Jan 29, 2019 4 min read

The two-year absence from the WPIAL high school basketball playoffs will be over for Peters Township.

Colin Cote made five three-pointers and scored a game-high 22 points as the Indians used a big third quarter to defeat Baldwin, 63-46, and clinch a playoff berth in Class 6A Section 2 Tuesday night at Baldwin High School.

Leading 25-23 at halftime, Peters Township (4-4, 12-5) outscored the Highlanders 22-9 in the third quarter and extended that lead to upwards of 20 points early in the fourth.

Dax Ploskina also reached double-digits for PT with 12 points.

Baldwin (1-7, 7-11) was led by Connor Lavelle’s 13 points.

Washington 54, Frazier 37: Three players for Washington scored in double-digits as the Prexies clamped down defensively in the second and third quarters in a 54-37 win over Frazier to remain in sole possession of first place in Class 3A Section 4.

Washington (8-1, 9-7) outscored the Commodores 29-13 in the middle quarters behind the scoring of Dan Ethridge, who scored a team-high 18 points. Ian Bredniak finished with 14 points and Brandon Patterson had 11 for the Prexies.

Luke Santo scored 19 points for Frazier (2-8, 4-14). Justin Novak also had 10 points.

Moon 64, Trinity 38: Donovan Johnson haunted Trinity for the second time in four days, scoring a game-high 28 points to lead Moon to a 64-38 win over the Hillers in Class 5A Section 2.

Johnson, who scored 26 in the Tigers’ 67-47 win over Trinity, finished with a game-high 28 as Moon (11-0, 18-0) led 40-13 at halftime.

Dylan King and Jake Hancher each scored nine points for Trinity (4-7, 7-11), which has lost five straight games.

Burgettstown 60, Mohawk 43: Burgettstown went on a 13-point run to begin the fourth quarter to break a tied game and defeat visiting Mohawk, 60-43, in Class 2A Section 3.

Mohawk (0-10, 3-15) fell behind by nine points after the first quarter but outscored the Blue Devils 15-10 in the second and 14-10 in the third to tie the game at 39-39 entering the fourth.

Dante Gianfrancesco helped build the lead for Burgettstown (2-7, 8-10) with nine-first quarter points. Gianfrancesco scored a game-high 21, all coming on his seven three-pointers.

Dylan Poirier had 12 points for the Blue Devils and Cole Shegi and Scott Ferris each finished with 10.

Josh Kurtz led Mohawk with 15 points.

Avella 62, Mapletown 33: Using another big fourth quarter, similar to the team’s first meeting earlier this season, Avella downed Mapletown, 62-33, in a Class A Section 2.

Entering the final eight minutes with a 36-26 lead, Avella (4-5, 6-12) scored 26 points in the fourth to pull away for the victory. When they played earlier this month, the Eagles scored 33 points in the fourth for a comeback victory.

Three players scored in double figures for Avella, led by Owen English’s 15 points. Brandon Samol had 14 and Gabe Lis added 12.

Ryan Tuttle and Matt Atwood each scored eight points for Mapletown (1-9, 1-18).

Chartiers-Houston 58, Brentwood 39: Evan Simpson scored 11 of his career-high 19 points in the fourth quarter as Chartiers-Houston stayed in the thick of playoff contention in Class 2A Section 2 with a 58-39 victory over Brentwood.

Simpson also grabbed 10 rebounds for a double-double.

Chartiers-Houston (4-5, 9-9), which is now a half game behind Brentwood for the final playoff spot, also found secondary scoring from Hayden Shober, who finished with 10 points.

John Milic led Brentwood (5-5, 9-8) with 11 points, while C.J. Ziegler added 10.

South Park 65, Belle Vernon 57: South Park clung to a six-point lead it built in the second quarter to defeat Class 4A Section 3 foe Belle Vernon, 65-57.

Tied 14-14 after the first quarter, South Park (5-3, 8-10) outscored the Leopards, who had won three of their last four entering Tuesday night, 17-11 in the second.

Hunter Lindsay led the Eagles with 17 points. Santino Tutich had 16 and Aidan Romgaus scored 11.

Belle Vernon (2-6, 5-14) was led by Larry Callaway’s 18 points. Cam Nusser and Mitchell Pohlot scored 14 and 12 points, respectively.

McGuffey 51, Beth-Center 45: Colin Walters and Dylan Summers each had career-high point totals as McGuffey stayed in contention for a Class 3A Section 4 championship by defeating Beth-Center, 51-45.

Walters went 9-for-11 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter and scored a game-high 24 points. Summers scored 10 points and grabbed seven rebounds. C.J. Cole also scored 17 points and had 16 rebounds for McGuffey (8-2, 13-6), which trails Washington by one game in the section standings.

The Highlanders outscored Beth-Center 19-7 in the second quarter to build their lead.

J.J. Green led Beth-Center (2-7, 8-10) with 17 points and eight rebounds.