Mt. Lebanon, Indiana, Seton LaSalle and Vincentian Academy earn top seeds.
The WPIAL (PIAA District 7) announced its basketball playoff fields
Tuesday with four classifications in each the boys tournament and the
girls tournament.
WPIAL boys basketball playoffs previewHere is a closer look at each girls classification:
CLASS AAAA Number of teams in the field: 17
Number of teams qualifying for PIAA Playoffs: 5
Last year's title game: Mt. Lebanon 59, Baldwin 43
Top 4 seeds: 1.
Mt. Lebanon (Pittsburgh) (17-5; 2-time defending PIAA & WPIAL Class AAAA champion; Ranked No. 2 in PA by MaxPreps.com); 2.
Shaler Area (Pittsburgh) (20-2, Ranked No. 6 in PA by MaxPreps.com); 3.
Bethel Park (18-4, Ranked No. 4 in PA by MaxPreps.com); 4.
Oakland Catholic (Pittsburgh) (14-8).
Key Players to watch: Madison Cable, Mt. Lebanon (Notre Dame recruit; 17.1 ppg); Belma Nurkic, Baldwin (Duquesne recruit, 18.9 ppg);
Valerie McQuade, Shaler (16.1 ppg);
Candace Martino, Bethel Park (15.0 ppg).
Final Four: Mt. Lebanon over Oakland Catholic; Bethel Park over
Penn-Trafford (Harrison City).
Title game will be: Mt. Lebanon over Bethel Park
State qualifiers will be: 1. Mt. Lebanon; 2. Bethel Park; 3. Oakland Catholic; 4. Penn-Trafford; 5.
Kiski Area (Vandergrift).
CLASS AAA Number of teams in the field: 24
Number of teams qualifying for PIAA Playoffs: 6
Last year's title game: New Castle 66, Hopewell 61
Top 4 seeds: 1.
Indiana (21-1; 2010 PIAA Class AAA runner-up; Ranked 23rd in PA by MaxPreps.com); 2.
New Castle (19-3; Defending WPIAL Class AAA champion; Ranked 15th in PA by MaxPreps.com); 3.
South Park (19-3); 4.
Chartiers Valley (Bridgeville) (17-5).
Key Players to watch: Christina Talbert, New Castle (17.8 ppg, 6.1 apg, 5.3 rpg);
Lashauna Brothers, New Castle (17.8 ppg, 8.5 rpg);
Leslie Stapleton, Indiana (17.2 ppg);
Shelby Lindsay, South Park (17.2 ppg);
Alexis Graham, Blackhawk (15.5 ppg);
Alexa Hayward, Blackhawk (15.5 ppg);
Meghan Mastroianni, Montour (15.7 ppg).
Final Four: Indiana over Chartiers Valley; New Castle over South Park.
Title game will be: Indiana over New Castle.
State qualifiers will be: 1. Indiana; 2. New Castle; 3. Chartiers Valle; 4. South Park; 5.
Kittanning; 6.
West Mifflin.
CLASS AA Number of teams in the field: 24
Number of teams qualifying for PIAA Playoffs: 7
Last year's title game: Jeannette 39, Seton-LaSalle 36
Top 4 seeds: 1.
Seton LaSalle (Pittsburgh) (20-2, 24th ranked team in PA by MaxPreps.com); 2.
Riverside (Taylor) (19-3); 3.
Deer Lakes (Russellton) (20-2); 4.
Canevin Catholic (Pittsburgh) (18-4).
Key Players to watch: Sam Weir, Riverside (16.7 ppg); Erin Waskowiak, Bishop Canevin (19.3 ppg);
Naje Gibson, Seton-LaSalle (no stats available); Tess Zufall, Greensburg Central Catholic (Cleveland St. recruit; 15.7 ppg);
Lauren Mayernik, Avonworth (19.3 ppg);
Catherine Costa, Avonworth (18.2 ppg).
Final Four: Seton LaSalle over Canevin Catholic; Riverside over
Steel Valley (Munhall).
Title game will be: Seton-LaSalle over Riverside.
State qualifiers will be: 1. Seton LaSalle; 2. Riverside; 3. Canevin Catholic; 4. Steel Valley; 5.
Greensburg Central Catholic; 6.
Beaver Falls; 7.
Avonworth (Pittsburgh).
CLASS A Number of teams in the field: 17
Number of teams qualifying for PIAA Playoffs: 5
Last year's title game: Vincentian Academy 57, North Catholic 31
Top 4 seeds: 1.
Vincentian Academy (Pittsburgh) (20-1; defending WPIAL champions); 2.
Monessen (22-0); 3.
North Catholic (Pittsburgh) (15-7); 4.
Fort Cherry (McDonald) (19-3).
Key Players to watch: Geena Shrader, Monessen (18.1 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 4 spg, 3.5 apg);
Chelsea Szakal, Monessen (12.3 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 2 spg);
Gabby Baldesare, Vincentian Academy (Niagara recruit; 14.1 ppg);
Nakira Emerson, Aliquippa (14.2 ppg).
Final Four: Vincentian Academy over Fort Cherry; North Catholic over Monessen.
Title game will be: North Catholic over Vincentian Academy
State qualifiers will be: 1. North Catholic; 2. Vincentian Academy; 3. Monessen; 4. Fort Cherry; 5.
Aliquippa.
