Westmoreland County boys basketball game recaps from Tuesday, February 4th 2025:

Norwin 55 Canon-McMillan 51

Norwin outscored Canon-McMillan 35-27 in the second half to secure a 55-51 victory at Canon-McMillan in Section 2-6A. Alex Graney and King Carver scored 13 and 11 points respectively to lead the Knights (10-10, 6-7). Roman Koenemund recorded 13 points for the Big Macs (4-16, 2-11).

Upper St. Clair 55 Hempfield Area 38

Hempfield Area was stifled offensively in a 55-38 setback at home against Upper St. Clair in Section 2-6A action. The section-champion Panthers (19-2, 12-1) were paced by Tyler Robbins, who scored 18 points, and Ryan Robbins, who contributed 10 points. Dylan Firmstone scored eight points to lead the Spartans (8-12, 3-10), who were eliminated from postseason contention.

Gateway 56 Penn-Trafford 50 (OT)

Host Gateway narrowly edged Penn-Trafford 56-50 in a matchup of playoff-bound teams in Section 1-5A. Mykel Bruce-McCrommon exploded for 26 points for the Gators (11-8, 9-4), while Paul Nnacho registered a double-double with 12 points and a dozen boards. In the setback, the Warriors (11-9, 7-6) were boosted by Zach Feldman’s 18 points, while Brayden Stone contributed 11 points. Penn-Trafford trailed 17-9 after the first quarter but quickly battled back into the game. With a win, the Warriors would have been tied with Gateway for third place but due to the loss P-T will now finish fourth in the section with one game remaining.

Greater Latrobe 71 McKeesport 43

Three Wildcats finished in double figures as Greater Latrobe upended McKeesport 71-43 in a Section 1-5A contest. John Wetzel led the trio with 20 points for the Wildcats (17-4, 9-4) while Max Butler helped with 19 and Kyle McNeil added 11 points. Lamont Perkins racked up 23 points to lead all scorers for the Tigers (7-14, 4-9).

Kiski Area 63 Plum 36

Keyed by a big second quarter, Kiski Area cruised past Plum 63-36 to pick up a Section 2-5A victory. Amaree Gonzalez tallied 18 points for the Cavaliers (13-6, 10-1) who outscored the Mustangs 22-9 in the second frame. Colin Keller (14) and Tyler McDermott (11) also had big nights for Kiski Area. Max Grice notched 12 points for Plum (8-12, 4-7). Kiski Area's win sets up a showdown at Penn Hills on Friday which will determine the section champion.

Burrell 78 Valley 49

Burrell built up a 19-9 lead through the first eight minutes and was ahead 41-25 at halftime, breezing to a 78-49 triumph at Valley in Section 1-4A play. Tucker Bitar went off for 25 points for the Buccaneers (7-14, 4-8) with teammates Parker Pruitt and Ryan Wass adding 19 and 18 points respectively. Taireke Davis amassed 21 points to top the Vikings (5-15, 0-11). Burrell, currently in fifth place, trails fourth place Highlands by a half-game. The Bucs need Highlands to lose to Valley on Friday to clinch a WPIAL playoff spot.

Belle Vernon 83 Greensburg Salem 48

Trevor Kovatch scored 27 points and Zion Moore added 25 points to lead Belle Vernon Area to an 83-48 victory at Greensburg Salem in Section 3-4A. Kovatch connected on seven 3-pointers, while Curty Wade added 10 points for the Leopards (18-4, 11-1), who are the section champs. The Golden Lions (5-15, 3-8) were paced by Braedon Leatherman, who tallied 18 points, and Jackson Stevey, who scored 13 points.

Elizabeth Forward 78 Yough 37

Yough was outscored 45-21 in the second half in a 78-37 loss to Elizabeth Forward in Section 3-4A. Despite the defeat, Jackson Pore's 22 points were a game-high for the Cougars (1-20, 0-11). Cy Herchelroath finished with 14 points to power the second place Warriors (16-4, 9-2).

Ligonier Valley 47 Waynesburg 39

Ligonier Valley went on an 18-8 run in the fourth quarter to earn a 47-39 Section 4-3A win over visiting Waynesburg. Michael Vargulish-Graver's 18 points topped the Rams (12-8, 6-3) while Michael Wisniewski added 13. Cole Headlee had 14 points to pace the Raiders (8-11, 6-3). With the victory, Ligonier Valley is now tied with Waynesburg for second place in the section and plays Charleroi on Friday to close section play.

Southmoreland 59 Mount Pleasant 44

Southmoreland led 37-15 at halftime and went on to defeat Mount Pleasant 59-44 in Section 4-3A action. Noah Felentzer poured in 20 points to lead all scorers for the first place Scotties (16-4, 9-0). Ty Whoric added 12 points and Elliot Premus helped with 10. Kade Hutchinson recorded 18 points for the Vikings (0-21, 0-9) with Jonah Townsend putting in 10.

Greensburg Central Catholic 58 Jeannette 48   WATCH BROADCAST

Greensburg Central Catholic outlasted Jeannette 58-48 to claim the Section 1-2A crown in a highly-anticipated Westmoreland County clash. The host Centurions (19-2, 13-0) overcame an early deficit, and took a narrow 25-23 lead into the locker room. GCC used a 12-0 run to create separation in the third quarter, but the Jayhawks (17-2, 10-2) rallied to take a 46-45 lead in the fourth. The Centurions finished on a 13-2 run, however, aided by going 6-of-8 at the foul line in the closing stretch. AJ Tarpley paced GCC with 17 points, while Brady O’Rourke scored 13. Jayce Powell amassed 16 points for Jeannette, while Kymon’e Brown tallied 14 points.