Highlights of Staurday's Basketball W.P.I.A.L. Action
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THE CHOPS
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Highlights of Staurday's Basketball W.P.I.A.L. Action
Saturday's W.P.I.A.L. Basketball Highlights ........
2/17/2007 -
The first weekend of games in the 2007 WPIAL Basketball Playoffs is history with an additional 28 boys and girls games played Saturday, including the postseasons first true shocker. Here is a breif recap from some of the afternoon action of the 'Battle to the Bluff' heard on the MSA Sports Network.
Thanks to John Phillips, Jim Frederick, Bob Gregg, Mark Schaas, Mike Azadian, Bob Orkwis, Lee Mohn, Brian Mroziak, Ed Troup, Matt Vandriak and Sam Hall for helping make these recaps possible.
WPIAL BOYS:
CLASS (AAAA):
BETHEL PARK 70 - HEMPFIELD 44
There were no surprises in this first round contest between the #2 seed Bethel Park Black Hawks and Hempfield Spartans on Saturday afternoon from Gateway High School. BP used a suffocating defense and balanced scoring on offense in easily handling the Spartans 70-44. The Blackhawks lead 40-18 at the end of the first half and cruised to the easy win. The Spartans were held to just three first half offensive rebounds and never found their sync on offense. Bethel was paced by Alex Wojdowski’s 14 points. Tim Picard added 12, while Andrew Vekela scored 11. Hempfield was led in scoring by Joe Sunder who registered 14 on the afternoon. The Black Hawks will face Mount Lebanon for a third time this season in the Quarterfinals next week at a site and date to be determined.
CLASS (AAA):
LAUREL HIGHLANDS 85 - HIGHLANDS 76
One of the biggest upsets in recent WPIAL history as the 15th-seed Mustangs shock the district with a 9-point victory over the 2nd-seed Golden Rams at North Allegheny High School. Laurel Highlands entered the contest with a 12-12 mark, while Highlands, which won its first 19 games this season, was 21-2. However the Mustangs played with confidence early and came back from a pair of third quarter deficits to take control and outsocre the Golden Rams 28-14 in the final quarter. The downfall of Highlands could be summed up in two words - KALEB RAMSEY. The junior could not be stopped as he registered a near-record 43 points for Laurel Highlands, which advances to the Quarterfinals against Tuesdays Steel Valley-Valley winner. Sophomore Jeff Sinclair did all he could with 29 points for Highlands, which ends its memorable season at 21-3.
AMBRIDGE 60 - WEST MIFFLIN 42
Ambridge won its first playoff game in over four years and the first postseason victory for third-year coach ron Rowan as giards Slade Unis and Jared Gibson teams for 37 points and 9 assists. Gibson had 12 of his points in the second half, including 4-4 at the foul line the the 4th quarter when the 18-7 Bridgers pulled away from the 11-12 Titans by outscoring them 19-4. Ambridge was able to solve the full court press of West Mifflin as the game wore on and only committed 13 turnovers while hitting 75% from the floor, including many back-door inside buckets. Unis had 19 points and 7 assists to lead the Birdgers into Round Two against Hampton next Friday night. Chris Giles paced West Mifflin with 24 points.
CHARTIERS VALLEY 65 - HOPEWELL 50
Chartiers Valley cruised to an easy win behind Mike Sherry's 6 3 pointers, 9-11 shooting from the free throw line and 37 points.The Colts never trailed and recieved 10 points from Brandon Fishbaugh to complement Sherry's performance. As a team they shot 10 -18 from 3 point land. Hopewell was led by Mark Javens who scored 19 points and was 9-12 from the free throw line. Chartiers Valley used their perimiter passing game and three point offense to jump on Hopewell early, and despite being outsized and out rebounded were able to come away with the first round win.
CLASS (AA):
ROCHESTER 54 - BISHOP CANEVIN 41
A quick start was exactly what Rochester ordered after not playing for over a week and having a disjointed practice schedule due to a teacher’s strike. A quick start is exactly what the Rams got, as Derek Moye sank 3 first quarter three-pointers to pace Rochester to a 16-2 lead after one period, in a game in which the Rams would never trail. Moye, who came into the game averaging just under 19 points per game, finished with a double-double, netting game-high 21 points and pulling down 18 rebounds. Teammate Reon Hunter scored 14 points for the Rams, including 4-of4 on free throw attempts in the fourth quarter. Julian Taylor added 11 for Rochester. Kevin Nee sank 4 treys and finished with 14 points to led Bishop Canevin. Steve Mackin added 8 off the bench for the Crusaders. Bishop Canevin finishes the season with a (17-8) record. Rochester improves to (13-7) and faces the Shenango Wildcats in the first round of the WPIAL Boys AA Tournament, who finished ahe3ad of the Rams during the regular season in section 2.
SHENANGO 60 - NEW BRIGHTON 47
Shenango shot 63% from the field while outrebounding New Brighton 33-17 in winning their 10th straight game and advancing in the WPIAL Class AA Boys bracket. Shenango led by as many as 13 in the first half before the underdog Lions (8-16) came roaring back to within 44-40 after three quarters on the strength of 9 points by sophomore D.J. Pearson in the third quarter. But the Wildcats put the game away by outscoring New Brighton 16-7 in the 4th quarter and hitting 8 of 12 free throws in that period. Braydon Micaletti scored 13 points to lead the 18-6 Wildcats while Rocco Colavecchio added 10 points and 10 rebounds. Pearson had 15 points for New Brighton while Nick Edwards grabbed 6 boards for the Lions.
FREEPORT 59 - SOUTH FAYETTE 56
They will talk about this game for along time. It was ashamed to see one of these teams lose. Freeport came back late for a 59-56 win against South Fayette. This was a very very physical game. Freeport outscored South Fayette at the line 14-2. The key in the game was South Fayette's Sean McElhinny fouling out of the game with 3:48 to go in the game. He was dominating inside in the 4th quarter. He left with 20 points. Freeport then battled back and finally hung on for victory. It might be costly as Freeport's starter Cory Massart reinjured his ankle and his status is uncertain. Freeport as usual had balanced scoring. Brady Sherrieb had 13 points with 12 coming in the 2nd half. Also Brian Zimmerman added 11.
CLASS (A):
AVELLA 47 - DUQUESNE 44 {in OVERTIME}....
Duquesne won the WPIAL Class-A title in 2004-2005. The Dukes were runners up in 2005-2006. Along the way to the Palumbo Center last year, Duquesne knocked Avella from the playoffs with 75-45 win in last season's 1st round.
As the Dukes were attempting to return to the AJ Palumbo Center for the 3rd straight season, they seemed to forget their 1st round opponent this year was the same team they trounced last year. Avella remembered. And the Eagles stunned Duquesne with a 47-44 upset victory in overtime at Trinity High School. In the early going, it seemed like it would be a repeat of last year as Duquesne out-rebounded Avella and pulled out to an early lead. However the Eagles battled back behind Shea Georgetti's 10-points to lead after one quarter 17-13. Georgetti kept his hand hot in the 2nd quarter, but Duquesn'e Fitzgerald Bobo heated up as well, as their respective teams each scored 9-points during the foul-filled quarter. Avella took a 26-22 lead to the locker room as Georgetti netted 19 first half points while Bobo scored 11 of his own. Avella slowed it down in the 3rd quarter, using a methodical slow-paced offense as the teams combined for only 10 total points in the quarter. The score was tied at 29-29 after three, but the biggest story of the quarter was that Avella played most of it without Georgetti, who injured his right leg after colliding with a teammate chasing a loose ball.
The 4th quarter started the way the 1st did, as Duquesne out-rebounded Avella and pulled to a 5-point lead on two occasions. However the Eagles battled back and tied the game with 0:12 left on a C. J. Gottardi jump shot. Both teams scored 10-points apiece in the quarter and headed to OT knotted up at 39-39. In overtime the story was the same in the rebounding department, however Duquesne couldn't convert their follow up shots. Avella's Cole Heckman was fouled while shooting a 3-pointer late in overtime, and he converted all three free throws in the clutch. With Avella up by 2 points, Georgetti nailed another clutch free throw with 1.9 seconds on the clock. A desperation 3-pointer by Duquesne was off the mark, and Avella held on for the thrilling victory. Bobo led all scorers with 22 points, while Sty Washington added 10 for the Dukes. Georgetti finished with 20, while Heckman added 12 for the victorious Eagles, who now move on to play California in the 2nd Round.
LEECHBURG 84 - OUR LADY OF THE SACRED HEART 68
Leechburg broke a 34-34 with 1:10 left in the second quarter by going on a 9-0 run to end the first half as they never looked back in beat Our Lady of the Sacred Heart by 16 points at North Allegheny High School. Steven Predebon led the Blue Devils into the Quarterfinals with a game-high 32 points while Nick Mativiko added 25 points for 13-10 Leechburg. Matt Metcalf scored 19 points while Nick Carrabia added 17 points for the Chargers who end the season at 10-15. Next weekend, Leechburg will battle Western Beaver will a berth in the Class A Final Four at stake.
SEWICKLEY ACADEMY 64 - CARMICHAELS 35:
The 6th seed in the Boys A bracket was dominant Saturday afternoon crushing Carmichaels 64 - 35. Sewickley Academy jumped out to a 21 - 0 lead thanks in large part to an absolutely tremendous pressure defense, that held the Mighty Mikes scoreless for the entire first quarter. FR Tom Droney scored 10 first half points for the Panthers, who went to the break with a 39 - 10 lead. Mike Kalis led all scorers with 19 points for Sewickley, helping his club advance to (13-9) on the year for head coach Win Palmer. SO Bill Hyatt led the Mighty Mikes with 10 points, as they fell to (12-11) on the year, Mikes fans can be encouraged though as head coach Don Williams club has just completed a playoff season in which they had not one Senior on the roster. The Panthers meanwhile move on to the second round where they will face the Clairton Bears.
CLAIRTON 59 - GEIBEL 44
The defending WPIAL "A" Champions got off to a slow start but Leroy George's 19 points lead the Bears back to defeat Geibel 59-44 Saturday afternoon in a Boys "A" First Round Game at Southmoreland High School. Geibel used a slow tempo offense and lead Clairton 14-12 early in the 2nd Quarter, before the Bears took over. Clairton used a late second quarter run to lead 29-21 at the half. The Gators got to within 6 of the Bears late in the 3rd quarter before Andew Currington banked home a desperation 30 foot 3 pointer as time expired in the quarter to lead 42-33 after 3 quarters of play. The Bears pulled away in the 4th quarter for the 15 point win. Clairton improves to 14-3. Geibel finished their season losing 8 of their last 9 games with an 8-12 mark. Demetrius Rochelle was also in double figures for Clairton with 11 points. Josh Herman lead Geibel with 15 points.
WESTERN BEAVER 69 - BENTWORTH 44
The Bearcats led by one with less than a minute to play in the first half. A 25-7 Golden Beavers run through the third quarter put this one away. Four Bentworth shots were rejected, and all controlled by Western Beaver, in the FIRST MINUTE of the third quarter. Lamorris Lowman scored 18 for the Golden Beavers. Marcus Platz added 16. Dock Harris led Bentworth with 17 points.
VINCENTIAN ACADEMY 69 - MAPLETOWN 43
Vincentian Academy won the Boys Single "A" Preliminary Round Game over the Mapletown Maples Saturday Afternoon at Southmoreland High School 69-43. After the game was tied 11-11 after 1 quarter of play, the Royals outscored the Maples 21-10 in the 2nd quarter to lead by 11 at halftime. The Royals never looked back and dominated the 2nd Half to win 69-43. PJ Dillon lead the Royals with 24 points. Ethan Kovach lead the Maples with 14 points. Vincentian advances to play top seeded Serra Catholic Tuesday Evening at Southmoreland High School. Its the Second Straight year the Maples have lost a Preliminary
Round Playoff Game at Southmoreland High and are still seaching for their 1st playoff win since 1972 when current Mapletown Football Coach George Messich was playing basketball for Mapletown. First Year Head Coach Adam Checton 1st season is in the books with a 8-16 record, Vincentian improves to 9-16.
W.P.I.A.L. GIRLS:
CLASS (AAAA):
OAKLAND CATHOLIC 67 - CANON-McMILLAN 55
The Eagles never panicked, despite trailing by eight with 3:30 remaining in the third quarter. They simply ratcheted up the defensive pressure against the upstart Big Macs. Amanda Sedlak's three-point buzzer beater at the end of the third cut the CM lead to three. Caroline Fitzgerald's three to open the fourth tied the game and the Eagles never trailed again. Four players hit double figures for Oakland Catholic, led by Fitzgerald's 14, along with 14 from Colleen Kiss. Cameron Jones had gmae honors with 18 for Canon-McMillan. The Eagles shot 23 times from the foul line, C-M had just seven shots.
SHALER 46 - HEMPFIELD 42
Shaler and Hempfield played a tight game from the opening tap Saturday afternoon in a girl’s first round WPIAL playoff contest held at Gateway HS in Monroeville. After several lead changes in the second half, The Lady Titans were able to pull away and defeat the Spartans by a score of 46-42. Shaler led 21-16 after a sloppy, turnover and foul plagued first half for both teams. Shaler was led in scoring by Julianne Harris with 13 points, while teammate Jackie Sauer chipped in with 11 points, tallying eight in the second half. Hempfield was led in scoring by Melissa Lupinacci’s 16 points. Shaler will face New Castle for a third time this season next weekend at a sight and time to be determined.
BETHEL PARK 40 - KISKI AREA 30
After a close first quarter that saw both teams share the lead, the higher seeded Bethel Park Lady Hawks pulled away and cruised to a 40-30 win over Kiski Area in a first round WPIAL Girls playoff game held at Gateway High School. Bethel used a 7-0 second quarter run to lead 23-15 at the half. The Lady Hawks were led in scoring by Danielle McNabb who posted 11 points in the contest. Samantha Loadman added nine for Bethel Park. Kiski was led in scoring by Lauren Butler’s 12 points. Bethel Park will face the winner of the Butler-Latrobe game to be held Monday night at Plum.
CLASS (AAA):
MARS 42 - AMBRIDGE 41
3rd-seeded Mars was pushed hard by 15-9 Ambridge before winning its 22nd game with clutch free-throw shooting. Megan Gibson connected on 5-6 and Lily Grenci was 4-5 from the line as the Planets hit on 11-14 from the charity stripe to seal the victory. Each player scored 9 points while Haley Geyer also added 9 points for Mars on three 3-point shots. Ambridge finished with an 18-8 record, but not before they came with a rush in the fourth quarter, however it was to little, to late to overcome an 11-point third quarter deficit. Kiara Brown scored 12 points while Kara Hochevar added 10 for the Lady Bridgers.
SOUTHMORELAND 47 - CHARTIERS VALLEY 40
Southmoreland trailed by ten to start the 4th quarter but Anna Coffman hit two big three pointers early in the 4th to lead the comeback over Chartiers VAlley. Coffman finished with 10 points and Vanessa Able was held to 19, "7" below her average. The Sotties went on a 17 -4 run in the 4th to put away a valient effort by the Colts. Chartiers Valley played strong defense and out played Southmoreland thru "3" quarters. They were led by Mary Rodavich with 13 points and Kathy Bianco with 10.
HOPEWELL 60 - THOMAS JEFFERSON 42
In a turnover filled game Hopewell dominated Thomas Jefferson from the start behind great shooting from Jordan Zuppe 3 three pointers and 14 points, and Joyce Novacek 15 points. Heralded Freshman Paige Alviani added 15 and was 6 for 6 from thefree throw line. The defending WPIAL and PIAA AAA Girls champs turned the ball over 16 times in a slopy game but were never challenged by the Jaguars. Alayna Yobbi led Thomas Jefferson with 10 points.
RINGGOLD 50 - ELIZABETH FORWARD 33
The Ringgold Lady Rams marched on in the 2007 McDonald's WPIAL Girls Basketball CLass AAA Playoffs in defeating the Elizabeth Forward Warriors, 50-33 on Saturday afternoon from Trinity High School. The Lady Rams used a game plan of a high powered three-point attack that included six first half three-pointers that gave the Lady Rams a 24-18 advantage at halftime. Ringgold outscored Elizabeth Forward, 26-15 in the second half to secure the playoff victory. Ringgold was led by Emily Schartner who finished with a game-high 26 points. The Warriors were led by junior Cassy Sanderson with 19 points.
CLASS (AA):
BISHOP CANEVIN 57 - SPRINGDALE 10
It was all Crusaders early and often in this one as Bishop Canevin overwhelmed Springdale with a 29-2 first quarter on their way to the 49-point triumph. The game was at 4-2 when the Crusaders went on a 43-0 run that spanned three-quarters. Bishop Canevin forced turnovers and created steals with airtight defense in this contest. The Crusaders held Springdale scoreless in the second quarter and didn’t allow the Dynamos a field goal for 26:18. Destiny Ambrose paced Bishop Canevin with 13 points. Katie McCafferry netted all 13 of her points in the first half, including three 3-pointers in the first quarter. Heather Kaczorowski added 10 points off the bench for the Crusaders. Sara Skibo tallied Springdale’s first two-pointer with 5:42 left in the game. Jen Smajda led Springdale in scoring with 5 points. The Dynamos season ends at (11-14). Bishop Canevin (19-6) moves into the first round of the Girls WPIAL AA Tournament to face the Sto-Rox Vikings on Tuesday.
SHADY SIDE ACADEMY 52 - FREEPORT 22
Shady Side lead by 10 at half-time against Freeport then turned up the defensive pressure and only gave up 7 points in the 2nd half on there way to a 52-22 victory on Saturday. Leading the way for Shady Side was Katherine Sheerer with 12 points and great guard play from the point. Raediah Lyles scored 14 while admitting during the post game interview that the key is eating raisins and almonds for breakfast! For Freeport Samantha Campbell had 7 points.
SOUTH FAYETTE 43 - CHARLEROI 27
If you wanted to learn how to run your offense against the zone you would be an expert by the end of the game. South Fayette put on a clinic beating Charleroi 43-27. Numerous times the ball never hit the floor while passing 20-30 times before finding the open shot. Leading the way inside was Colleen Graeser with 12 points but more impressively was point guard Paige Uram with numerous assists and 10 points. For Charleroi Makayla Neff had 8 points.
CLASS (A):
CLAIRTON 55 - ROCHESTER 31
The Bears never trailed in this game, jumping out to a 10-0 lead, watching Rochester claw back to within 2 points after the first quarter, but clamping down on the Rams during a 10-0 second quarter to cruise to the victory. Senior guard Carele Smith was outstanding for Clairton pouring in a game high 26 points. Kameron Townes chipped in 11 points and 6 rebounds for the Bears. Senior Chaqua Locke, who was plagued with foul trouble, finished with 7 points, but added a game high 9 rebounds for Clairton. Liz Hogue led Rochester with 13 points and 8 rebounds, while Morgan Young finished with 11 points including two 3-pointers. The Rams season is over at (15-8). Clairton (17-8) now moves into the quarterfinals of the Girls WPAIL Class A Tournament to face the top seeded North Catholic Trojanettes.
VINCENTIAN ACADEMY 86 - GEIBEL 52
It was hard to tell who were Section Champs and who finished in 4th place in their section during the Girls Single "A" First Round Game at Southmoreland High School for 7th seeded Geibel and 10th Seeded Vincentian. The Section 2 Champion Lady Gators were flat falling hard to Vincentian Academy 86-52 at Southmoreland High School. Vincentian who played in the same section as top seeded North Catholic, third seeded Avonworth and 5th seeded Mount Alvernia, showed how tough their section was dominating the Gators Saturday. The Lady Royals lead 43-31 at the half, but blew the game open in the 3rd quarter as Jackie Cortese scored 15 of her game high 24 points in the 3rd, as the Royals outscored the Gators 27-10 and never looked back. Mia White lead Geibel 20 points. Vincentian even their record at 12-12 with the win, Geibel's season ends at 16-7.
MONESSEN 53 - CARMICHAELS 33
The 4th-seeded Monessson Lady Greyhounds had no problems at all dispatching 1st round opponent Carmichaels Saturday afternoon at Thomas-Jefferson High School. The Greyhounds used an 18-6 run in the 2nd quarter to put the Mighty Mikes away by a final margin of 53-33. Playing without leading scorer Christina Chukwuendo, who could not play due to an ankle injury, the Hounds beat the Mighty Mikes for the 3rd time this season. Kelly Mornak (JR) was stellar at both ends of the floor for Monesson, scoring 19 points to lead all scorers. Major Corley's club used a stifling pressure defense to build a 30-13 halftime lead. SR Carly Cocciolone added 10 points for the Greyhounds who moved to (19-5) with the win and advance to face the winner of Tuesday night's Mount Alvernia - Mapletown game. The Mikes as they have been for the past four years were led by outstanding SR Megan Stuvek who fouled out in the 4th quarter with a team high 15 points. Stuvek ends her Carmichaels career as the schools all time leader in points, rebounds, steals and blocked shots. The Mikes finish 13-12 on the season.
THE CHOPS....
2/17/2007 -
The first weekend of games in the 2007 WPIAL Basketball Playoffs is history with an additional 28 boys and girls games played Saturday, including the postseasons first true shocker. Here is a breif recap from some of the afternoon action of the 'Battle to the Bluff' heard on the MSA Sports Network.
Thanks to John Phillips, Jim Frederick, Bob Gregg, Mark Schaas, Mike Azadian, Bob Orkwis, Lee Mohn, Brian Mroziak, Ed Troup, Matt Vandriak and Sam Hall for helping make these recaps possible.
WPIAL BOYS:
CLASS (AAAA):
BETHEL PARK 70 - HEMPFIELD 44
There were no surprises in this first round contest between the #2 seed Bethel Park Black Hawks and Hempfield Spartans on Saturday afternoon from Gateway High School. BP used a suffocating defense and balanced scoring on offense in easily handling the Spartans 70-44. The Blackhawks lead 40-18 at the end of the first half and cruised to the easy win. The Spartans were held to just three first half offensive rebounds and never found their sync on offense. Bethel was paced by Alex Wojdowski’s 14 points. Tim Picard added 12, while Andrew Vekela scored 11. Hempfield was led in scoring by Joe Sunder who registered 14 on the afternoon. The Black Hawks will face Mount Lebanon for a third time this season in the Quarterfinals next week at a site and date to be determined.
CLASS (AAA):
LAUREL HIGHLANDS 85 - HIGHLANDS 76
One of the biggest upsets in recent WPIAL history as the 15th-seed Mustangs shock the district with a 9-point victory over the 2nd-seed Golden Rams at North Allegheny High School. Laurel Highlands entered the contest with a 12-12 mark, while Highlands, which won its first 19 games this season, was 21-2. However the Mustangs played with confidence early and came back from a pair of third quarter deficits to take control and outsocre the Golden Rams 28-14 in the final quarter. The downfall of Highlands could be summed up in two words - KALEB RAMSEY. The junior could not be stopped as he registered a near-record 43 points for Laurel Highlands, which advances to the Quarterfinals against Tuesdays Steel Valley-Valley winner. Sophomore Jeff Sinclair did all he could with 29 points for Highlands, which ends its memorable season at 21-3.
AMBRIDGE 60 - WEST MIFFLIN 42
Ambridge won its first playoff game in over four years and the first postseason victory for third-year coach ron Rowan as giards Slade Unis and Jared Gibson teams for 37 points and 9 assists. Gibson had 12 of his points in the second half, including 4-4 at the foul line the the 4th quarter when the 18-7 Bridgers pulled away from the 11-12 Titans by outscoring them 19-4. Ambridge was able to solve the full court press of West Mifflin as the game wore on and only committed 13 turnovers while hitting 75% from the floor, including many back-door inside buckets. Unis had 19 points and 7 assists to lead the Birdgers into Round Two against Hampton next Friday night. Chris Giles paced West Mifflin with 24 points.
CHARTIERS VALLEY 65 - HOPEWELL 50
Chartiers Valley cruised to an easy win behind Mike Sherry's 6 3 pointers, 9-11 shooting from the free throw line and 37 points.The Colts never trailed and recieved 10 points from Brandon Fishbaugh to complement Sherry's performance. As a team they shot 10 -18 from 3 point land. Hopewell was led by Mark Javens who scored 19 points and was 9-12 from the free throw line. Chartiers Valley used their perimiter passing game and three point offense to jump on Hopewell early, and despite being outsized and out rebounded were able to come away with the first round win.
CLASS (AA):
ROCHESTER 54 - BISHOP CANEVIN 41
A quick start was exactly what Rochester ordered after not playing for over a week and having a disjointed practice schedule due to a teacher’s strike. A quick start is exactly what the Rams got, as Derek Moye sank 3 first quarter three-pointers to pace Rochester to a 16-2 lead after one period, in a game in which the Rams would never trail. Moye, who came into the game averaging just under 19 points per game, finished with a double-double, netting game-high 21 points and pulling down 18 rebounds. Teammate Reon Hunter scored 14 points for the Rams, including 4-of4 on free throw attempts in the fourth quarter. Julian Taylor added 11 for Rochester. Kevin Nee sank 4 treys and finished with 14 points to led Bishop Canevin. Steve Mackin added 8 off the bench for the Crusaders. Bishop Canevin finishes the season with a (17-8) record. Rochester improves to (13-7) and faces the Shenango Wildcats in the first round of the WPIAL Boys AA Tournament, who finished ahe3ad of the Rams during the regular season in section 2.
SHENANGO 60 - NEW BRIGHTON 47
Shenango shot 63% from the field while outrebounding New Brighton 33-17 in winning their 10th straight game and advancing in the WPIAL Class AA Boys bracket. Shenango led by as many as 13 in the first half before the underdog Lions (8-16) came roaring back to within 44-40 after three quarters on the strength of 9 points by sophomore D.J. Pearson in the third quarter. But the Wildcats put the game away by outscoring New Brighton 16-7 in the 4th quarter and hitting 8 of 12 free throws in that period. Braydon Micaletti scored 13 points to lead the 18-6 Wildcats while Rocco Colavecchio added 10 points and 10 rebounds. Pearson had 15 points for New Brighton while Nick Edwards grabbed 6 boards for the Lions.
FREEPORT 59 - SOUTH FAYETTE 56
They will talk about this game for along time. It was ashamed to see one of these teams lose. Freeport came back late for a 59-56 win against South Fayette. This was a very very physical game. Freeport outscored South Fayette at the line 14-2. The key in the game was South Fayette's Sean McElhinny fouling out of the game with 3:48 to go in the game. He was dominating inside in the 4th quarter. He left with 20 points. Freeport then battled back and finally hung on for victory. It might be costly as Freeport's starter Cory Massart reinjured his ankle and his status is uncertain. Freeport as usual had balanced scoring. Brady Sherrieb had 13 points with 12 coming in the 2nd half. Also Brian Zimmerman added 11.
CLASS (A):
AVELLA 47 - DUQUESNE 44 {in OVERTIME}....
Duquesne won the WPIAL Class-A title in 2004-2005. The Dukes were runners up in 2005-2006. Along the way to the Palumbo Center last year, Duquesne knocked Avella from the playoffs with 75-45 win in last season's 1st round.
As the Dukes were attempting to return to the AJ Palumbo Center for the 3rd straight season, they seemed to forget their 1st round opponent this year was the same team they trounced last year. Avella remembered. And the Eagles stunned Duquesne with a 47-44 upset victory in overtime at Trinity High School. In the early going, it seemed like it would be a repeat of last year as Duquesne out-rebounded Avella and pulled out to an early lead. However the Eagles battled back behind Shea Georgetti's 10-points to lead after one quarter 17-13. Georgetti kept his hand hot in the 2nd quarter, but Duquesn'e Fitzgerald Bobo heated up as well, as their respective teams each scored 9-points during the foul-filled quarter. Avella took a 26-22 lead to the locker room as Georgetti netted 19 first half points while Bobo scored 11 of his own. Avella slowed it down in the 3rd quarter, using a methodical slow-paced offense as the teams combined for only 10 total points in the quarter. The score was tied at 29-29 after three, but the biggest story of the quarter was that Avella played most of it without Georgetti, who injured his right leg after colliding with a teammate chasing a loose ball.
The 4th quarter started the way the 1st did, as Duquesne out-rebounded Avella and pulled to a 5-point lead on two occasions. However the Eagles battled back and tied the game with 0:12 left on a C. J. Gottardi jump shot. Both teams scored 10-points apiece in the quarter and headed to OT knotted up at 39-39. In overtime the story was the same in the rebounding department, however Duquesne couldn't convert their follow up shots. Avella's Cole Heckman was fouled while shooting a 3-pointer late in overtime, and he converted all three free throws in the clutch. With Avella up by 2 points, Georgetti nailed another clutch free throw with 1.9 seconds on the clock. A desperation 3-pointer by Duquesne was off the mark, and Avella held on for the thrilling victory. Bobo led all scorers with 22 points, while Sty Washington added 10 for the Dukes. Georgetti finished with 20, while Heckman added 12 for the victorious Eagles, who now move on to play California in the 2nd Round.
LEECHBURG 84 - OUR LADY OF THE SACRED HEART 68
Leechburg broke a 34-34 with 1:10 left in the second quarter by going on a 9-0 run to end the first half as they never looked back in beat Our Lady of the Sacred Heart by 16 points at North Allegheny High School. Steven Predebon led the Blue Devils into the Quarterfinals with a game-high 32 points while Nick Mativiko added 25 points for 13-10 Leechburg. Matt Metcalf scored 19 points while Nick Carrabia added 17 points for the Chargers who end the season at 10-15. Next weekend, Leechburg will battle Western Beaver will a berth in the Class A Final Four at stake.
SEWICKLEY ACADEMY 64 - CARMICHAELS 35:
The 6th seed in the Boys A bracket was dominant Saturday afternoon crushing Carmichaels 64 - 35. Sewickley Academy jumped out to a 21 - 0 lead thanks in large part to an absolutely tremendous pressure defense, that held the Mighty Mikes scoreless for the entire first quarter. FR Tom Droney scored 10 first half points for the Panthers, who went to the break with a 39 - 10 lead. Mike Kalis led all scorers with 19 points for Sewickley, helping his club advance to (13-9) on the year for head coach Win Palmer. SO Bill Hyatt led the Mighty Mikes with 10 points, as they fell to (12-11) on the year, Mikes fans can be encouraged though as head coach Don Williams club has just completed a playoff season in which they had not one Senior on the roster. The Panthers meanwhile move on to the second round where they will face the Clairton Bears.
CLAIRTON 59 - GEIBEL 44
The defending WPIAL "A" Champions got off to a slow start but Leroy George's 19 points lead the Bears back to defeat Geibel 59-44 Saturday afternoon in a Boys "A" First Round Game at Southmoreland High School. Geibel used a slow tempo offense and lead Clairton 14-12 early in the 2nd Quarter, before the Bears took over. Clairton used a late second quarter run to lead 29-21 at the half. The Gators got to within 6 of the Bears late in the 3rd quarter before Andew Currington banked home a desperation 30 foot 3 pointer as time expired in the quarter to lead 42-33 after 3 quarters of play. The Bears pulled away in the 4th quarter for the 15 point win. Clairton improves to 14-3. Geibel finished their season losing 8 of their last 9 games with an 8-12 mark. Demetrius Rochelle was also in double figures for Clairton with 11 points. Josh Herman lead Geibel with 15 points.
WESTERN BEAVER 69 - BENTWORTH 44
The Bearcats led by one with less than a minute to play in the first half. A 25-7 Golden Beavers run through the third quarter put this one away. Four Bentworth shots were rejected, and all controlled by Western Beaver, in the FIRST MINUTE of the third quarter. Lamorris Lowman scored 18 for the Golden Beavers. Marcus Platz added 16. Dock Harris led Bentworth with 17 points.
VINCENTIAN ACADEMY 69 - MAPLETOWN 43
Vincentian Academy won the Boys Single "A" Preliminary Round Game over the Mapletown Maples Saturday Afternoon at Southmoreland High School 69-43. After the game was tied 11-11 after 1 quarter of play, the Royals outscored the Maples 21-10 in the 2nd quarter to lead by 11 at halftime. The Royals never looked back and dominated the 2nd Half to win 69-43. PJ Dillon lead the Royals with 24 points. Ethan Kovach lead the Maples with 14 points. Vincentian advances to play top seeded Serra Catholic Tuesday Evening at Southmoreland High School. Its the Second Straight year the Maples have lost a Preliminary
Round Playoff Game at Southmoreland High and are still seaching for their 1st playoff win since 1972 when current Mapletown Football Coach George Messich was playing basketball for Mapletown. First Year Head Coach Adam Checton 1st season is in the books with a 8-16 record, Vincentian improves to 9-16.
W.P.I.A.L. GIRLS:
CLASS (AAAA):
OAKLAND CATHOLIC 67 - CANON-McMILLAN 55
The Eagles never panicked, despite trailing by eight with 3:30 remaining in the third quarter. They simply ratcheted up the defensive pressure against the upstart Big Macs. Amanda Sedlak's three-point buzzer beater at the end of the third cut the CM lead to three. Caroline Fitzgerald's three to open the fourth tied the game and the Eagles never trailed again. Four players hit double figures for Oakland Catholic, led by Fitzgerald's 14, along with 14 from Colleen Kiss. Cameron Jones had gmae honors with 18 for Canon-McMillan. The Eagles shot 23 times from the foul line, C-M had just seven shots.
SHALER 46 - HEMPFIELD 42
Shaler and Hempfield played a tight game from the opening tap Saturday afternoon in a girl’s first round WPIAL playoff contest held at Gateway HS in Monroeville. After several lead changes in the second half, The Lady Titans were able to pull away and defeat the Spartans by a score of 46-42. Shaler led 21-16 after a sloppy, turnover and foul plagued first half for both teams. Shaler was led in scoring by Julianne Harris with 13 points, while teammate Jackie Sauer chipped in with 11 points, tallying eight in the second half. Hempfield was led in scoring by Melissa Lupinacci’s 16 points. Shaler will face New Castle for a third time this season next weekend at a sight and time to be determined.
BETHEL PARK 40 - KISKI AREA 30
After a close first quarter that saw both teams share the lead, the higher seeded Bethel Park Lady Hawks pulled away and cruised to a 40-30 win over Kiski Area in a first round WPIAL Girls playoff game held at Gateway High School. Bethel used a 7-0 second quarter run to lead 23-15 at the half. The Lady Hawks were led in scoring by Danielle McNabb who posted 11 points in the contest. Samantha Loadman added nine for Bethel Park. Kiski was led in scoring by Lauren Butler’s 12 points. Bethel Park will face the winner of the Butler-Latrobe game to be held Monday night at Plum.
CLASS (AAA):
MARS 42 - AMBRIDGE 41
3rd-seeded Mars was pushed hard by 15-9 Ambridge before winning its 22nd game with clutch free-throw shooting. Megan Gibson connected on 5-6 and Lily Grenci was 4-5 from the line as the Planets hit on 11-14 from the charity stripe to seal the victory. Each player scored 9 points while Haley Geyer also added 9 points for Mars on three 3-point shots. Ambridge finished with an 18-8 record, but not before they came with a rush in the fourth quarter, however it was to little, to late to overcome an 11-point third quarter deficit. Kiara Brown scored 12 points while Kara Hochevar added 10 for the Lady Bridgers.
SOUTHMORELAND 47 - CHARTIERS VALLEY 40
Southmoreland trailed by ten to start the 4th quarter but Anna Coffman hit two big three pointers early in the 4th to lead the comeback over Chartiers VAlley. Coffman finished with 10 points and Vanessa Able was held to 19, "7" below her average. The Sotties went on a 17 -4 run in the 4th to put away a valient effort by the Colts. Chartiers Valley played strong defense and out played Southmoreland thru "3" quarters. They were led by Mary Rodavich with 13 points and Kathy Bianco with 10.
HOPEWELL 60 - THOMAS JEFFERSON 42
In a turnover filled game Hopewell dominated Thomas Jefferson from the start behind great shooting from Jordan Zuppe 3 three pointers and 14 points, and Joyce Novacek 15 points. Heralded Freshman Paige Alviani added 15 and was 6 for 6 from thefree throw line. The defending WPIAL and PIAA AAA Girls champs turned the ball over 16 times in a slopy game but were never challenged by the Jaguars. Alayna Yobbi led Thomas Jefferson with 10 points.
RINGGOLD 50 - ELIZABETH FORWARD 33
The Ringgold Lady Rams marched on in the 2007 McDonald's WPIAL Girls Basketball CLass AAA Playoffs in defeating the Elizabeth Forward Warriors, 50-33 on Saturday afternoon from Trinity High School. The Lady Rams used a game plan of a high powered three-point attack that included six first half three-pointers that gave the Lady Rams a 24-18 advantage at halftime. Ringgold outscored Elizabeth Forward, 26-15 in the second half to secure the playoff victory. Ringgold was led by Emily Schartner who finished with a game-high 26 points. The Warriors were led by junior Cassy Sanderson with 19 points.
CLASS (AA):
BISHOP CANEVIN 57 - SPRINGDALE 10
It was all Crusaders early and often in this one as Bishop Canevin overwhelmed Springdale with a 29-2 first quarter on their way to the 49-point triumph. The game was at 4-2 when the Crusaders went on a 43-0 run that spanned three-quarters. Bishop Canevin forced turnovers and created steals with airtight defense in this contest. The Crusaders held Springdale scoreless in the second quarter and didn’t allow the Dynamos a field goal for 26:18. Destiny Ambrose paced Bishop Canevin with 13 points. Katie McCafferry netted all 13 of her points in the first half, including three 3-pointers in the first quarter. Heather Kaczorowski added 10 points off the bench for the Crusaders. Sara Skibo tallied Springdale’s first two-pointer with 5:42 left in the game. Jen Smajda led Springdale in scoring with 5 points. The Dynamos season ends at (11-14). Bishop Canevin (19-6) moves into the first round of the Girls WPIAL AA Tournament to face the Sto-Rox Vikings on Tuesday.
SHADY SIDE ACADEMY 52 - FREEPORT 22
Shady Side lead by 10 at half-time against Freeport then turned up the defensive pressure and only gave up 7 points in the 2nd half on there way to a 52-22 victory on Saturday. Leading the way for Shady Side was Katherine Sheerer with 12 points and great guard play from the point. Raediah Lyles scored 14 while admitting during the post game interview that the key is eating raisins and almonds for breakfast! For Freeport Samantha Campbell had 7 points.
SOUTH FAYETTE 43 - CHARLEROI 27
If you wanted to learn how to run your offense against the zone you would be an expert by the end of the game. South Fayette put on a clinic beating Charleroi 43-27. Numerous times the ball never hit the floor while passing 20-30 times before finding the open shot. Leading the way inside was Colleen Graeser with 12 points but more impressively was point guard Paige Uram with numerous assists and 10 points. For Charleroi Makayla Neff had 8 points.
CLASS (A):
CLAIRTON 55 - ROCHESTER 31
The Bears never trailed in this game, jumping out to a 10-0 lead, watching Rochester claw back to within 2 points after the first quarter, but clamping down on the Rams during a 10-0 second quarter to cruise to the victory. Senior guard Carele Smith was outstanding for Clairton pouring in a game high 26 points. Kameron Townes chipped in 11 points and 6 rebounds for the Bears. Senior Chaqua Locke, who was plagued with foul trouble, finished with 7 points, but added a game high 9 rebounds for Clairton. Liz Hogue led Rochester with 13 points and 8 rebounds, while Morgan Young finished with 11 points including two 3-pointers. The Rams season is over at (15-8). Clairton (17-8) now moves into the quarterfinals of the Girls WPAIL Class A Tournament to face the top seeded North Catholic Trojanettes.
VINCENTIAN ACADEMY 86 - GEIBEL 52
It was hard to tell who were Section Champs and who finished in 4th place in their section during the Girls Single "A" First Round Game at Southmoreland High School for 7th seeded Geibel and 10th Seeded Vincentian. The Section 2 Champion Lady Gators were flat falling hard to Vincentian Academy 86-52 at Southmoreland High School. Vincentian who played in the same section as top seeded North Catholic, third seeded Avonworth and 5th seeded Mount Alvernia, showed how tough their section was dominating the Gators Saturday. The Lady Royals lead 43-31 at the half, but blew the game open in the 3rd quarter as Jackie Cortese scored 15 of her game high 24 points in the 3rd, as the Royals outscored the Gators 27-10 and never looked back. Mia White lead Geibel 20 points. Vincentian even their record at 12-12 with the win, Geibel's season ends at 16-7.
MONESSEN 53 - CARMICHAELS 33
The 4th-seeded Monessson Lady Greyhounds had no problems at all dispatching 1st round opponent Carmichaels Saturday afternoon at Thomas-Jefferson High School. The Greyhounds used an 18-6 run in the 2nd quarter to put the Mighty Mikes away by a final margin of 53-33. Playing without leading scorer Christina Chukwuendo, who could not play due to an ankle injury, the Hounds beat the Mighty Mikes for the 3rd time this season. Kelly Mornak (JR) was stellar at both ends of the floor for Monesson, scoring 19 points to lead all scorers. Major Corley's club used a stifling pressure defense to build a 30-13 halftime lead. SR Carly Cocciolone added 10 points for the Greyhounds who moved to (19-5) with the win and advance to face the winner of Tuesday night's Mount Alvernia - Mapletown game. The Mikes as they have been for the past four years were led by outstanding SR Megan Stuvek who fouled out in the 4th quarter with a team high 15 points. Stuvek ends her Carmichaels career as the schools all time leader in points, rebounds, steals and blocked shots. The Mikes finish 13-12 on the season.
THE CHOPS....