What’s coming up: 5A Girls Basketball Quarterfinals

Posted on: by Big 56 Conference

by: Don Rebel

BRACKET BUSTERS IN GIRLS 5A

Most of the WPIAL basketball brackets have gone according to plan through the opening round with one big exception in girls Class 5A.

The lower-left quadrant was blown to bits in the first round.

No. 4 Shaler was shut down by No. 13 Mars, and No. 5 Franklin Regional was stunned by No. 12 Bethel Park.

That leads to a surprise quarterfinal when the Fightin’ Planets and Black Hawks collide at North Allegheny at 7:30 p.m.

Junior Cecilia Christy scored 13 points to lead Mars (14-9) in the first-round win.

Senior Ella Sabatos tallied 16 points as Bethel Park (12-11) held on to pick up the victory in Round 1.

This will mark the second time this year the two fourth-place teams in Section 3 (Mars) and Section 4 (Bethel Park) go head to head.

Way back on Dec. 6, the host Black Hawks edged the Fightin’ Planets, 56-52.

Senior Sadie Orie had 23 points for Bethel Park while Mars was led by senior Vita Vargo with 13 points.

Here are the other three Class 5A quarterfinals Wednesday.

Top seed and three-time defending champion South Fayette (22-1) will take on Baldwin (15-8) at Mt. Lebanon at 7:30 p.m. in a game you can hear on Trib HSSN. The Section 3 champion Lions rolled to a first-round win over Greensburg Salem, 57-30, thanks to 19 points from junior Haylie Lamonde. The Highlanders squeezed by Chartiers Valley on the road in the opening round, 73-72, as junior Julianne Ott exploded for 30 points.

No. 2 Peters Township (20-3) will face No. 7 Indiana (18-5) at Norwin at 7:30 p.m. in a game you can hear on Trib HSSN. The Indians played without senior star Natalie Wetzel due to injury and still knocked off Fox Chapel in the first round, 66-58, led by 21 points from junior Bri Morreale. Senior Emily Betsinger and junior Addy Hutton each scored 15 points to help the Little Indians defeat Moon in the first round, 44-39.

No. 6 Thomas Jefferson (19-4) will challenge No. 3 Penn-Trafford (23-0) at Norwin at 6 p.m. in a game you can see here on Trib HSSN. Sophomore Kaylee D’Angelo scored 20 points to lead the Jaguars past Latrobe in the playoff opener, 68-47. The Warriors remained undefeated in Round 1 as senior Bella Klobucar registerd 14 points in a triumph over Plum, 63-46.