by: Don Rebel

LONE CAT ON THE PROWL

As New Castle, Central Catholic and Mt. Lebanon all saw their seasons come to an end with PIAA Class 6A boys basketball first-round losses, WPIAL champion Uppers St. Clair was dominating in another playoff blowout.

After winning all three WPIAL playoff games by 20 points or more, the trend continued Saturday in the PIAA first round.

USC jumped out to a 21-4 lead after one quarter and guaranteed a mercy rule running clock for the entire second half when it led 45-10 at intermission.

The Panthers defense allowed four, six, seven and 13 points in each quarter to cruise, 67-30.

Senior forward Tyler Robbins led with 15 points while junior guard Jake Foster added 11 points for USC.

On Wednesday, Upper St. Clair (24-2) will play the No. 3 team from District 3, Governor Mifflin (20-8), at Altoona at 6:30 p.m.

In the first round, the Mustangs defeated Mt. Lebanon, 66-54. Andrew Galantomo led the way for GM with 22 points.

FOURTH TIME’S A CHARM?

They met twice in the girls basketball regular season and once in the district postseason and each time, Peters Township (24-3) has defeated Thomas Jefferson (22-5).

Could the fourth time be a charm for the Jaguars against the Indians?

WPIAL champion Peters Township has won the previous meetings against Thomas Jefferson, but the outcomes keep getting closer.

In December at TJ, the Indians won by 13 points. In the rematch at PT in early February, the Indians won by nine points.

The two met for a third time at Mt. Lebanon in the district semifinals and PT defeated TJ by only three points.

Now the fourth clash is set for Canon-McMillan on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Senior Natalie Wetzel scored 16 points as Peters Township crushed Conrad Weiser in the state playoff opener, 58-25.

Thomas Jefferson pulled away from Susquehannock in the first round, 55-37, thanks to 17 points from sophomore Kaylee DeAngelo and 16 from junior Maggie Spell.

One other WPIAL team remains alive in girls 5A basketball.

District 7 runner-up South Fayette (25-2) will battle West York (21-7) at Altoona at 5 p.m.

The Lions bounced back after falling to Peters in the WPIAL title game with a rout of Lower Dauphin, 56-21.

Junior Ryan Oldaker led South Fayette with 24 points.

BOYS BASKETBALL

PIAA 5A SECOND ROUND

(3-3) West York 75, (7-2) Peters Township 49

Peters Township (19-9)

Nick McCullough – 19 points

(7-1) Chartiers Valley 48, (7-3) Montour 38

Chartiers Valley (25-3)

Jayden Davis – 18 points

Montour (25-3)

Colton Straight – 14 points

Kaleb Platz – 12 points

Ama Sow – 10 points

(6-1) Greater Johnstown 67, (7-6) Latrobe 41

Latrobe (21-7)

John Wetzel – 16 points

Max Butler – 12 points

GIRLS BASKETBALL

PIAA 6A SECOND ROUND

(7-1) Upper St. Clair 46, (7-3) Canon-McMillan 32

Upper St. Clair (21-6)

Rylee Kalocay – 20 points

Meredith Huzjak – 10 points

Canon-McMillan (16-10)

Faye Saunders – 14 points

by: Don Rebel

CHARTIERS VALLEY, MONTOUR READY FOR ROUND 4

Welcome to the second round of the PIAA basketball playoffs with action taking place in the boys Class 5A along with girls Class 6A tournament games.

They say familiarity breeds contempt.

If that is true, it will be time to buckle up at Bethel Park at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.

That is the site and time for the fourth and final matchup of the year between district boys basketball rivals Chartiers Valley (24-3) and Montour (25-2).

The Spartans won the regular season battle while the Colts were victors in the WPIAL war.

Who gets the final laugh with a berth in the state quarterfinals at stake?

Back in mid-December, Montour won at Chartiers Valley, 66-60. Spartans senior Ama Sow and Colts senior Jayden Davis each scored 25 points.

The two Section 4-5A rivals collided again on the neutral floor of Mt. Lebanon in a WPIAL semifinal with No. 4 Chartiers Valley stunning top seed Montour, 47-44. Once against it was Davis pacing the Colts with 20 points.

The fourth clash became reality Friday as both the Colts and Spartans picked up first-round wins on the Road to Hershey.

Davis scored 15 as WPIAL champion Chartiers Valley crushed Cocalico, 62-29.

Junior Kalaeb Platz scored 28 points to lead Montour to a opening-round victory over Milton Hersehy, 68-49.

The two other PIAA boys 5A second-round games involving WPIAL teams are:

District 6 champion Johnstown (25-1) is challenged by WPIAL No. 6 Latrobe (21-6) at Pitt-Johnstown at 7 p.m.

WPIAL runner-up Peters Township (19-8) goes up against District 3 No. 3 West York (21-6) at Altoona at 6 p.m.

RUBBER GAME

The rubber hit the road Tuesday – the Road to Hershey, that is – as two section rivals collide for a spot in the 6A girls basketball state quarterfinals and for bragging rights in the offseason.

It is the rubber game of what will now be a three-game series when WPIAL champion Upper St. Clair (20-6) takes on Canon-McMillan (16-9) at 7:30 p.m. at Peters Township.

In the first meeting Dec. 19, host Upper St. Clair broke open a tight game with a big second quarter in which it had a 19-6 scoring edge on its way to a convincing victory, 66-44.

Senior Rylee Kalocay had 16 poitns and junior Ryan Prunzik added 15 points for the Panthers while junior Lauren Borella scored 14 to lead the Big Macs.

Canon-Mac turned the tables on visiting USC in the rematch Jan. 24.

Trailing early, the Big Macs outscored the Panthers in the second and third quarters combined 29-11 to hold on for the big home win, 45-38.

Borella had 12 points for Canon-McMillan while Kalocay led USC with a game-high 18 points.

Upper St. Clair roared past Manheim Township in its PIAA first-round game, 65-37, with Kalocay scoring 21 points.

Canon-McMillan had to hold on to defeat host Allderdice last Friday, 48-44, for the program’s first PIAA victory.

FRIDAY

BOYS BASKETBALL

PIAA 5A FIRST ROUND

(3-1) Hershey 52, (7-8) Penn-Trafford 43

Penn-Trafford (14-13)

Zach Feldman – 13 points

(3-3) West York 53, (7-4) Mars 51

Mars (14-13)

Austen Wroblewski – 13 points

Will Wilson – 13 points

(7-2) Peters Township 67, (3-8) Spring Grove 54

Peters Township (19-8)

Nick McCullough – 21 points

Dylan Donovan – 17 points

Jake Wetzel – 11 points

(7-1) Chartiers Valley 62, (3-9) Cocalico 29

Chartiers Valley (24-3)

Jayden Davis – 15 points

Jake Lewis – 12 points

(7-3) Montour 68, (3-7) Milton Hershey 49

Montour (25-2)

Kaleb Platz – 28 points

Ama Sow – 13 points

Trey Hopper – 10 points

Colton Straight – 10 points

(7-6) Latrobe 64, (3-2) Exeter Township 58

Latrobe (21-6)

Ian DeCerb – 25 points

Max Butler – 13 points

(6-1) Johnstown 60, (7-7) Moon 53

Moon (19-8)

Michael Santicola – 13p oints

Carter Tumulty – 10 points

Braden Stuart – 10 points

GIRLS BASKETBALL

PIAA 6A FIRST ROUND

(6-1) Altoona 49, (7-2) Norwin 38

Norwin (15-9)

Bella Furno – 14 points

Kendall Berger – 12 points

(7-1) Upper St. Clair 65, (3-8) Manheim Township 37

Upper St. Clair (20-6)

Rylee Kalocay – 21 points

Meredith Huzjak – 12 points

(7-3) Canon-McMillan 48, (8-1) Allderdice 44

Canon-McMillan (16-9)

Madison Clair – 23 points

Izabella Bobitski – 10 points

SATURDAY

BOYS BASKETBALL

PIAA 6A FIRST ROUND

(7-1) Upper St. Clair 67, (3-8) York William Penn 30

Upper St. Clair (24-2)

Tyler Robbins – 15 points

Jake Foster – 11 points

(3-7) Cumberland Valley 51, (7-2) New Castle 49

New Castle (21-5)

Kai Cox – 18 points

(10-1) McDowell 72, (7-3) Central Catholic 40

Central Catholic (15-11)

Xxavier Thomas – 14 points

(3-3) Governor Mifflin 66, (7-4) Mt. Lebanon 54

Mt. Lebanon (17-10)

Liam Sheely – 17 points

Carter Gould – 14 points

Jacob Zaber – 13 points

GIRLS BASKETBALL

PIAA 5A FIRST ROUND

(7-3) Thomas Jefferson 55, (3-8) Susquehannock 37

Thomas Jefferson (22-5)

Kaylee DeAngelo – 17 points

Maggie Spell – 16 points

Allie Wilson – 10 points

(10-1) Cathedral Prep 67, (7-6) Baldwin 55

Baldwin (15-12)

Julianna Ott – 22 points

Lynsey Bernotas – 18 points

(3-2) Middletown 52, (7-5) Penn-Trafford 50

Penn-Trafford (25-2)

Torrie DeStefano – 14 points

(3-3) West York 54, (7-4) Mars 44

Mars (13-12)

Cecilia Christy – 14 points

(6-1) Hollidaysburg 43, (7-7) Indiana 34

Indiana (19-8)

Laken Kugler – 14 points

Emily Betsinger – 10 points

(7-2) South Fayette 56, (3-7) Lower Dauphin 21

South Fayette (25-2)

Ryan Oldaker – 24 points

(3-1) York Suburban 47, (7-8) Bethel Park 34

Bethel Park (12-15)

Sadie One – 12 points

(7-1) Peters Township 58, (3-8) Conrad Weiser 25

Peters Township (24-3)

Natalie Wetzel – 16 points

Bri Morreale – 11 points

Jordyn Welsh – 10 points

Photo Credit: @MoonTigersBB

by: Don Rebel

MOON BOYS LOOK TO MAKE ANOTHER STATE PLAYOFF RUN

A year ago, the Moon boys basketball team had just captured the program’s fifth WPIAL championship with a victory of Franklin Regional in the district finals.

The Tigers hosted Obama Academy in the first round of the PIAA playoffs and won convincingly, 52-34.

They followed the up with wins over York Suburban, 59-38 and Bethel Park, 57-51, to earn a rematch with Franklin Regional in the state semifinals.

The Panthers earned revenge from their district title game loss and eliminated the Tigers, 60-43, ending Moon’s golden season at 26-4.

Following a loss to eventual WPIAL 5A champion Chartiers Valley in the district quarterfinals and getting the No. 7-seed out of District 7 with a 1-1 record in the consolation round, the Tigers will be hard pressed to repeat their state success from a year ago.

On Friday in the PIAA 5A first round, Moon (19-7) heads east to visit the No. 3 ranked team in the state in 5A, Johnstown, at 7 p.m.

The District 6 champion Trojans have won 24 of their 25 games this season with their only loss coming on Valentine’s Day to one of the top 3A teams in the state, Bishop Guilfoyle.

Johnstown defeated Hollidaysburg in the District 6 5A championship game, 68-52, before defeating District 10 champion Meadville in a PIAA sub-regional game, 52-41.

Here are the other six PIAA first round games involving WPIAL 5A boys basketball teams:

The No. 9 team from District 3, Cocalico (14-12), visits WPIAL champion Chartiers Valley (23-3) at 6 p.m.

The No. 3 team from the WPIAL, Montour (24-2), will host the No. 7 team from District 3, Milton Hershey (17-9), at 6 p.m.

The No. 6 team from the WPIAL, Latrobe (20-6), heads east to face District 3 runner-up Exeter Township (14-11) at 7 p.m.

Penn-Trafford (14-12) pulled off a first-round stunner in the WPIAL playoffs when it bounced No. 2 Baldwin. Can the Warriors do it again in the PIAA postseason when they travel to District 3 champion Hershey (21-3) at 6 p.m.

District 10 winner Meadville (16-8) hosts the No. 5 team out of the WPIAL, Uniontown (22-4) at 7 p.m.

WPIAL No. 4 Mars (14-12) also heads east to battle District 3 No. 3 West York (20-6) at 6 p.m.

WPIAL runner-up Peters Township (18-8) is home to District 3 No. 8 Spring Grove (11-14) at 6 p.m.

WPIAL vs. CITY LEAGUE

Going up against WPIAL competition is nothing new for City League girls basketball champion Allderdice.

In fact, 10 of the Dragons’ 25 games this season have been against teams from District 7.

No. 11 comes Friday in a PIAA 6A first-round playoff game as Allderdice (20-5) hosts Canon-McMillan (15-9) at 7 p.m.

Thus far this season, the Dragons are 6-4 against WPIAL teams.

Allderdice captured the District 8 title when it beat Carrick in the semifinals, 70-14, and Obama Academy in the City League championship game, 52-45.

The Dragons earned their spot in the PIAA postseason by defeating Erie in a state sub-regional game, 64-48.

Following a loss to Norwin in the WPIAL 6A semifinals, the Big Macs earned their spot on the Road to Hershey with a consolation game victory over Mt. Lebanon, 36-34.

Here are the other two PIAA first-round game involving WPIAL 6A girls basketball teams:

WPIAL champion Upper St. Clair (19-6) will host District 3 No. 8 Manheim Township (19-9) at 6 p.m.

District 6 champion Altoona (22-2) is home to WPIAL runner-up Norwin (15-8) at 7 p.m.