PIAA 5A Girls Basketball Semifinal Preview: Oakland Catholic vs. South Fayette

Photo Credit: FotoThompson12 (Twitter)

GIRLS BASKETBALL

PIAA 5A SEMIFINALS

7-2 Oakland Catholic (25-4) vs. 7-1 South Fayette (27-2) – at Peters Township – 6:30 pm

This is a rematch of the WPIAL Championship Game, won by South Fayette 64-49. Villanova recruit Maddie Webber had 16 points in the game. Webber got in foul trouble late in the first quarter and Oakland Catholic took advantage taking a 25-23 lead at halftime. South Fayette was +21 when Webber was in the game. 

Oakland Catholic struggled in their quarterfinal contests early, missing their first 14 shots but was able to battle back in the fourth quarter and force overtime, where they ultimately won the game 60-59. Alexa Washington had 17 points in the fourth quarter and overtime for Oakland Catholic. 

South Fayette trailed by eight points in the third quarter and were able to also battle back, beating Cathedral Prep 40-37 on a Webber buzzer-beater three-pointer. So both teams come into this game battle tested.

Oakland Catholic is looking for their first state championship since 2005. South Fayette has never won a state title.

Other games today

BASEBALL

West Allegheny (0-0) at Blackhawk (0-0) – 4 pm

Armstrong (0-0) at Indiana (0-0) – 4 pm

Peters Township (0-0) at Ringgold (1-0) – 4 pm

South Fayette (0-0) at Central Valley (0-1) – 4 pm

Penn-Trafford (0-0) at Hempfield (0-1) – 4:15 pm – Westmoreland Sports Network

Shaler (1-0) at Mt. Lebanon (0-2) – 4:15 pm

New Castle (0-0) at Neshannock (0-0) – 4:30 pm

SOFTBALL

North Allegheny (2-0) at Shaler (1-0) – 4 pm

Pine-Richland (0-1) at Latrobe (1-0) – 4 pm

Plum (0-0) at Seneca Valley (0-0) – 4 pm

Bethel Park (0-0) at North Hills (0-0) – 4 pm

Mt. Pleasant (1-0) at Norwin (0-1) – 4 pm

West Allegheny (0-0) at Mt. Lebanon (0-0) – 4:15 pm

PIAA Semifinals Recap: Norwin drops OT thriller

GIRLS BASKETBALL

PIAA 6A SEMIFINALS

Cedar Cliff 55, Norwin 47 (OT)

It was a battle all night long but Cedar Cliff (30-0) was able to stay composed and pull away in the overtime period to advance to their first state championship, beating Norwin (24-5) 55-47 in overtime, on Monday night at Altoona High School.

Things were very tight in the first half. Cedar Cliff went up six points but a 10-2 run for Norwin to finish the half gave them a 22-20 lead at the break. It looked like Norwin was going to get some separation when Ava Christopher hit a three-pointer with about three minutes left in the third quarter giving Norwin a 35-29 lead. Cedar Cliff would storm all the way back to take a 38-36 lead into the fourth quarter.

Things remained tight all fourth quarter when Norwin found themselves down 47-46 with under a minute to play. Lauren Palangio was fouled with 39 seconds remaining and hit one of two free throws creating a 47-47 tie. Cedar Cliff could not convert on their last possession and we were headed to overtime.

Cedar Cliff ramped up the defense in the overtime period outscoring Norwin 8-0, and got to the state title with a 55-47 victory.

Olivia Jones had 19 points for Cedar Cliff. Alexis Buie added 12 points and Taylor Ferraro netted 10 points. Palangio led Norwin with 20 points. Kendall Berger had 11 points.

BASEBALL

Upper St. Clair 5, Mt. Lebanon 2

Butler 10, Knoch 0

Shaler 3, Fox Chapel 1

Latrobe 14, Connellsville 1

SOFTBALL

Thomas Jefferson 6, Baldwin 0

Gateway 24, Penn Hills 2

Shaler 5, Knoch 1

Hempfield 6, Armstrong 3

Mt. Pleasant 8, Penn-Trafford 2

Western Beaver 16, South Side 1

Hampton 10, Fox Chapel 0

Latrobe 9, Norwin 8

PIAA 6A Girls Basketball Semifinals Preview: Cedar Cliff vs. Norwin

Photo Credit: NA Sports Network

GIRLS BASKETBALL

PIAA 6A SEMIFINALS

3-1 Cedar Cliff (29-0) vs. 7-3 Norwin (24-4) – at Altoona HS – 7 pm

Cedar Cliff

Cedar Cliff has beaten Garnet Valley (45-28), Upper Dublin (39-26) and Upper St. Clair (39-22) in the PIAA playoffs. They were the top seed in the District 3 playoffs and rolled to a District 3 Championship. Alexis Buie is averaging 10.3 points per game in the PIAA playoffs. She had 10 points in the quarterfinal win against Upper St. Clair. Olivia Jones also had 10 points in the win.

Norwin

Norwin defeated Central Dauphin (34-19), Lebanon (57-43) and North Allegheny (50-30) in the PIAA playoffs. They were the No. 3 seed in the District 7 playoffs and finished in third place. Kendall Berger had 18 points in Norwin’s quarterfinal win over North Allegheny. Ava Kobus had 12 points in the win and Lauren Palangio had 10 points. Palangio had 24 points in Norwin’s first round victory. 

Neither team has ever played in the state championship.

Other games today

BASEBALL

Latrobe at Connellsville – 4 pm

Penn-Trafford at Hempfield – 4:15 pm – Westmoreland Sports Network

Knoch at Butler – 5:30 pm

Central Valley at Canon-McMillan – 7 pm

Mt. Lebanon at Upper St. Clair – 7 pm

SOFTBALL

Norwin at Latrobe – 3:30 pm

Hampton at Fox Chapel – 3:45 pm

Armstrong at Hempfield – 4 pm – Westmoreland Sports Network

Penn Hills at Gateway – 4 pm

Mt. Lebanon at Bethel Park – 4 pm

Connellsville at Soutmoreland – 4 pm

Penn-Trafford at Mt. Pleasant – 4 pm

Western Beaver at South Side – 4 pm

Thomas Jefferson at Baldwin – 5 pm

PIAA Quarterfinals Recap: Oakland Catholic and South Fayette win thrillers

Photo Credit: Will McBride

BOYS BASKETBALL

PIAA 6A QUARTERFINALS

Reading 72, New Castle 48

Reading (30-1) jumped out to a 13-point lead at halftime and used a huge third quarter to pull away from New Castle (24-4) 72-48 on Saturday afternoon at Altoona High School.

Ruben Rodriguez led Reading with 27 points. Myles Grey had 16 points while Aris Rodriguez added 15 points. Da’Juan Young had 18 points while Isaiah Boice netted 13 points.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

PIAA 5A QUARTERFINALS

Oakland Catholic 60, McKeesport 59 (OT)

Oakland Catholic (25-4) trailed 16-6 at the end of the first quarter, but clawed their way back into the game, forced overtime, then got a huge free throw from London Creach with three seconds left in overtime to eliminate McKeesport (23-6) 60-59 at AHN Arena at Peters Township High School on Saturday afternoon.

Alexa Washington led Oakland Catholic with 24 points, 17 of them coming in the fourth quarter and overtime. Halena Hill added 14 points and Rachel Haver pitched in 13 points. Rachael Manfredo had 21 points for McKeesport while Malina Boord had 15 points.

Oakland Catholic advances to the PIAA Semifinals where they will take on South Fayette on Tuesday at AHN Arena once again at 6:30 pm. This is a rematch of the WPIAL 5A Championship Game won by South Fayette.

Creach Free Throws: @CHarlan_Trib (Twitter)

South Fayette 40, Cathedral Prep 37

South Fayette (27-2) was in unfamiliar territory on Saturday afternoon when they found themselves trailing Cathedral Prep (23-2) 29-24 going into the fourth quarter. South Fayette fought back to tie the game and Maddie Webber hit a step-back three at the buzzer to get the Lions into the semifinals with a 40-37 victory.

Webber led all scorers with 15 points while Erica Hall helped with 11 points. Lane Walz had 13 points for Cathedral Prep while Addie Biel had 11 points.

South Fayette advances to the PIAA Semifinals where they will battle with Oakland Catholic on Tuesday at AHN Arena at Peters Township High School at 6:30 pm. This is a rematch of the WPIAL 5A Championship Game.

Final Possession: @sflionssports (Twitter)

SOFTBALL

Upper St. Clair 14, Bentworth 2

North Allegheny 7, South Fayette 5

PIAA Quarterfinals Recap: 6A Girls and 5A Boys

Photo Credit: North Allegheny Sports Network

BOYS BASKETBALL

PIAA 5A QUARTERFINALS

Exeter 75, Peters Township 72 (OT)

Peters Township (24-5) was down eight points at the half. Stormed  back in the second half to force overtime, but ultimately fell to Exeter (26-6) 75-72 at Bald Eagle High School on Friday night.

Zyion Paschall led Exeter with 21 points. Kevin Saenz added 19 points while Anthony Caccese netted 14 points. Nate Miller had 19 points for Peters Township while Brendan McCullough and Jack Dunbar each had 16 points.

Cathedral Prep 68, Penn Hills 54

It was a closely contested battle through three quarters but Cathedral Prep (24-3) outscored Penn Hills (23-4) 30-21 in the final frame to come away with a 68-54 victory on Friday night at Sharon High School.

Semontae Lofton led all scorers with 23 points. Amaree Pickens added 19 points while Jack Sambuchino added 16 points. Noah Barren led Penn Hills with 13 points. Daemar Kelly had 12 points, Julian Dugger added 11 points and Rob Thomas netted 10.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

PIAA 6A QUARTERFINALS

Cedar Cliff 39, Upper St. Clair 22

Upper St. Clair (23-4) started off slow getting outscored 12-1 in the first quarter and just could never recover as they fell to Cedar Cliff (29-0) 39-22 on Friday night at Altoona High School.

Alexis Bule and Olivia Jones each had 10 points for Cedar Cliff.

Norwin 50, North Allegheny 30

Things were tight throughout but Norwin (24-4) outscored North Allegheny (22-6) 17-5 in the fourth quarter to avenge their WPIAL Semifinal loss, winning 50-30 on Friday night at Fox Chapel High School.

Kendall Berger had 18 points for Norwin while Ava Kobus had 12 points. Lauren Palangio added 10 points. Jasmine Timmerson and Lydia Betz each had 10 points.

Norwin advances to the PIAA Semifinals where they will take on District 3 champion Cedar Cliff on Monday at 7 p.m. at Altoona High School.

BASEBALL

Mars 8, Alcoa (TN) 6

Pine-Richland 10, Hempfield 1

Upper St. Clair 4, Mt. Lebanon 3

SOFTBALL

South Fayette 9, Phillips Exeter Academy (NH) 3

PIAA Quarterfinals Preview: 5A Boys and 6A Girls

Photo Credit: @phbasketball (Twitter)

BOYS BASKETBALL

PIAA 5A QUARTERFINALS

7-2 Peters Township (24-4) vs. 3-1 Exeter (25-6) – at Bald Eagle HS – 6 pm – WJPA

Peters Township

Peters Township has defeated Milton Hershey (60-53) and Lampeter Strasburg (58-56) in the PIAA playoffs. It has been a very balanced effort for the Indians throughout the PIAA playoffs. Brendan McCullough had 21 points in Peters Township’s first round win. Mickey Vaccarello had 14 points in that game while Nate Miller had 10 points. Jack Dunbar stepped up with 14 points in Peters Township’s second round win. Jake Ziegler had 11 points in that game.

Exeter

Exeter has beaten Fox Chapel (62-57) and Mechanicsburg (66-49) in the PIAA playoffs. Reece Garvin is averaging 16.5 points per game in the PIAA playoffs, including a career-high 21 points in Exeter’s second round win. Anthony Caccese is averaging 13.5 points per game in the PIAA playoffs, including a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds in the second round victory. Alex Kelsey will return after scoring 13 points in Exeter’s first round victory but was ejected and had to sit out the second round game.

This game will be broadcasted live on WJPA. You can find the broadcast link on the broadcast schedule under Multimedia.

10-1 Cathedral Prep (23-3) vs. 7-1 Penn Hills (23-3) – at Sharon HS – 7 pm

Cathedral Prep

Cathedral Prep beat South Fayette (47-45) and Mars (66-54) in the PIAA playoffs. Jake Sambuchino is averaging 17 points per game in the PIAA playoffs. Amaree Pickens had a big second round for Cathedral Prep scoring 25 points. Semontae Lofton was big for the Ramblers in the first round win scoring 16 points.

Penn Hills

Penn Hills has defeated DuBois (63-20) and Hershey (50-42) in the PIAA playoffs. Noah Barren is averaging 12.5 points per game in the PIAA playoffs. Daemar Kelly had 15 points in the Indians’ second round victory. Rob Thomas and Lamire Redman had 12 points for Penn Hills in their first round win. 

GIRLS BASKETBALL

PIAA 6A QUARTERFINALS

3-1 Cedar Cliff (28-0) vs. 7-2 Upper St. Clair (23-3) – at Altoona HS – 6 pm

Cedar Cliff

Cedar Cliff defeated Garnet Valley (45-28) and Upper Dublin (39-26) in the PIAA playoffs. They were the top seed in the District 3 playoffs and rolled to a District 3 Championship. Alexis Buie is averaging 10.5 points per game in the PIAA playoffs. Olivia Jones had 10 points in Cedar Cliff’s second round win. 

Upper St. Clair

Upper St. Clair has beaten McDowell (56-34) and Pennsbury (42-31). Rylee Kalocay is on fire in the PIAA playoffs averaging 27.5 points per game. Kate Robbins had 10 points in Upper St. Clair’s first round victory.

7-3 Norwin (23-4) vs. 7-1 North Allegheny (22-5) – at Fox Chapel – 7:30 pm – North Allegheny Sports Network & Westmoreland Sports Network

Norwin

Norwin beat Central Dauphin (34-19) and Lebanon (57-43) in the PIAA playoffs. The defense has been great and that should not be a surprise to anyone as they were the top defense in WPIAL 6A. Ava Christopher had 10 points in Norwin’s first round win. Lauren Palangio and Kendall Berger stepped up in the second round as Palangio had 24 points and Berger added 17 points.

North Allegheny

North Allegheny has defeated Manheim Township (76-53) and Mt. Lebanon (57-34) in the PIAA playoffs. Jasmine Timmerson is averaging 18.5 points per game in the PIAA playoffs. Kellie McConnell has stepped up big time in the PIAA playoffs averaging 18 points per game. Lydia Betz had 15 points in North Allegheny’s first round win while Caroline Henderson had 11 points in the first round victory.

Previous Matchups:

This is the fourth matchup between Norwin and North Allegheny this season.

Norwin won the first matchup on January 3, 53-32, at home. Berger had 14 points for Norwin while Polangio added 11 points. Timmerson had 20 points for North Allegheny.

North Allegheny took the second matchup on January 26 on their home floor by a score of 52-45. Betz had 20 points for North Allegheny while Timmerson had 17 points. Berger had 16 points for Norwin.

These teams would meet again in the WPIAL Semifinals at Fox Chapel where North Allegheny would squeak out a 38-36 win. Timmerson had 12 points for North Allegheny. Berger had 16 points for Norwin while Polangio added 10 points.

This game will be broadcasted live on the North Allegheny Sports Network and Westmoreland Sports Network. Both broadcast links will be on the broadcast schedule under Multimedia.

PIAA Second Round Recap: 6A Boys and 5A Girls

BOYS BASKETBALL

PIAA 6A SECOND ROUND

State College 57, Central Catholic 47

In a very competitive matchup, State College (25-2) outscored Central Catholic (17-10) 24-16 in the fourth quarter to separate themselves and win the game 57-47 on Wednesday night at Central Cambria High School.

Braeden Shrewsberry led State College with 26 points while Ryan Perks added 14 points. Dante DePante had 19 points for Central Catholic.

New Castle 65, Downingtown West 56

New Castle (24-3) used a big first quarter and was able to keep Downingtown West (20-8) at arm’s length the remainder of the contest to come away with a 65-56 victory on Wednesday night at Bald Eagle High School.

Isaiah Boice and Jonathan Anderson each had 16 points for New Castle. Ralphie Blundo added 14 points and Da’Juan Young netted 11 points. Dylan Blair had 28 points for Downingtown West while Donovan Fromhartz 12 points.

New Castle advances to the PIAA Quarterfinals where they will take on Reading, the District 3 Champions, on Saturday at a site and time to be determined.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

PIAA 5A SECOND ROUND

South Fayette 69, Mechanicsburg 29

South Fayette (26-2) kept their winning formula working, jumping out to a 40-14 lead at the half and once again got the running clock going en route to a 69-29 win against Mechanicsburg (20-8) on Wednesday night at Altoona High School.

Ava Leroux led all scorers with 21 points for South Fayette. Lainey Yater had 12 points while Erica Hall and Maddie Webber each had 10 points. Lauren Lebo netted 10 points for Mechanicsburg.

South Fayette advances to the PIAA Quarterfinals where they will face off against McKeesport on Saturday at a site and time to be determined.

McKeesport 63, Penn-Trafford 25

McKeesport (23-5) took a page out of South Fayette’s book jumping out to a huge early lead as they led 23-9 at the end of the first quarter and 43-15 at the half and coasted in the second half to a 63-25 victory over Penn-Trafford (18-10) on Wednesday night at Norwin High School.

Malina Boyd led McKeesport with 29 points. Rachael Manfredo added 12 points.

McKeesport advances to the PIAA Quarterfinals where they will battle with Oakland Catholic on Saturday at a site and time to be determined. 

Cathedral Prep 51, Mars 24

Cathedral Prep (23-1) played big time defense in the first half as they jumped out to a 28-6 lead at halftime and rolled to a 51-24 win on Wednesday night at Sharon High School.

No individual scores were reported.

Oakland Catholic 48, Hollidaysburg 47

Oakland Catholic (24-4) was down 47-46 with eight seconds left but Alexa Washington got a steal and made a layup at the buzzer to beat Hollidaysburg (24-1) 48-47 on Wednesday evening at Armstrong High School.

London Creach had 15 points for Oakland Catholic while Washington added 14 points. Sydney Lear had 19 points for Hollidaysburg.

Oakland Catholic advances to the PIAA Quarterfinals where they will square off against McKeesport on Saturday at a site and time to be determined.

Final 8 seconds: @kunichmomof4 (Twitter)

PIAA Second Round Previews: 6A Boys and 5A Girls

Photo Credit: @phbasketball (Twitter)

BOYS BASKETBALL

PIAA 6A SECOND ROUND

7-2 New Castle (23-3) vs. 1-4 Downingtown West (20-7) – at Bald Eagle HS – 5:30 pm – Lawrence County SportsNet

How they got here: New Castle were the champions of Section 1-6A. They were the top seed in the WPIAL playoffs. They got to the WPIAL Championship before falling to Central Catholic. New Castle defeated Erie, 60-50 in the PIAA First Round.

Downingtown West were the Ches-Mont – National section champions. They were the No. 5 seed in the District 1 playoffs. They got to the District 1 Semifinals before losing to Spring-Ford. They then fell to Lower Merion in the District 1 Third-Place Game to be the fourth-place team out of District 1. Downingtown West beat Waynesboro, 64-60 in the PIAA First Round.

Common Opponents: No common opponents.

Players to Watch: New Castle is led by Jonathan Anderson (18 pts in 1st RD) and Isaiah Boice (19 pts in 1st RD). Both were named Big 56 first-team all-section players. Downingtown West is led by Dylan Blair (Army commit).

Where to Listen: There will be an audio stream brought to you by Lawrence County SportsNet. You can find the broadcast link on the broadcast schedule under Multimedia.

7-1 Central Catholic (17-9) vs. 6-1 State College (24-2) – Central Cambria HS – 6 pm

How they got here: Central Catholic finished in second place in Section 1-6A. They were the No. 3 seed in the WPIAL playoffs. Central Catholic rattled off three straight wins to be WPIAL Champions. Central Catholic beat Wilson, 50-28 in the PIAA First Round.

State College were Mid-Penn – Commonwealth section champions. They were the top seed in the District 6 playoffs. They won the District 6 Championship and then won the District 6/8/10 Sub-Regional Championship. State College defeated Upper St. Clair, 72-42 in the PIAA First Round.

Common Opponents: Upper St. Clair is a common opponent for both teams. Central Catholic beat Upper St. Clair, 65-41, in the WPIAL Semifinals. State College defeated Upper St. Clair, 72-42 in the PIAA First Round.

Players to Watch: Central Catholic is led by Dante DePante (10 pts in 1st RD) and Debaba Tshibwe. Both were Big 56 first-team all-section selections. State College is led by Braden Shressberry (20 pts in 1st RD).

GIRLS BASKETBALL

PIAA 5A SECOND ROUND

7-1 South Fayette (25-2) vs. 3-3 Mechanicsburg (20-7) – at Altoona HS – 5:30 pm

How they got here: South Fayette was the Section 4-5A Champions running the table in section play. They were the top seed in the WPIAL playoffs. They rolled through District 7 with the closest margin of victory being 15 points en route to a WPIAL Championship. South Fayette defeated West York, 73-33, in the PIAA First Round.

Mechanicsburg came in second in the Mid-Penn – Keystone section. They were the No. 4 seed in the District 3 playoffs. They fell in the District 3 Semifinals but bounced back to win the District 3 Third-Place Game to get the No. 3 seed in the district. Mechanicsburg beat Woodland Hills, 47-44 in overtime in the PIAA First Round.

Common Opponents: Woodland Hills is a common opponent for both teams. South Fayette handled Woodland Hills 68-25 in the WPIAL Semifinals. Mechanicsburg beat Woodland Hills 47-44 in overtime in the PIAA First Round.

Players to Watch: South Fayette is led by Erica Hall (20 pts in 1st RD), Maddie Webber (21 pts in 1st RD), Lainey Yater and Ava Leroux (13 pts in 1st RD). All four players were named Big 56 first team all-section. Mechanicsburg is led by Lauren Lebo (14 pts in 1st RD), Gracen Nutt (12 pts in 1st RD) and Alaina Sweet (10 pts in 1st RD).

7-7 Penn-Trafford (18-9) vs. 7-3 McKeesport (22-5) – at Norwin – 7:30 pm – Westmoreland Sports Network

How they got here: Penn-Trafford finished in third place in Section 3-5A. They were the No. 8 seed in the WPIAL playoffs. They were bounced in the WPIAL Quarterfinals, lost in the WPIAL Consolation Semifinals but came back to win the WPIAL Seventh-Place Game to get into the PIAA tournament. Penn-Trafford upset Greencastle-Antrim in the PIAA First Round, 40-39.

McKeesport was the second-place finisher in the Section 3-5A. They were the No. 3 seed in the WPIAL playoffs. They got to the WPIAL Semifinals before falling to Oakland Catholic. They would bounce back to win the WPIAL Third-Place Game. McKeesport beat Northern, 54-40, in the PIAA First Round.

Previous Meetings: This will be the third matchup between Penn-Trafford and McKeesport.

The first meeting on January 13 went to McKeesport 59-35. Malina Boord had 20 points for McKeesport while Rachael Manfredo added 15 points. Olivia Pepple had 15 points for Penn-Trafford.

McKeesport also won the second meeting 47-32 on February 7. Manfredo had 14 points for McKeesport. Lilly Palladino led Penn-Trafford with 11 points.

Players to Watch: Penn-Trafford is led by Olivia Pepple (16.8 ppg) and Lauren Marton (10.0 ppg; 11 pts in 1st RD). McKeesport is led by Rachael Manfredo (15.6 ppg; 19 pts in 1st RD). 

This game will be broadcast on the Westmoreland Sports Network. You can find the broadcast link on the broadcast schedule under Multimedia.

7-2 Oakland Catholic (23-4) vs. 6-1 Hollidaysburg (24-0) – at Armstrong – 7:30 pm

How they got here: Oakland Catholic ran the table in Section 3-5A to become section champions. They were the No. 2 seed in the WPIAL playoffs. They got to the WPIAL Championship Game where they fell to South Fayette. Oakland Catholic defeated Manheim Central, 65-39, in the PIAA First Round

Hollidaysburg also went undefeated in section play and won the Mountain section championship. They were the top seed in the District 6 playoffs and rolled to a district championship. Hollidaysburg is the last remaining undefeated team in Pennsylvania 5A girls basketball. They beat Lower Dauphin, 64-44 in the PIAA First Round.

Common Opponents: No common opponents but both teams won against District 3 opponents in the PIAA First Round. Oakland Catholic defeated Manheim Central who was the No. 3 seed in the District 3 tournament. Hollidaysburg beat Lower Dauphin who was the No. 5 seed in the District 3 tournament.

Players to Watch: Oakland Catholic is led by Alexa Washington and Halena Hill (20 pts in 1st RD). Both players were named Big 56 first team all-section. Hollidaysburg is led by Sydney Lear (24 pts in 1st RD) and Bella Vent (18 pts in 1st RD).

7-6 Mars (18-8) vs. 10-1 Cathedral Prep (22-1) – at Sharon HS – 7:30 pm

How they got here: Mars finished in second-place in Section 2-5A. They were the No. 7 seed in the WPIAL playoffs. Mars was knocked out of championship contention by Oakland Catholic in the WPIAL Quarterfinals but bounced back to win in the WPIAL Consolation Semifinals before falling in the WPIAL Fifth-Place Game. Mars upset York Suburban, 49-40 in the PIAA First Round.

Cathedral Prep ran the table in District 10 Region 7 to win that section championship. They are the only 5A girls team in District 10 so they went straight to the District 8/9/10 Sub-Regional where they won the championship. Cathedral Prep defeated Trinity, 48-30 in the PIAA First Round.

Common Opponent: Trinity is a common opponent of both teams. Mars fell to Trinity 46-42 in the WPIAL Fifth-Place Game. Cathedral Prep defeated Trinity, 48-30, in the PIAA First Round.

Players to Watch: Mars is led by Olivia Donnelly and Vita Vargo (13 pts in 1st RD). Donnelly was named to the Big 56 first team all-section team. Annalyn Isaacs was also a first team all-section player for Mars but is ineligible due to PIAA transfer rules. Cathedral Prep is led by Jayden McBride (16 pts in 1st RD), Lena Walz (16 pts in 1st RD) and Addie Biel (10 pts in 1st RD).

PIAA Second Round Recaps: 5A Boys and 6A Girls

BOYS BASKETBALL

PIAA 5A SECOND ROUND

Penn Hills 50, Hershey 42

Things were tight all night between these two teams but Penn Hills (23-3) outscored Hershey (20-8) 19-11 in the fourth quarter to pull away with a 50-42 win on Tuesday night at Altoona High School.

Daemar Kelly had 15 points for Penn Hills. Michai Oliver added 11 points and Noah Barren netted 10. Joey Alander had 18 points for Hershey while Matthew DeDonatis pitched in 11 points.

Penn Hills advances to the PIAA Quarterfinals where they will take on Cathedral Prep, the District 10 champions, on Friday at a site and time to be determined.

Cathedral Prep 66, Mars 54

Another close game throughout, but a 8-2 run for Cathedral Prep (23-3) in the final three minutes gave them the separation they needed to defeat Mars (17-11) and come away with the 66-54 victory on Tuesday night at Westminster College.

Amaree Pickens had 25 points for Cathedral Prep while Jake Sambuchino added 21 points. After a rare low scoring first round game, Tasso Sfanos had 26 points for Mars and Remi Black netted 10 points.

Peters Township 58, Lampeter Strasburg 56

In a game where neither team could get any separation. It was Peters Township (24-4) who hit some big free throws down the stretch and got a stop on the final possession of the game to advance to the PIAA Quarterfinals for the first time since 1997 with a 58-56 win over Lampeter Strasburg (20-8) on Tuesday night at Altoona High School.

Jack Dunbar had 14 points for Peters Township while Jake Ziegler had 11 points. Dean Herr led Lampeter Strasburg with 16 points. Chase Smucker added 13 points.

Peters Township advances to the PIAA Quarterfinals where they will take on Exeter, the champions out of District 3, on Friday at a site and time to be determined.

Final Possession: via @BREAL412 (Twitter)

GIRLS BASKETBALL

PIAA 6A SECOND ROUND

North Allegheny 57, Mt. Lebanon 34

Mt. Lebanon (18-9) couldn’t miss in the first quarter, but North Allegheny (22-5) responded with a 21-3 second quarter to get a double digit lead and rolled to a 57-34 triumph on Tuesday night at North Hills High School. For a complete story, CLICK HERE.

Jasmine Timmerson had 19 points for North Allegheny while Kellie McConnell added 18 points. Jennifer Smith had 10 points for Mt. Lebanon.

North Allegheny advances to the PIAA Quarterfinals where they will battle it out with Norwin for the fourth time this year. That game will be on Tuesday at a site and time to be determined.

Upper St. Clair 42, Pennsbury 31

Upper St. Clair (23-3) was held to one point in the third quarter but bounced back to outscore Pennsbury (21-9) 18-7 in the fourth quarter to pull away for a 42-31 win on Tuesday night at Chambersburg High School.

Rylee Kalocay had another big night for Upper St. Clair as she went for 25 points. Sofia Vitucci had 19 points for Pennsbury.

Upper St. Clair is headed to the PIAA Quarterfinals where they will play against District 3 champion Cedar Cliff on Tuesday, at a site and time to be determined.

Norwin 57, Lebanon 43

A team known for their defense, Norwin (23-4) put up 24 points in the second quarter and then their defense took them home in the second half to a 57-43 win on Tuesday night at Bald Eagle High School.

Lauren Palangio led all scorers with 24 points for Norwin. Kendall Berger added 17 points. Olive Brandt had 14 points for Lebanon while Kailah Correa netted 13 points.

Norwin advances to the PIAA Quarterfinals where they will have their fourth meeting with North Allegheny this season. That game will be on Tuesday at a site and time to be determined.

PIAA Second Round Preview: 5A Boys and 6A Girls

Photo Credit: Will McBride

BOYS BASKETBALL

PIAA 5A SECOND ROUND

7-2 Peters Township (23-4) vs. 3-7 Lampeter Strasburg (20-7) – at Altoona – 5:30 pm

How they got here: Peters Township won Section 1-5A. Was the top seed in the WPIAL tournament, went 3-1 in the WPIAL playoffs where their one loss came in the WPIAL Championship against Penn Hills. Peters Township defeated Milton Hershey in the PIAA First Round, 60-53. 

Lampeter Strasburg won the Lancaster-Lebanon 3 section title. They got the No. 2 seed in the District 3 playoffs but a 1-2 performance in the District 3 playoffs put them as the seventh place team out of District 3. Lampeter Strasburg beat Central Mountain in the PIAA First Round, 64-56.

Common Opponent: Milton Hershey is a common opponent for both of these teams. Peters Township beat Milton Hershey, 60-53, in the PIAA First Round. Lampeter Strasburg fell to Milton Hershey during the regular season on February 27, 65-40.

Players to Watch: Peters Township is led by Brendan McCullough (21 pts in 1st RD) and Jack Dunbar. They were both Big 56 First team all-section selections. Lampeter Strasburg is led by Benjamin Wert (24.1 ppg), Chase Smucker (13.3 ppg) and Luke Hines (10.5 ppg).

10-1 Cathedral Prep (22-3) vs. 7-6 Mars (17-10) – at Westminster College – 6 pm

How they got here: Cathedral Prep won the District 10 Region 7 section title. They were the top seed in the District 10 playoffs. They won the District 10 Championship along with the District 8/9/10 Sub-Regional Championship. Cathedral Prep defeated South Fayette 47-45 in the PIAA First Round.

Mars finished in third-place in the Section 4-5A. They were the No. 7 seed in the WPIAL playoffs. A 2-2 performance in the WPIAL playoffs put Mars as the sixth-place finisher out of District 7. 

Common Opponent: South Fayette is a common opponent for both teams. Cathedral Prep beat South Fayette 47-45 in the PIAA First Round. Mars lost to South Fayette in the regular season 77-72 (3OT) on January 10 and then again in the WPIAL Fifth-Place game where they fell 56-36.

Players to Watch: Cathedral Prep is led by Semontae Lofton (16 pts in 1st RD) and Jake Sambuchino (14 pts in 1st RD). Mars is led by Tasso Sfanos and Ryan Ceh (16 pts in 1st RD). Both were selected to the Big 56 First-team all-section team. 

3-3 Hershey (20-7) vs. 7-1 Penn Hills (22-3) – at Altoona – 7 pm

How they got here: Hershey finished in second-place in the Mid-Penn – Keystone section. They were the No. 7 seed in the District 3 playoffs. A 3-1 performance in the District 3 playoffs got Hershey to a third-place finish in District 3. Hershey took down Gateway, 56-55, in the PIAA First Round

Penn Hills was the Section 2-5A champion. They were the No. 2 seed in the WPIAL playoffs. A 4-0 performance in the WPIAL playoffs made them district champions. Penn Hills beat DuBois, 63-20, in the PIAA First Round

Common Opponent: There are no common opponents between these two teams.

Players to Watch: Hershey is led by Matthew DeDonatis (19 pts in 1st RD) and Marcus Sweeny (14 pts in 1st RD). Penn Hills is led by Daemar Kelly and Noah Barren (15 pts in 1st RD). Both players were Big 56 first-team all-section selections.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

PIAA 6A SECOND ROUND

1-4 Pennsbury (21-8) vs. 7-2 Upper St. Clair (22-3) – at Chambersburg – 5:30 pm

How they got here: Pennsbury came in second-place in the Suburban One – National section. They were the No. 11 seed in the District 1 playoffs. A 3-2 performance in the District 1 playoffs got Pennsbury fourth-place in the district. Pennsbury defeated Nazareth, 23-18, in the PIAA First Round.

Upper St. Clair ran the table in section and won the Section 2-6A title. They were the top seed in the WPIAL playoffs. A 2-1 performance in the WPIAL playoffs got them WPIAL runner-up. Upper St. Clair tripped up McDowell, 56-34, in the PIAA First Round

Common Opponents: There are no common opponents between these two teams.

Players to Watch: Pennsbury is led by Sofia Vitucci (17 pts in 1st RD) and Lola Ibarrondo. Upper St. Clair is led by Rylee Kalocay (30 pts in 1st RD) and Kate Robbins (10 pts in 1st RD). Both players were Big 56 First-Team all-section selections.

7-3 Norwin (22-4) vs. 3-5 Lebanon (27-2) – at Bald Eagle – 5:30 pm

How they got here: Norwin was the Section 1-6A co-champions with North Allegheny. They were the No. 3 seed in the WPIAL playoffs. A 2-1 performance gave them the third-place finish out of District 7. Norwin ended Central Dauphin’s season beating them 34-19 in the PIAA First Round.

Lebanon was the champion of the Lancaster-Lebanon 2 section. They were the No. 3 seed in the District 3 playoffs. A quarterfinal loss, followed by two wins in the consolation rounds gave Lebanon the fifth-place spot in the district. Lebanon beat Haverford, 48-41, in the PIAA First Round

Common Opponents: No common opponents but Lebanon and Central Dauphin are from the same district. Lebanon was the No. 3 seed in the District 3 playoffs while Central Dauphin was the No. 5 seed.

Players to Watch: Norwin is led by Kendall Berger, Ava Kobus and Lauren Palangio. All three were named to the Big 56 first-team all-section team. Lebanon is led by Aaliyah Ferrer (16 pts in 1st RD) and Kailah Correa (16 pts in 1st RD). 

7-1 North Allegheny (21-5) vs. 7-4 Mt. Lebanon (18-8) – at North Hills – 7:30 pm

How they got here: North Allegheny was Section 1-6A co-champions with Norwin. They were the No. 2 seed in the WPIAL playoffs. A 3-0 performance in the postseason got them to another WPIAL Championship. North Allegheny handled Manheim Township in the PIAA First Round, 76-53.

Mt. Lebanon was the second-place finisher in Section 2-6A. A 1-2 performance in the WPIAL playoffs got them the fourth-place finish out of District 7. Mt. Lebanon beat Altoona, 58-50, on the road in the PIAA First Round.

Common Opponents: Altoona and Upper St. Clair are common opponents for these two teams. North Allegheny beat Altoona in their season opener on December 2, 78-64. Mt. Lebanon just defeated Altoona, 58-50, in the PIAA First Round. North Allegheny took down Upper St. Clair in the WPIAL Championship, 71-45. Mt. Lebanon has lost to Upper St. Clair three different times. Twice in the regular season, 57-39 and 52-44 and then in the WPIAL Semifinals, 58-33. 


Players to Watch: North Allegheny is led by Jasmine Timmerson (18 pts in 1st RD) and Lydia Betz (15 pts in 1st RD). Mt. Lebanon is led by Payton Collins. All players were named to the Big 56 first-team all-section team.