PIAA releases sites, pairings for first-round basketball games
The PIAA released the pairings and sites for first-round basketball playoff games and two local teams will be making a long trip Friday night.
Monessen (21-4), the WPIAL’s third seed in Class A boys, will play Farrell (19-6), the District 10 runner up, Friday night at Slippery Rock (7 p.m.). The winner will play either Elk County Catholic (25-0) or Eden Christian (22-4) in the second round. The Greyhounds fell to North Catholic in overtime of the WPIAL semifinals and received the third seed after the Trojans defeated Sewickley Academy in the title game.
In Class AA boys, Washington (19-5), the WPIAL’s fifth seed, will play Greenville (21-5), the District 10 champion, Saturday at Farrell (5:30 p.m.).
In Class AA girls, Chariters-Houston’s return to the state playoffs will begin Friday night at Farrell, when the Bucs (18-8), the WPIAL’s seventh seed, face West Middlesex (24-1) at 6 p.m. Chartiers-Houston defeated Riverside to earn a spot in the PIAA playoffs, despite playing without dynamic sophomore forward Alexa Williamson, who suffered a season-ending injury in late December.
Trinity (21-4) and South Fayette (22-3) will start the PIAA Class AAA playoffs at the same site. The Lions, who captured the WPIAL title with a 59-52 win over the Hillers, will play the WPIAL’s seventh seed, Ambridge (21-5) at 2:30 p.m., and Trinity will face the district’s sixth seed, South Park (19-7) Saturday at Peters Township (4 p.m.).
The Hillers defeated South Park twice this season, including a 56-41 win in the WPIAL quarterfinals.