 32
In a sluggish bout that was filled with a myriad of whistles and turnovers, the Central Valley Warriors overcame their poor shooting performance to oust the Mount Pleasant Vikings, 49-32, in first-round Class 4A action at Peters Township High School. Eighth-seeded Central Valley enjoyed a parade to the charity stripe in the contest, and although inefficient, the Warriors converted enough of their chances to pull away from No. 9 Mount Pleasant in the second half. The Vikings held a one-point lead at the break, but with several of their top players in foul trouble, including Hannah Hempfield, Mount Pleasant could not gain an offensive rhythm in the final two quarters. CV made 19 of its 43 foul shots, while the Vikings netted just 13 points after the intermission. Freshman Christiane Frye paced the Warriors with a game-high 15 points, one of three players for Central Valley to tally in double figures, as Kaelyn Underwood and Kaleah Jones each contributed 11. Conversely, the Vikings did not have any player who scored more than six points, as Juliann Kalp and Chloe Jaworski led the way. While the Warriors continue their season, they face the daunting task of challenging top-seeded Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic in the quarterfinals on Feb. 23. 

Beaver Bobcats 47 – Deer Lakes Lancers 28 
The Beaver Bobcats (5th seed) raced out to a 11-2 lead by the end of the first quarter against the 12th-seeded Deer Lakes Lancers and would cruise to an easy first round win in the Class 4A Girls Basketball Playoffs.  Bella Possett, a Robert Morris University recruit, led all scorers with 25 points.  Possett had 19 points at the halftime break.  Possett also played well defensively having been credited with 6 steals on the afternoon.  Beaver ran out to a 27-9 lead at the half and was never challenged significantly in the second half.  Junior Sydney Barney had 9 points as well in the win for Beaver.  The Lancers were led by their outstanding sophomore Anna Soloman who had 11 points on the afternoon.  Soloman made three 3-point baskets, two of which came in the 3rd quarter.  Cassidy Chmura added ten points for Deer Lakes.  Deer Lakes’ season comes to an end at 9-13 while, with Beaver’s win (16-5), the Bobcats will take on Keystone Oaks in the quarterfinal round.

Freeport Yellow Jackets 56 – Elizabeth Forward Warriors 50 in Overtime 
It had been since 2004 since the Yellowjackets registered a playoff win, so an extra 4 minutes was worth the wait, as 7th seeded Freeport came from behind to defeat the Warriors in overtime at Fox Chapel High School to advance to the quarterfinals of the WPIAL Girls (4A) tournament. Elizabeth Forward. Jumped out to an 8-0 lead courtesy of senior Sierra Dawson, who scored all of the games first points. Freeport didn't lead in the game until Kim Mixon scored with 6:05 left in the fourth quarter to give the Yellowjackets a34-32 lead. Freeport lead late in regulation until junior Alexis Koreniski scored on a driving layup in the final minute and then hit two free throws to tie the game at 42 apiece heading into overtime. Freshman Samantha Clark connected on 5 of 6 free throes in OT as Freeport outscored EF 14-8 to improve to (14-9) with the win. Clark finished with 11 points for Freeport while Mixon scored 12. Junior Jenna Manke  was a force for the Yellowjavkets, scoring a game high 21 points and grabbing 9 rebounds. Dawson finished with 15 points for the Warriors who were paced by sophomore Brianna Spirnak's 19 points and 12 rebounds. 10th seeded Elizabeth Forward's season ends at (12-11). Freeport will face #2 Blackhawk next Thursday the quarter final round of the playoffs.

South Park Eagles 66 – Burrell Buccaneers 44 
At North Hills High School in Class 4 A Girls first round playoff action the South Park Eagles go from wire to wire and win in easy fashion 66-44 over the Burrell Lady Bucs. South Park zipped to a 21-8 lead after the 1st quarter behind 9 points from Maura Huwalt. They would never look back and cruise to an easy win. In the second quarter, Burrell contended and played better on offense. Brooke Smith put in 5 points to keep the Bucs within reach. At the half it was 35-21 South Park. Into the 3rd quarter the Bucs would outscore the Eagles by one point but still trail by 13 at 47-34. Six Burrell turnovers prevented the Bucs from getting closer, as they had numerous chances to cut the lead. Eliza Oswalt the Bucs leading scorer poured in 6 points during the stanza. South Park pulled away in the 4th quarter as they would go on a 19-10 roll and win easily. Brittany Andrews scored 8 points for the Eagles to lead the way. Burrell was led by Smith with 12 points and Oswalt with 11 for the Lady Bucs who end their season and fall to 9-14. South Park had four girls in double figure scoring. Huwalt with 21, Andrews with 16, Alyssa Greer contributed 14, while Cassidy Zandier had 12 to lead the Eagles attack. South Park improves to 15-8 on the season and will move on to play Ambridge in the second round.

GIRLS WPIAL CLASS 1-A FIRST ROUND:

Sewickley Academy Panthers 43 – Jefferson-Morgan Rockets 29 
The Panthers scored the first 10 points of this 8-9 matchup and built the lead they would maintain through the final three quarters to advance to face top seed Winchester Thurston in the 1-A quarterfinals. It was the second win for the Panthers over the Rockets, taking a 36-28 decision in a tournament at California on December 30th. Theresa Wilson paced Sewickley Academy, with 9 of her game high 13 points coming in the first. The Rockets were cold from the field. only scoring 7 field goals during the game with 4 coming from behind the arc. Jefferson-Morgan got as close as 9 points in the 4th on back-to-back trifectas from Anna Mattish, but no closer. Olivia Ryder added 11 points and Kendall Lightcap posted 10 for the Panthers, now 11-12 overall. Sewickley Academy was 16 of 28 from the foul line. Mattish led the Rockets with 9 points, Jeff-Morgan was 11 of 22 from the charity stripe and finishes up at 10-13 overall.

Rochester Rams 74 – Eden Christian Warriors 26 
It was a shellacking this afternoon as the Rochester Rams took care of Eden Christian in the first round of WPIAL girls' 1-A action. Eden Christian came into the game with just one win on the regular season and ended the season with the same total after losing for the second time this season to Rochester. The Rams had three players in double figures as Julia Sabbio led all scorers with 22 points. Olivia Whiteleather had 17 while Jasmine Mack adding 10. Three more Rams nearly had double figures with Lydia Bable scoring 8, Tiffany Blackwell adding 7 and Victoria Schinke putting in 8 off the bench. After the impressive win, Rochester will meet West Greene in a few days pitting the 5 and 4 seeds against one another.

Geibel Catholic Gators 47 – Clairton Bears 29 
The Geibel Lady Gators picked up their 1st playoff win since 2008, defeating the Clairton Bears 47 to 29 in a Girls A First Round Game Saturday afternoon at Baldwin High School.  Geibel started the game converting two technical free throws from Grace Nowicki after a Clairton book error and raced out to 14 to 2 lead.  Clairton cut the lead to 23 to 16 at halftime, but the Gators outscored Clairton 24 to 13 in the 2nd half cruising to the 47 to 29 win.  Nowicki lead Geibel with 19 points, while Gillian Yourish  (17 points) and Gabby Yourish (11 points) were also in double figures for the Gators.  Freshman Iyauna Chapman lead Clairton with 12 points.  Clairton's season ends with a 7-16 record. Geibel improves to 10-11 and will play Cornell in the Quarterfinals on Friday.

St. Joseph Spartans 68 – Avella Eagles 33 
The sixth seeded Spartans had no trouble in this WPIAL Girls (1A) first round contest at Fox Chapel High School largely because of a stout defensive performance in the first half. St. Joseph was able to break the game open by outscoring Avella 27-9 in the 2nd quarter to take a 32-point lead at halftime. Junior sixth man Alex Jones provided a huge spark off the bench for St. Joseph, netting a game high 19 points and adding 5 steals and 3 rebounds in the win. Junior Gia Angelo added 13 points and 3 steals for the Spartans. Avella (11-12) was paced by junior Bailey Lies who led the Eagles with 11 points and also grabbed a game high 11 rebounds. St. Joseph, winners of 10 of their last 11 games, improved to (16-7) on the season. Next up for the Spartans is #3 Quigley in the quarterfinals. These teams met in the season finale with St. Joseph scoring a 74-63 win. Quigley and St. Joseph are very familiar playoff foes as Quigley eliminated St. Joseph from the playoffs three consecutive years from 2013 – 2015.