Four teams remain in state basketball playoffs
Mar. 13—BOYS BASKETBALL
Who: Farrell (21-4) vs. Harmony (23-3).
What: PIAA Class 1A playoffs, 2nd round.
When: 7:30 p.m. Tonight.
Where: Clarion University.
Key Players: Farrell — Khanye Matthews, Lamont Samuels; Nasir O'Kane, Kylon Wilson, Danny Odem. Harmony — Jack Bracken 22.6 ppg., Cohlton Fry 20.5, Anthony Maseto 10.5.
Bonus Shots: Farrell will look to push past the second round of the state playoffs for the first time under head coach Myron Lowe. A win will put the Steelers in the quarterfinals for the first time since making it in Class 2A in 2020. ... That 2020 playoff run was canceled due to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, so the game against Our Lady of the Sacred Heart was never played. ... The Steelers dropped a 65-53 matchup to Elk County Catholic in the second round last season. ... Farrell is coming off a 75-62 win over Geibel Catholic in the opening round last week. ... Harmony, the District 6 runner-up, beat DuBois Central Catholic 70-58 in its first-round game for its second all-time state playoff victory. ... The Owls' previous playoff win came in 2000 with a 66-59 double-overtime win over Iroquois. ... Maseto enters the game averaging a 10.5-point, 10.2-rebound double-double for the Owls in 25 games.
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Who: Mercer (21-5) vs. Bishop Canevin (21-6).
What: PIAA Class 2A playoffs, 2nd round.
When: 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Where: Hampton High School.
Key Players: Mercer — Jake Mattocks 16.3 ppg., Dae Mattocks 11.2, Bubba Palmer 6.3, Braden Balaski 6.2. Bishop Canevin — Shea Champine, Geno DeFrank, Jason Cross, Dante Berrien.
Bonus Shots: Mercer beat Southern Huntingdon 63-42 in the first round of the state playoffs on Saturday. ... It was the Mustangs' first state postseason victory since March 17, 1988, in a 77-57 decision over Carlynton. ... The Mustangs, the District 10 Class 2A runner-ups, enter with a 28-22 record in the state playoffs. ... Saturday's win snapped a six-game losing streak in the opening round for the Mustangs. ... Bishop Canevin is the defending Class 1A state champion. ... BC beat Clarion-Limestone 70-67 in their opening-round meeting last week. ... Champine's 33-point performance against Clarion-Limestone was his ninth 30-point game of the season. ... BC won seven of its final eight games before dropping a pair in the WPIAL Class 2A tournament. ... The Crusaders finished fourth in the WPIAL after dropping the third-place game 71-60 to Greensburg Central Catholic. ... The Crusaders have reached the PIAA quarterfinals every season since 2020.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Who: Kennedy Catholic (22-4) vs. Burgettstown (21-6).
What: PIAA Class 2A playoffs, 2nd round.
When: 7 p.m. Tonight.
Where: New Castle Area Senior High School.
Key Players: Kennedy Catholic — Layke Fields 19.0 ppg., Bella Magestro 11.8; Isabella Bianco 9.6, Monique Vincent 8.8, Hayden Keith 8.0, Cassie Dancak 6.6. Burgettstown — Kaitlyn Nease 18.3, Taylor Schumacher 15.2, Eden Rush, Jill Frazier, Addie Cairns.
Bonus Shots: KC has reached the 2nd round of the PIAA playoffs every year since 2011. ... Coach Justin Magestro's District 10 champions routed Brentwood (77-20) in the first round of the state playoffs on Friday. Keith scored 24 points, Fields 13, Vincent 12, Dancak 11, and Magestro 10. ... KC rolled past Maplewood (73-33) to win the program's 13th straight D-10 crown (29th overall). Fields had a monster game with 21 points and 20 rebounds. Bianco also scored 21 and Magestro added 12 points. ... KC enters the game riding a 19-game winning streak. The Golden Eagles haven't lost a game since Dec. 22. ... KC's four losses are against North Catholic (50-28), Morgantown (51-30), University (59-55 in OT), and Norwin (53-29). ... The team picked up big road wins over Indiana (42-39), Blackhawk (55-53), and McDowell (46-32). ... North Catholic (55-53) beat Blackhawk for its second straight and 22nd overall D-7 championship. North Catholic (beat Conneaut Area 70-44) and Blackhawk (beat Warren 51-32) are still alive in the PIAA Class 4A playoffs, Morgantown won the West Virginia Class 4A championship over Wheeling Park (54-50), Norwin is still alive in the 6A playoffs (beat Central Dauphin 34-19), and McDowell lost to Upper St. Clair in the first round of the PIAA 6A playoffs. ... KC outscored its D-10 playoff opponents 219-78, throw in Friday's win and its 296-98. ... KC's top scorers are a sophomore and a freshmen in Fields and Magestro. Fields, who was a 2nd Team All-State selection last season, has 820 career points and 503 rebounds. ... KC reached the state quarterfinals in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, and 2022. In 2020, KC beat Shanksville-Stonycreek in the second round and was set to play in the quarterfinals, but COVID wiped out the rest of the season. ... KC is 22-10 in second-round PIAA games. ... Last year, Kennedy beat North Clarion (60-23), Shanksville-Stonycreek (55-29), Otto-Eldred (77-30), and Portage (51-45) to reach the PIAA Class 1A championship game, which it dropped to Northumberland Christian (66-54). Fields had 21 points in that game. ... The program's lone state championship was in 2001. ... Coach Megan Zitner's Burgettstown Blue Devils are the third seed out of District 7. ... The Devils beat D-6 runner-up United (57-52) in OT on Friday in the opening round of the PIAAs. Nease had 18 points. ... Burgettstown averages 51.9 ppg. and allows 34.6. ... Losses are against Beaver Area (51-36), Laurel (51-41), Seton LaSalle (45-37), Quaker Valley (47-46), Avonworth (47-34), and Shenango (54-44). ... In the D-7 playoffs, the Blue Devils beat Winchester Thurston (56-40) and Greensburg Central Catholic (50-45) before losing to Shenango in the semifinals. They beat Aliquippa (50-30) in in the 3rd-place consolation game. ... The Devils swept Brentwood this year (54-38 and 49-29). ... Burgettstown had won eight straight games before losing to Shenango in the semis. ... This was the fifth straight year the Devils qualified for the WPIAL playoffs. It was the third time they reached the quarterfinals and first time the team reached the semifinals. ... Last year, Burgettstown went 18-5. It lost to Serra Catholic (37-35) in the D-7 quarterfinals and fell in the first round of the PIAA playoffs to Homer-Center (50-18). ... Tuesday's winner will advance to Friday's quarterfinals to play either D-9 champ Redbank Valley or Bishop McCort, the third seed out of D-6.
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Who: Lakeview (19-7) vs. Shenango (23-4).
What: PIAA Class 2A playoffs, 2nd round.
When: 7:30 p.m. Tonight.
Where: Westminster College's Buzz Ridl Gymnasium.
Key Players: Lakeview — Emma Marsteller 12.1 ppg., Kendra Seddon 9.5, Kyndra Seddon 8.1, Delaney Kepner 4.7, Alaina Peltonen 3.7. Shenango — Emilee Fedrizzi 15.7, Kylee Rubin 14.0, Amara DeFrank, Janie Natale, Ashley DeCarbo.
Bonus Shots: The Sailors beat District 9 runner-up Moniteau (47-40) on Friday in the opening round of the state playoffs. Kendra Seddon led Lakeview with 12 points, Kyndra Seddon scored 11, and Emma Marsteller added 10 points. ... Coach Gary Burke (348) is nearing 350 career coaching wins. Burke spent 18 season as Lakeview boys coach before stepping down in 2018. He went 257-180 as boys coach. In 2012-13, his Sailors dropped a tough 5-OT loss to West Middlesex for the D-10 Class 2A championship, but advanced to the PIAA playoffs and beat Quaker Valley (44-40) for the program's first-ever win in the state tournament. ... His girls team advanced to the PIAA playoffs by beating Cambridge Springs (36-33) in the consolation game. Kendra Seddon had 11 points in that game. ... Lakeview rolled past Union City (50-21) in the district quarterfinals before falling to Kennedy (61-29) in the semis. ... With Friday's win over Moniteau, the girls program improved to 11-2 in first-round PIAA playoff games. ... Lakeview lost to North Catholic (56-25) in the second round of last year's state playoffs. ... Lakeview is attempting to reach the quarterfinals for the seventh time in school history (1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 2005, and 2006. The Sailors reached the semifinals in 1978 (lost to Johnsonburg) and 1982 (beat Bishop McCort). The '82 team fell to D-11 champion Pine Grove (57-45) in the PIAA Class 1A championship game. ... Lakeview's seven losses have come against Kennedy Catholic (67-34, 49-17, and 61-29), United (46-31), Mercer (31-29), Harbor Creek (45-37), and Sharpsville (49-39). KC is still alive while Sharpsville (3A) and United (2A) lost in the first round of the PIAAs, and Harbor Creek beat Quaker Valley and faces North Catholic in Class 4A. ... Coach Ricci LaRocco's District 7 champion Shenango Wildcats defeated Marion Center (50-43), the fourth seed out of District 6, in the opening round of the PIAAs. Fedrizzi fired in 21 points, Natale 15, and Rubin 14. ... The Wildcats, who average 52.3 ppg. and allow 38.2, have won 14 straight games. ... Losses are against Mohawk (43-42), Freedom (56-48), Beaver Area (46-35), and Laurel (51-32). ... Shenango beat Farrell (69-54) on Jan. 15 in the Ron Galbreath Classic at Westminster College. Lakeview swept Farrell (69-29 and 60-37) in region play. ... In the D-7 playoffs, the Wildcats beat Carmichaels (63-32), Brentwood (43-39), Burgettstown (44-34), and defeated Freedom (44-34) in the championship game. Freedom lost to Neumann-Goretti (55-49) in last year's PIAA championship game. ... In the WPIAL title tilt, Rubin scored 17 while Fedrizzi and Natale had 13 each. Fedrizzi surpassed 1,000 career points in the game. It was Shenango's first D-7 crown and first-ever appearance in the finals. ... In the semifinals against Burgettstown, Fedrizzi drained eight treys and had 32 points. ... Last season, Shenango went 16-10. The Wildcats beat Northern Bedford (49-45) and Seton LaSalle (59-53) in the PIAA 2A playoffs before losing to eventual state champ Neshannock (51-17) in the quarterfinals. ... Tuesday's winner advances to the quarterfinals on Friday to play either (D10-2) Maplewood or Greensburg Central Catholic (D7-5).
