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.
