Pittsburgh, Pa. – The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) announced its playoff brackets in six classifications for the 2024 WPIAL/UPMC Sports Medicine Girls’ Basketball Championships on Monday afternoon, with all championship games to be held at Petersen Events Center on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh from Feb. 29-March 2.
A total of 81 teams from the six classifications qualified for the WPIAL Girls’ Basketball Championships. Postseason play begins on Friday, Feb. 16 with first round games in Class 2A and a preliminary round contest in Class 5A. Teams qualify for the postseason by finishing inside the top four of their respective sections following the regular season. If multiple teams finish with the same section record and ties cannot be broken, then all tied teams enter the bracket.
In Class 6A, Norwin (18-3, 10-0) won Section I and Peters Township (20-1, 11-1) took home Section II. There were two outright section champions in Class 5A with Indiana (16-5, 11-1) in Section I and Oakland Catholic (22-0, 12-0) in Section III, while Armstrong (17-4, 10-2) and North Hills (13-8, 10-2) shared Section II, and Lincoln Park (19-2, 8-2) and Trinity (17-5, 8-2) were deadlocked in Section IV. Class 4A had three unbeaten section winners in North Catholic (14-7, 12-0) for Section I, Blackhawk (20-2, 10-0) for Section II, and Elizabeth Forward (19-2, 12-0) for Section III.
There were two outright section champions and two splits in Class 3A, with Avonworth (19-1, 10-0) and Shady Side Academy (19-2, 10-0) winning Section II and Section III, respectively, Neshannock (15-7, 8-2) and Beaver Falls (14-6, 8-2) sharing Section I, and Waynesburg Central (19-2, 9-1) and South Park (15-6, 9-1) splitting Section IV. Class 2A also had two sole winners in Aliquippa (19-2, 12-0) for Section I and Greensburg Central Catholic (16-5, 12-0) for Section III, with Fort Cherry (17-4, 9-1) and Burgettstown (13-9, 9-1) tying in Section II, and Chartiers-Houston (16-5, 11-1) and Washington (14-8, 11-1) splitting Section IV. In Class 1A, Union (16-5, 6-0) won Section I, Monessen (16-5, 10-0) brought home Section II, and Saint Joseph (19-2, 8-0) topped Section III.
The top four teams in Class 6A, the top five teams in Class 1A, the top six teams in Class 4A, the top seven teams in Class 3A and Class 5A, and the top eight teams in Class 2A qualify for the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) Girls’ Basketball Championships, which begin with first round games on March 8-9 and end with the championship games from March 21-23 at the GIANT Center in Hershey. Consolation round contests will be held in each classification to determine the WPIAL’s qualifiers outside of the championship games.
The reigning WPIAL girls’ basketball champions are Avonworth (Class 3A), North Allegheny (Class 6A), North Catholic (Class 4A), Shenango (Class 2A), South Fayette (Class 5A), and Union (Class 1A).
CLASS 6A CHAMPIONSHIPS
Start Date: Thursday, Feb. 22
Championship Date & Location: TBA at Petersen Events Center (University of Pittsburgh)
Amount of Qualifiers: 8
Top Four Seeds: #1 Norwin (18-3, 10-0 Section I), #2 Peters Township (20-1, 11-1 Section II), #3 North Allegheny (19-2, 8-2 Section I), #4 Mt. Lebanon (12-10, 7-5 Section II)
Qualifying Teams: Chartiers Valley, Mt. Lebanon, North Allegheny, Norwin, Peters Township, Pine-Richland, Seneca Valley, Upper St. Clair
2023 Final: North Allegheny 71, Upper St. Clair 45
CLASS 5A CHAMPIONSHIPS
Start Date: Friday, Feb. 16 (Preliminary Round); Tuesday, Feb. 20 (First Round)
Championship Date & Location: TBA at Petersen Events Center (University of Pittsburgh)
Amount of Qualifiers: 17
Top Four Seeds: #1 Oakland Catholic (22-0, 12-0 Section III), #2 McKeesport (18-3, 10-2 Section III), #3 Trinity (17-5, 8-2 Section IV), #4 Lincoln Park (19-2, 8-2 Section IV)
Qualifying Teams: Armstrong, Greater Latrobe, Hampton, Indiana, Lincoln Park, Mars, McKeesport, Moon, North Hills, Oakland Catholic, Penn Hills, Penn-Trafford, Plum, South Fayette, Thomas Jefferson, Trinity, Woodland Hills
2023 Final: South Fayette 64, Oakland Catholic 49
CLASS 4A CHAMPIONSHIPS
Start Date: Tuesday, Feb. 20
Championship Date & Location: TBA at Petersen Events Center (University of Pittsburgh)
Amount of Qualifiers: 12
Top Four Seeds: #1 Blackhawk (20-2, 10-0 Section II), #2 North Catholic (14-7, 12-0 Section I), #3 Elizabeth Forward (19-2, 12-0 Section III), #4 Highlands (16-6, 10-2 Section I)
Qualifying Teams: Belle Vernon, Blackhawk, Central Valley, Elizabeth Forward, Greensburg Salem, Highlands, Hopewell, Knoch, Laurel Highlands, North Catholic, Quaker Valley, West Mifflin
2023 Final: North Catholic 51, Blackhawk 35
CLASS 3A CHAMPIONSHIPS
Start Date: Saturday, Feb. 17
Championship Date & Location: TBA at Petersen Events Center (University of Pittsburgh)
Amount of Qualifiers: 16
Top Four Seeds: #1 Avonworth (19-1, 10-0 Section II), #2 Shady Side Academy (19-2, 10-0 Section III), #3 Beaver Falls (14-6, 8-2 Section I), #4 Neshannock (15-7, 8-2 Section I)
Qualifying Teams: Apollo-Ridge, Avonworth, Beaver Falls, Brownsville, Burrell, Ellwood City, Keystone Oaks, McGuffey, Mohawk, Mt. Pleasant, Neshannock, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Seton LaSalle, Shady Side Academy, South Park, Waynesburg Central
2023 Final: Avonworth 48, Laurel 40
CLASS 2A CHAMPIONSHIPS
Start Date: Friday, Feb. 16
Championship Date & Location: TBA at Petersen Events Center (University of Pittsburgh)
Amount of Qualifiers: 16
Top Four Seeds: #1 Greensburg Central Catholic (16-5, 12-0 Section III), #2 Aliquippa (19-2, 12-0 Section I), #3 Serra Catholic (18-4, 10-2 Section III), #4 Fort Cherry (17-4, 9-1 Section II)
Qualifying Teams: Aliquippa, Bethlehem-Center, Brentwood, Burgettstown, California, Chartiers-Houston, Clairton, Fort Cherry, Freedom Area, Greensburg Central Catholic, Northgate, Rochester, Serra Catholic, South Side, Washington, Winchester Thurston
2023 Final: Shenango 44, Freedom Area 34
CLASS 1A CHAMPIONSHIPS
Start Date: Monday, Feb. 19
Championship Date & Location: TBA at Petersen Events Center (University of Pittsburgh)
Amount of Qualifiers: 12
Top Four Seeds: #1 Union (16-5, 6-0 Section I), #2 Aquinas Academy (15-6, 3-3 Section I), #3 Saint Joseph (19-2, 8-0 Section III), #4 Riverview (16-5, 10-0 Section II)
Qualifying Teams: Aquinas Academy, Bishop Canevin, Eden Christian Academy, Geibel Catholic, Jeannette, Leechburg, Mapletown, Monessen, Riverview, Saint Joseph, Union, West Greene
2023 Final: Union 52, Aquinas Academy 35
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