Lincoln Park’s depth, athleticism could stifle Prexies
Katie Roupe/Observer-Reporter Wash High’s Matthew Popeck tries to get a shot off as he is fouled by Seton-La-Salle’s Mike George during Monday night’s game.
Katie Roupe / Observer-Reporter South Fayette’s Autumn Mozick, Mikayla Fetchet and Skylar Aitken return to the bench with smiles in the last minutes of the game. South Fayette beat Ambridge 56-37.
It took one weekend for the PIAA’s playoff field to be cut in half and three local teams saw their seasons end.
None of the losses were a shock, really.
Trinity had the challenge of trying to forget about the WPIAL title game loss and drew South Park, which it had defeated twice. The Hillers didn’t play their best game and the Eagles took advantage.
Monessen, meanwhile, drew Farrell, which was the PIAA runner up last season and has played Kennedy Catholic close both times this season. If the Greyhounds shot the ball better and played better defense in the fourth quarter, they’d still be alive.
The Steelers played a poor game on offense, particularly senior guard Malik Miller, but they moved on.
Chartiers-Houston couldn’t embark on another memorable playoff run. West Middlesex used a big fourth quarter with clutch free-throw shooting to eliminate the Bucs.
What’s interesting about these three teams is each will have a different path next season. Trinity will reinvent itself without senior center Mary Dunn, Monessen loses Dwight Moore and Lavalle Rush, and Chartiers-Houston returns everything, including sophomore forward Alexa Williamson.
Before we start to talk about how strong C-H could be next season, let’s focus on the two teams that are still playing in the PIAA playoffs and one may be a surprise to people outside of Washington County.
The Prexies defeated Greenville, the District 10 champions, to advance to the second round, and the Leopards, who lost to Aliquippa in the WPIAL title game, beat Brockway 69-26.
I wouldn’t read too much into that LP score against Brockway, which entered the state tournament with a 12-13 overall record. Yes, even the PIAA takes too many teams into its playoffs. Instead, let’s focus on Lincoln Park’s losses: New Castle, Aliquippa, Kennedy Catholic and Allderdice.
That’s an impressive list. The losses to New Castle and Aliquippa were close, but KC and Allderdice made easy work of Lincoln Park, but this match up reminds me of Wash High’s quarterfinal game against the Quips.
Lincoln Park is extremely athletic, has depth and is very difficult to defend because of the ability to shoot three-pointers. Sound familiar? Though Wash High doesn’t have the same athleticism, it is difficult to defend because of guard play.
Wash High will have to do a few different things to win this one. To start, it will need to make Nelly Cummings’ night difficult. Cummings, a Division I recruit averaging 23.6 ppg, will make most uncontested shots and has the vision to find open teammates.
Also, Wash High will have to get Lincoln Park senior center Dermontti Welling in foul trouble. He’s an athletic big with good post moves and Wash High can’t match his 6-foot-8 frame.
I’m anxious to see what defense the Prexies use to defend the Leopards. They’ve been great in zone looks this season and you’ll likely see them start with one against LP, which likes to get out in transition and is at its best driving to the basket.
Wash High certainly has a shot, but it will finally need to put together four quarters of strong basketball. Quarter-long lulls where the Prexies settle for jump shots and poor turnovers will lead to a loss. Rebounding could be an issue against a team like LP, so shot selection will be important.
What can’t be overlooked is the recent play of Anthony Popeck and Isaiah Robinson. Both are rebounding well and are playing tough defense.
Prediction: Lincoln Park wins 62-49. What a season by Wash High, which could have given Aliquippa a scare if it played its best in the quarterfinals.
The Lions got their much-needed state playoff win one year after losing to McGuffey in the first round. This time they defeated Ambridge after a victory over Trinity in the WPIAL title game. Now, South Fayette is healthy for the first time since December and ready for a run at Hershey.
Mercyhurst Prep is the District 10 runner up, losing to rival Villa Maria for the third time this season. The Lakers beat Mars in the first round of the PIAA playoffs, but this is a difficult match up for them.
Unlike Mars, which is a smaller team lacking experience, South Fayette has size with Emily Anderson and Sam Kosmacki, and plenty of experience after back-to-back long runs through the WPIAL playoffs. The Lakers’ biggest player is Kaitlyn Borges, who stands at 5-10.
They’ll certainly have to get Anderson, a 6-4 University of Pennsylvania recruit, in foul trouble. Driving through South Fayette’s zone will be difficult and it will have to remain composed against the Lions’ trapping defense.
Mercyhurst is young with only two seniors and its leading scorer is Emily Shopene, who averages 10.8 ppg. The Lakers lost four very good seniors from last season’s team, which lost in the second round to Blackhawk, and is relying on a strong junior class.
With South Fayette having both Carlee Kilgus and Jordyn Caputo back, I find it hard to believe that it will overlook the Lakers.
Prediction: South Fayette advances to the quarterfinals