Teams begin quest for WPIAL boys’ basketball titles

Upper St. Clair and Mt. Lebanon earned the No. 2 and No. 4 seeds in the Class 6A bracket for the WPIAL boys basketball playoffs but neither is expecting an easy road into the semifinals. That is because it is an eight-team tournament and first-round opponents are evenly matched.
New Castle (19-2) is the top seed and the favorite to win the title after having moved into the division after dominating Class 5A last season, with WPIAL and PIAA runner-up showings.
“After New Castle, we all have a chance,” said USC coach Dan Holzer. “The first round really is the quarterfinals and eight teams are capable of winning.”
Lebo coach Joe David concurred. “New Castle is the favorite,” he agreed. “From there, it depends on who plays well because on any given night any team can win.”
Both the Panthers and Blue Devils embark on their title quests with 7 p.m. contests Feb. 24. USC (14-8) hosts Seneca Valley (9-12) while Lebo (14-7) entertains Butler (14-7).
The Panthers were Section 2 champions with a 9-1 slate while the Raiders finished fourth with a 4-6 record in Section 1. Holzer cautioned that SV’s record is deceiving. He pointed out that the Raiders own a win against No. 3-seeded Central Catholic (13-9) and have many close losses, including one to the Hurricanes, 65-60, on Feb. 10.
“They have quality wins and their non-section and section schedule is tough. We will have our hands full,” Holzer said.
“Seneca Valley is big and strong. They have three players with three years of varsity experience. So it’s a veteran team that does a good job on the boards.”
As a result, the Panthers must make every shot count. They are a club that relies on the 3-point field goal.
Nick Sukernek is USC’s top scorer with a 12.8 average while Devin Hall, Christian Ito and Julian Dahlem all average just over seven points per game and can knock down the long shot. Matt Gaither, who manages nearly 12 points a game, is the team’s leading rebounder while Dahlem dishes up nearly six assists an outing.
“We are playing well offensively. Sharing the ball and doing a good job of taking care of the ball,” said Holzer. “I’m pleased with our confidence level and how we closed out the regular season.”
The Panthers claimed their first outright section title since the 2013-14 season by winning a thrilling overtime decision against Baldwin, 66-64, in the regular-season finale. In the triumph, Cody Marn sparked fourth-quarter comeback, scoring six of his eight points in the frame. Hall finished with 22 tallies while Sukernek and Gaither chipped in 15 and 14 markers.
”It was an exciting way to finish league play,” Holzer said. “We hope to carry that momentum into the playoffs. We will be practicing our shooting and working on rebounding. If we shoot the ball well, then we’ll be OK.”
In the past, Lebo has done alright against the Golden Tornado. The Blue Devils played Butler in back-to-back WPIAL championship contests, winning in 2019. While the Golden Tornado is a different team from the ones the Blue Devils faced in the past, David said they are a well-coached and good squad.
“We have to play well to beat them,” he said. “We have to execute and do the basic fundamental things to win.”
Butler is led by Braylon Littlejohn. He is averaging 21.1 points per game.
The Blue Devils have a balanced attack. Washington & Jefferson College recruit Mike Pfeuffer spearheads the attack. Lucas Garofoli provides the 3-point threat along with Nate Girod while Tanner Donati wages the battle inside and leads the rebounding department.
Though the Blue Devils have limited playoff experience, David believes that battles with neighboring rivals such as USC and Chartiers Valley along with a game against Laurel Highlands have prepared his team for the postseason.
“We’ve played in some great environments. That type of atmosphere has prepared us. I think we are going into the playoffs well-prepared for that,” he said.
Class 5A
Peters Township (18-3) earned the top seed ahead of Penn Hills (16-3) in the WPIAL 5A tournament. The Indians defeated 72-45, Bethel Park to win their first section title since 2009, the same year they also captured a WPIAL crown. They also closed out the regular season with an 85-79 win against Baldwin, which is entered in the Class 6A tournament. The win against the Highlanders was PT’s 11th in a row.
“It is nice to be recognized and get a (No.) 1 seed,” said PT head coach Joe Urmann. “There are so many good 5A teams and coaches out there. We’re excited about the opportunity in front of us.”
The Indians, who are averaging 73 points a game, are led by Jack Dunbar on both ends of the floor as well as Brendan McCullough, who leads the attack from the point. Dunbar averages 19 points and 4 rebounds while McCullough manages 14 points while dishing up 4 assists.
Jake Ziegler follows with 10 points per game and Nate Miller also provides 4 assists a contest. Mickey Vaccarello provides 3.8 boards for the Indians, who also have benefited from a deep bench.
The Indians kicked off their playoff quest hosting Penn-Trafford (7-15) on Feb. 17.
In Class 5A, South Fayette (12-9) and Bethel Park (12-8) also qualified for the playoffs.
The Lions entered their fray against Shaler on Feb. 17 with the hot hand, having won four games in a row to clinch a post-season berth. SF’s surge has centered around Elijah Hill as well as Michael Plasko.
BP, which finished third in Section 1 after dropping a 71-53 decision to Thomas Jefferson, traveled to North Hills to face Mars (14-7) in its first-round playoff game on Feb. 17.