EBENSBURG – There will be a new PIAA Class A boys basketball champion this year after District 9 champion Elk County Catholic upset defending champion and the second-place team out of the WPIAL Serra Catholic 63-51 in the quarterfinals Friday night at Central Cambria High School in Ebensburg.
The Crusaders (23-7) were able to hold the Eagles (23-4) to their lowest output of the season.
“We knew if we were going to have any success at all, we would have to slow them down a little bit,” ECC head coach Aaron Straub told the DuBois Courier-Express/Tri-County Sunday. “I’d like to give a lot of credit to our defense making them take some tough shots. We knew the teams wanted to play at a different pace. We needed to control the ball to be successful.”
ECC was able to control the ball and the lead the entire game. The Crusaders led 20-12 at the end of the first quarter, and although Serra Catholic got within 44-42 early in the fourth quarter, ECC was able to hold off the Eagles thanks to a 9 of 11 shooting performance in the fourth quarter.
“We got some really good shots,” Straub said. “We had some kids finish and attack the glass well.”
Junior Tony Chiodo scored a career-high 18 points to lead ECC. He was one of four Crusaders in double figures. Nate Higgins added 16 points, including nine in the first quarter, Robby Wortman added 12 and Joe Jacob 10.
T.J. Heatherington, who came into the game averaging 25 points per game including over 30 in the playoffs, led all scorers with 24 while Dave Menzes added 17 for Serra Catholic.
“The worst thing about coaching are the peaks and valleys,” Serra Catholic head coach Bob Rozanski, who was denied his 500th career win thanks to the loss, told the McKeesport Daily News. “The valleys seem a hundred times worse than the peaks. But that is part of the game, and you have to accept that you aren’t going to be the last one standing at the end of every year.”
ECC will now take on District 10 champion Kennedy Catholic (25-2) in the semifinals at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Clarion University’s Tippin Gym. Kennedy Catholic advanced to the semifinals thanks to a 65-50 win over WPIAL champion Sewickley Academy. Kyle Randall had 27 points for the Golden Eagles while adding six assists. Tom Droney led Sewickley Academy with 29 points.
Kennedy Catholic, who won four straight PIAA Class A titles from 1998-2001, is making its third straight appearance in the semifinals. The Golden Eagles have lost consecutive heartbreakers in the semi’s falling 51-50 to DuBois Central Catholic in 2007 after the Cardinals rallied from 18 down with 13 minutes to play to win on a jumper with just over two second to play and dropping a 78-76 overtime decision to Serra Catholic last year.
PIAA Boys Class AAA Playoffs: Klimchock does it again for Greensburg Salem
For the second straight game, Greensburg Salem senior point guard Chris Klimchock hit the game-winning shot and in the process lifted the Lions into the PIAA semifinals for the first time in school history with a 66-65 win over District 10 champion Farrell in the Class AAA quarterfinals Friday night at Slippery Rock University.
In the second round, Klimchock went coast-to-coast in the final seconds to knock off Chartiers Valley. Then Friday, he scored a layup with 20 seconds to play to beat the favored Steelers. Klimchock’s heroics capped off a Greensburg Salem comeback from 10 down with five minutes to play, the second time in as many games the Lions have rallied from a fourth-quarter deficit to get the win. Farrell had a chance to win the game at the end, but Marsell Holden’s jumper was no good. Jake Matthews led Greensburg Salem with 22 points with Klimchock adding 21. Holden had 24 for Farrell with 20 of those coming in the first half.
Greensburg Salem will now take on WPIAL Champion Hampton in the semifinals at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Gateway High School in Monroeville. Hampton knocked off Holy Ghost Prep from the Philadelphia area in the other semifinal 55-45 thanks to 22 points from Matt Madia, 15 from Tim Donegan and 13 from Bill Luther. It’s Hampton’s first trip to the PIAA semifinals since 1984.
PIAA Girls Class A Playoffs: WPIAL Champion North Catholic survives upset bid
The North Catholic girls basketball team had beaten Section rival Vincentian Academy twice by a combined 22 points during the regular season and then had dispatched of the Lady Royals by 21 in the WPIAL semifinals. But the Trojanettes found the fourth time not nearly as easy, as North Catholic needed overtime to knock off Vincentian Academy 43-41 in the PIAA Class A girls quarterfinals Saturday at North Allegheny High School.
North Catholic found itself trailing 39-38 with 2:11 left in overtime but ended the game on a 5-2 run to get the win. Ashley Bellovich had 16 points to led North Catholic with Erin DiSanti and Lauren Savulchak each adding 10 points.
North Catholic will take on Bishop Guilfoyle, a 62-35 winner over Tussey Mountain, in the semifinals at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Hempfield High School in Greensburg. Bishop Guilfoyle, which beat North Catholic in the 2007 PIAA Class A title game, was led by Alli Williams’ 30 points.
PIAA Boys Class AA Playoffs: Washington’s Cinderella ride continues
The Washington boys basketball team was considered a low enough seed in the PIAA Class AA boys basketball playoffs that the Little Prexies, the eighth-place team out of the WPIAL, had to play a play-in game against District 9’s second-place team Cranberry the Tuesday before the PIAA playoffs started. But two weeks later, Wash High finds itself one win away from playing for a state championship after knocking off Beaver Falls 69-51 Saturday afternoon at North Allegheny High School.
Nick Bryant scored 17 points to lead four Prexies in double figures. Troy Wilson added 15, Mark Wise had 13 and Zach Barnes had a double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds. Washington is trying to make a winner out of 28th year head coach Ron Faust, who is retiring after this season. Faust led Wash High to PIAA titles in 1984 and 1986.
Washington will take on WPIAL champion North Catholic in the semifinals at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Hempfield High School in Greensburg. North Catholic beat Aliquippa 62-54 thanks to 21 points from Henry Pwono and 18 tallies from Jesse Long. The Trojans ended the game on a 23-11 run after trailing the Quips 43-39 late in the third quarter.
PIAA Class AAAA Playoffs: Mt. Lebanon trying to double its pleasure
The Mount Lebanon boys and girls basketball teams are trying to double the pleasure for its fans in State College this coming weekend, as both teams advanced to the PIAA semifinals with wins over the weekend.
The Blue Devil girls got the party started with a 49-45 win over State College Friday night at Central Cambria High School in Ebensburg, while the Mt. Lebo boys knocked off Erie Cathedral Prep 51-41 Saturday at Sharon High School.
In the girls’ game, unbeaten Mt. Lebanon (29-0) found itself tied against six-loss State College (18-7) with 38 seconds to play. But Madison Cable scored four straight points to give the Blue Devils the win. Cable finished with a 16 points.
Mt. Lebanon will take on Cheltenham from the Philadelphia area in the semifinals at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Shippensburg University.
Despite the 10-point win, the boys’ game was nearly as tense, as Mt. Lebanon had to rally from a 31-24 deficit late in the third quarter to get the 51-41 victory. Evan Pierce was the driving force behind the win scoring all 15 of his points in the second half including 12 in the fourth quarter. Pierce helped the Blue Devils end the game on a 14-1 run that erased a three-point Erie Prep lead in the final 2:57. Deion Turman added seven points, 15 rebounds and four blocked shots.
Mt. Lebanon will face Penn Wood, another Philadelphia-area school, in the semifinals at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Big Spring High school in Newville.
PIAA Girls Class AA Playoffs: Southern Huntingdon continues bounce back from district loss
Southern Huntingdon entered the District 6 Class AA girls’ title game at 25-0, but the Rockets lost to Bishop McCort in the title game. Southern Huntingdon has rebounded from that loss, though, to reach the PIAA Class AA girls’ semifinals thanks to a 53-50 win over WPIAL champion Sto-Rox. Jordan Speck scored 15 points, all on 3-pointers, to lead the Rockets to the win. Kasee Hall added 12 points and Brittney Shields 10 for Southern Huntingdon.
The Rockets will now take on Villa Maria Academy from Erie in the semifinals at 8 p.m. Tuesday at Clarion University’s Tippin Gym. Villa Maria knocked off Bishop McCort 45-31 in the quarterfinals behind 12 points from Ashley Prischak, nine from Kayla McBride and eight from Cara Wyant, who added seven rebounds. The Victors started the game on an 18-2 run and never looked back avenging a playoff loss to Bishop McCort from a year ago.
PIAA Girls Class AAA Playoffs: General McLane rolls into semifinals
General McLane out of Edinboro rolled into the PIAA Class AAA girls’ semifinals with an easy 59-36 win over Indiana Saturday at Sharon High School. It was the Lancers 14th straight win.
Leah Hansen led General McLane, who is in the semifinals for the first time in school history, with 16 points, 15 rebounds and six steals, while Valerie Majewski added 12 points. The Lancers used a 22-4 run in the first half to break the game wide open.
General McLane will play District 3’s runner-up Lampeter-Strasburg, who beat the Lancers District 10 rival Mercyhurst Prep 63-56 in the semifinals Saturday at Central Cambria High School. The semifinal game will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Central Cambria.
Lampeter-Strasburg got 21 points from Lisa Boyer and 18 from Danielle Rittenhouse to advance to the semifinals for the first time in school history as well.
