News

Three of the four teams that received byes have advanced to the semifinals, but the hottest team may be the one that has played through the first round, Thomas Jefferson.

Both games tonight will be played at 6 p.m. on a neutral court.

No. 1 Chartiers Valley Colts (23-0) vs. No. 4 Penn Hills Indians (16-6) At Fox Chapel

Chartiers Valley had its worst offensive output of the season the quarterfinals against No. 9 Trinity, but were still able to come away with a 32-22 victory to remain undefeated on the season. The Colts were held without a field goal for the final 12:46 of the game but relied on its defense to get grind out the win, including only allowing one point in the first quarter. Junior Megan McConnell was the only player in the game in double figures with 12 points. In last year’s semifinals, Chartiers Valley lost a heartbreaker to Gateway, 44-42…Penn Hills has played a tough schedule throughout the season, which has prepared them for this point in the season. The Indians disposed of a tough No. 5 Franklin Regional team in the quarterfinals, 55-43. Penn Hills won every quarter in the game to increase its lead. They were led by senior Adia Brisker with 20 points. Fellow senior Tayonna Robertson added 13 points. Penn Hills last played in the quarterfinals two years ago when they suffered a 41-36 loss to Bethel Park…This is the first meeting of the season between these two teams.

No. 2 Oakland Catholic Eagles (20-3) vs. No. 6 Thomas Jefferson Jaguars (18-6) At North Allegheny

This match-up was set up after one team blew away the defending PIAA champion and another did the same to the defending WPIAl champion. Oakland Catholic defeated the former, No. 7 Mars, in the quarterfinals on Saturday, 67-45. The Eagles only led by two after one quarter but pulled away in the second for a 31-16 halftime lead. Senior Sierra DeAngelo had a huge game with 33 points. Senior Jayde Boyd finished with 16 points. Oakland Catholic defeated Mars in the semifinals last year, 48-44…Thomas Jefferson has made its first two playoff games look easy, outscoring its opponents, 158-84. That included a 79-52 win in the quarterfinals against defending WPIAL champion, Gateway. Leading the way for the Jaguars was senior Jenna Clark with 29 points. Junior Alyssa DeAngelo finished with 22 points and junior Dalaney Ranallo added 10 points. This is the second meeting of the season between Oakland Catholic and Thomas Jefferson. The Eagles won the first, 58-47, on Dec. 28 in the Oakland Catholic Holiday Tournament.

For a complete look at the Class 5A bracket, click here.