It’s now or never as high school basketball season enters final week
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter
South Fayette’s Jessica Stabile, left, and Trinity’s Courtney Dahlquist battle for a loose ball. Both the Lions and Hillers are on the verge of clinching a playoff berth in the season’s final week.
Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter
Belle Vernon coach Joe Salvino has guided the Leopards to wins in four of their last six games. They are on the brink of a WPIAL playoff berth.
Depending on how the first two months of the season went, some local high school basketball teams will have a sense of urgency as they enter the final week of the regular season tonight.
For some, the goal is to continue rounding into playoff form. For others, it’s about controlling their own fate. Many will also be checking final scores around their section, hoping for help to play beyond this week and have a reason to make a trip to the DoubleTree Hotel in Green Tree for the WPIAL basketball playoff pairings announcement Feb. 11.
The playoffs are scheduled to start Feb. 15, culminating in the finals at the Petersen Events Center March 1 and 2.
The seven boys basketball teams that have already clinched a playoff spots are Canon-McMillan and Peters Township in Class 6A, Ringgold in 4A, Washington, McGuffey and Charleroi in 3A and Class A Monessen.
That number will likely be added to Tuesday, depending on the finish in Class 4A Section 3, where Belle Vernon (3-6, 6-14), Waynesburg (2-6, 9-11) and Elizabeth Forward (2-6, 6-13) are fighting for the final playoff spot. The Leopards, who wouldn’t even have considered themselves a playoff team after starting the year 2-12, have won four of their last six games and are in fourth place. If Belle Vernon defeats Elizabeth Forward Tuesday night, it will be in the playoffs. Waynesburg can still qualify for the playoffs as a fifth team with victories over section champion Uniontown and South Park because of the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Everything outside of a section championship, which was already won by Serra Catholic, is up for grabs in Class 2 Section 2. Jeannette (6-3, 10-9) is currently in second place, California (6-4, 11-6) is third and Brentwood (6-5, 10-8) has the final playoff spot. The Trojans, who went from chasing Serra for the section championship to trying to hold onto a playoff spot after three straight losses, play Jeannette Tuesday. The winner will secure a playoff spot. Fifth-place Chartiers-Houston (4-5, 9-9) can get in. The Bucs, who have three section games remaining, still must play the bottom two teams in the section standings, Bentworth and Carmichaels, and a game at Jeannette on Wednesday. If they win all three, the Bucs will qualify for the playoffs. They might need help if they win only two of the three.
In Class A Section 2, Avella (4-6, 6-13) controls its own fate. The Eagles are in fourth place and currently have the final playoff spot. West Greene (3-6, 5-11) is currently on the outside looking in after losing its last four games. If Avella defeats Jefferson-Morgan on Tuesday, the Eagles are in the playoffs.
Losing streaks by Trinity and South Fayette are likely to keep both teams out of the playoffs. Both the Hillers and Lions have lost six consecutive games and need to win out and get a lot of help to make the postseason. They play one another Friday.
In girls basketball, the teams that have clinched a playoff spot are undefeated Peters Township in Class 6A, Belle Vernon in 4A, Washington and Beth-Center in 2A and West Greene, Avella and California in Class A.
A lot of teams on the bubble won’t have to wait past tonight to more clearly understand their fate.
In Class 6A Section 2, Canon-McMillan (5-7, 8-10) needs to beat both Bethel Park and Peters Township to have a chance to make the playoffs. The Big Macs also need two losses by Upper St. Clair, which plays Connellsville and Mt. Lebanon.
In Class 5A Section 1, Trinity (7-5, 9-9) and South Fayette (7-5, 13-7) both control their own fate. The Hillers own the tiebreaker after a pair of fourth-quarter comeback victories over South Fayette earlier in the regular season. If either team wins tonight they will be in the playoffs. Both will qualify for the playoffs if undefeated Chartiers Valley beats Moon tonight.
After losing its entire starting lineup from last year and starting all underclassmen this year, Chartiers-Houston (5-4, 7-11) is in the driver’s seat for one the final two playoff spots in Class 2A Section 3. The Bucs got a buzzer-beating three-pointer by Zameriah Edwards to defeat Fort Cherry, 32-30, last Thursday and that might get them to the postseason. If the Bucs defeat Burgettstown (4-5, 8-10), which is currently in fifth place, the Bucs will again be in the WPIAL playoffs. Burgettstown can still qualify for the playoffs if it loses tonight. The Blue Devils will need to win their last two games (Carmichaels and Fort Cherry) and have Fort Cherry (5-5, 7-10) lose against powerhouse Bishop Canevin tonight. It is simple for Fort Cherry, beat Burgettstown and the Rangers are in the playoffs.
The final playoff spot In Class A Section 2 could come down to the final game between Mapletown (5-5, 10-8) and Monessen (4-6, 5-13) on Tuesday night. If Monessen wins, it could knock out the Maples with the head-to-head tiebreaker after already beating them earlier in the season. It would be the first time the Greyhounds would qualify for the postseason since 2014. The game would turn out to be meaningless if Mapletown upsets Avella tonight and Jefferson-Morgan beats Monessen.