Lady Pioneers top seeded for first time
Beth-Center's Elizabeth Trump (left) and West Greene's Brianna Goodwin scramble for a loose ball during their game at Beth-Center High School on Jan. 25. Both teams have qualified for the WPIAL playoffs. The Lady Pioneers are the No. 1 seed in Class A and have a first-round bye. The Lady Bulldogs drew the 12th-seed spot in the Class AAA bracket and will play No. 5 Avonworth at Gateway High School at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 20.
Southmoreland's Gracie Spadaro (15) can't stop Elizabeth Forward's Juria Flournoy from getting off a long 3-point shot during their game on Jan. 31 at Elizabeth Forward High School. The Lady Warriors' Bri Spirnak (10) and the Lady Scotties' Sarah Pisula (24) look on in the background. Both teams have qualified for the WPIAL Class AAAA playoffs and will begin the postseason on Monday.
Rob Burchianti | Herald-Standard
Mapletown’s Kelsi Smith (2) grabs a rebound in front of California’s Camari Walden (21) during Jan. 17 game at Mapletown High School.
Frazier’s Brooke Poling (4) looks for a teammate to pass to while being defended by Belle Vernon's Taylor Rodriguez (24) during the Cal U Holiday Hoopfest on Dec. 27. Both teams have qualified for the WPIAL playoffs. The Lady Commodores begin Class AA play Friday while the Lady Leopards open the Class AAAA postseason Monday.
West Greene drew the top seed in the WPIAL Class A girls basketball playoffs for the first time on Tuesday night.
Lady Pioneers coach Jordan Watson was happy to take care of first things first, though.
Watson picked up his team’s third consecutive section championship plaque at the annual pairings meeting in Green Tree.
“We never take those for granted,” Watson said. “It’s always good to get that. That’s only our fifth section title in school history but it’s our third in a row, so we’re happy to have it.”
West Greene (20-2, 12-0, first in Section 2-A) has a first-round bye and will face the winner between No. 8 Sewickley Academy and No. 9 California next Friday, Feb. 22, at a site and time to be determined.
The Lady Trojans (10-10, 8-4, third in Section 2-A) and Black Panthers (11-7, 8-4, three-way tie for second in Section 1-A) play a first-round game at Canon-McMillan High School 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.
In addition to West Greene and California, six other area teams are involved in this year’s postseason.
Also in Class A, No. 11 Mapletown (12-10, 6-6, fourth in Section 2-A) plays No. 6 Quigley Catholic (12-10, 8-4, three-way tie for second in Section 1-A) in a first-round game 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at West Allegheny High School.
In Class AA, No. 7 Frazier (14-7, 10-2, second in Section 3-AA) plays No. 10 Winchester Thurston (10-9, 6-6, three-way tie for third in Section 2-AA) in a first-round game 6:30 p.m. Friday at Charleroi High School.
In Class AAA, No. 12 Beth-Center (12-9, 8-6, fourth in Section 2-AAA) plays No. 5 Avonworth (15-6, 11-3, tied for second in Section 1-AAA) in a first-round game 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 20, at Gateway High School.
Three local teams are in the Class AAAA bracket and open the postseason with first-round games on Monday, each at 6:30 p.m.
No. 5 Elizabeth Forward (15-7, 12-2, first in Section 3-AAAA) plays No. 12 Knoch (9-13, 7-7, three-way tie for third in Section 1-AAAA) at Mount Lebanon High School.
No. 6 Southmoreland (17-5, 11-3, second in Section 3-AAAA) plays Apollo Ridge (15-7, 7-7, three-way tie for third in Section 1-AAAA) at Norwin High School.
No. 9 Belle Vernon (14-8, 10-4, tied for third in Section 3-AAAA) plays No. 8 Keystone Oaks (13-8, 7-5, third in Section 2-AAAA) at Peters Township High School.
It was no surprise the Lady Pioneers were given a No. 1 seed and the long layoff that goes with it.
Watson and his players are used to that situation by now. West Greene drew a bye two years ago as a No. 4 seed and again last year as a No. 2 seed when it reached the WPIAL final.
“I thought it pretty much played out how we thought it would be,” Watson said. “We kind of thought we’d be at one and Rochester and Greensburg Central Catholic would be two-three in whatever order.”
The Lady Pioneers already own two wins over California and one over Sewickley Academy this season.
Watson won’t have his team sitting idle until next Friday.
“We’re going to scrimmage Char Valley and Upper St. Clair this Friday and then go watch our boys team play at Mount Lebanon,” he said. “Then we’re trying to scrimmage South Park on Monday.”
Chartiers Valley is the unbeaten and No. 1 seed in Class AAAAA
“After them anybody else might be a step backwards,” Watson said with a laugh. “I really think with our senior leadership we’ll be fine when the real games start again.”
California coach Chris Niemiec wasn’t surprised by his team’s seeding.
“I expected to be in the eight-nine game, but I didn’t think Sewickley would be down that far,” he said. “It’s a really tough game for us. That whole section, they had three 8-4 teams and they’re all good.
“You try to win that game and then if you lose to West Greene you hope they can reach the final and pull you into the states.”
The top six Class A teams qualify for the PIAA tournament.
Frazier fifth-year coach Ken Poling was hoping for a higher seed for his Lady Commodores.
“I really expected to be at least a six,” he said. “I’m disappointed with that for sure. I don’t agree with that at all. I felt all along that a five seed would’ve made me happy, a six seed is where I thought we’d be and a seven seed would disappoint me.”
Frazier has won 10 of its last 12 games.
“We’re healthy. We’re playing pretty good defense,” Poling said. “I think that’s definitely going to be our key, get some turnovers, apply pressure from different defenses and I think we’ll be OK.
“You’ve just got to accept your fate in where they put you and go play and do something about it.”
EF coach Krystal Gibbs was satisfied with her team’s placement.
“There’s not much difference between the four and the five,” she said. “We got Knoch who I thought we were going to play and who I looked at already.”
The Lady Warriors are battle tested, having won at least one playoff game the past two seasons. They took Blackhawk to double-overtime before losing in the quarterfinals last year.
“I do have a pretty mature team,” Gibbs said. “Most of these kids have played in the playoffs, they know what’s on the line. I have a lot of seniors that have played together for a long time. It’s one and done, and they’re not ready to be done yet. I’m confident in them.
“We’ll be at Mount Lebanon ready to go.”
Neither Southmoreland coach Brian Pritts nor Belle Vernon coach Ronnie Drennen had any qualms with their seedings.
“That’s where I had us projected to be,” Pritts said. “I thought our conference got a lot of love. They showed our conference some respect.”
”I think nine is what we deserve,” Drennen said. “I’m happy with that.”
The Lady Leopards have the unenviable task of trying to defend Keystone Oaks’ Gillian Piccolino, however.
“She’s a Division-1 athlete, so anytime you’re facing someone like that you better be on your game,” Drennen said. “She’s a dynamic player. She can shoot it, she can drive it, she’s got a good inside game, and the other players complement her well. They’ve got a really good point guard.
“I think it’s a great test, a great challenge for us, and I know myself and my girls are ready to embrace it.”
Beth-Center coach Steve Beyer wasn’t surprised his team drew the second-to-last seed, but was taken back by the lengthy layoff the Lady Bulldogs will have.
“We kind of figured this is where we were going to end up, but I’m worried about the two-week layoff for sure,” Beyer said. “We’re going to try to get some scrimmages.”
Facing the Antelopes will be no easy task for B-C, especially with talented junior point guard Olivia Greco out of the playoffs with an injury, although sophomore Anna Sloan will be back in action after suffering a concussion.
“Avonworth is probably coming out of the toughest triple-A conference,” Beyer said. “They’re a real good team. We saw them on tape already. They’re big and athletic. We’re going to have our work cut out for us.”
Mapletown will be in the playoffs for the second year in a row after breaking a nine-year drought last season. Drew Denham is in his first year as the Lady Maples coach.