WPIAL Class 4A girls basketball finals preview: North Catholic vs. Central Valley
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Thursday, February 28, 2019 | 9:01 PM
North Catholic’s Kylee Lewandowski drops 19 on Elizabeth Forward in the first half during semifinal WPIAL action Monday, Feb. 25, 2019 at North Allegheny High School.
Class 4A girls
North Catholic (21-3) vs. Central Valley (22-1)
7 p.m. Friday, Petersen Events Center
Starting lineups
No. 1 North Catholic (21-3)
Coach: Molly Rottmann
No. Player, Pos., Ht., Yr.
2 Emma Pospisil, G, 5-4, Jr.
3 Cassie Foster, G, 5-5, Jr.
21 Kylee Lewandowski, G, 6-1, Jr.
23 Tess Myers, G, 5-10, Jr.
24 Dani Short, F, 6-2, Sr.
No. 2 Central Valley (22-1)
Coach: Chris Raso
No. Player, Pos., Ht., Yr.
1 Christiane Frye, G, 5-5, Jr.
12 Kaitlyn Lyons, G, 5-7, Sr.
20 Kaelyn Underwood, F, 5-11, Sr.
24 Allyson Kirby, F, 6-1, Jr.
45 Harlee Johns, F, 5-7, Sr.
Title game history: North Catholic is the queen of district girls basketball championships with 18 WPIAL golden basketballs. The Trojanettes also have 14 runner-up trophies, giving them 32 title-games appearances in the 41 years since their first championship in 1978. Central Valley is appearing in the first finals in program history. The school is in its ninth year.
Stat leaders: NC: Kylee Lewandowski 15.7; CV: Christiane Frye 15.6
Notable: North Catholic beat Central Valley, 51-45, in a Class 4A quarterfinals game in last year’s playoffs. The Trojanettes also beat the Warriors, 58-39, in the 2017 Class 4A semifinals. North Catholic has yet to lose to a Class 4A school; its three losses came to Penn Hills (5A), Peters Township (6A) and Bethel Park (6A). The Trojanettes beat their two playoff opponents, Keystone Oaks and Elizabeth Forward, by 15 and 14 points, respectively. Dani Short is the only senior on the Trojanettes roster. … Central Valley is enjoying its best season in program history with nine straight wins to start the season and a current 13-game win streak since their only loss this year, 64-53 to Blackhawk. The Warriors beat McKeesport by six points and Blackhawk by seven on their Path to the Pete. While this is the first trip to the finals for Central Valley following the merger of Center and Monaca in 2011, Monaca did reach the Class A finals twice, beating Geibel Catholic, 46-41, in 1987 and then losing in overtime to the Gators in 1988, 55-54.
Predicted winner: North Catholic
Tags: Central Valley, North Catholic
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