Westmoreland County boys basketball game recaps from Friday, January 31st 2025:

Canon-McMillan 71 Hempfield Area 59

Danny Husenits scored 27 points for Hempfield Area but Mike Detrich countered by scoring 32 points for Canon-McMillan as the Big Macs knocked off the Spartans 71-59 in a Section 2-6A contest. In addition to Husenits, Jack Kopas contributed 13 points for Hempfield Area (8-11, 3-9) while Dylan Kelly had 13 for Canon-McMillan (4-15, 2-10).

Pittsburgh Central Catholic 65 Norwin 50

Pittsburgh Central Catholic built a 32-22 lead at halftime and went on to defeat Norwin 65-50 in Section 2-6A. Chris McKnight tallied 10 points for the Knights (9-10, 5-7) while Christian Williams scored 18 points for the Vikings (12-6, 9-3). Norwin maintained its two-game lead over Hempfield Area for the fifth and final playoff spot in the section.

Franklin Regional 73 Greater Latrobe 71 (OT)   WATCH BROADCAST

Connor Crossey scored 38 points, including a layup with just seconds remaining, and Max Butler’s halfcourt shot rattled out at the buzzer as Franklin Regional snagged a thrilling 73-71 overtime win against Greater Latrobe. Thus, the host Panthers (5-7, 10-10) moved into sole possession of fifth place in Section 1-5A, while the Wildcats (16-4, 8-4) remained tied for second place. Crossey scored a career-high 38 points, including 18 points between the fourth quarter and OT, while Jonah Johnston accumulated 19 points. The Panthers went 21-of-24 at the foul line, including nine makes in the fourth quarter when they overcame a nine-point disadvantage. In their third loss in the past four tilts, the Wildcats were paced by Max Butler, who netted 23 points, while Ian DeCerb added 16 points and John Wetzel scored 10.

Penn-Trafford 62 McKeesport 44

Penn-Trafford stormed out to a 25-7 lead after one quarter and bested McKeesport 62-44 in a Section 1-5A tilt. Zach Feldman and Brayden Stone each produced 12 points for the Warriors (11-8, 7-5) with Tyler Anthony adding 10. Lamont Perkins scored a game-high 14 points for the Tigers (7-13, 4-8).

Kiski Area 70 Shaler Area 39

Kiski Area quickly took a 21-5 lead and never looked back, cruising to a 70-39 lopsided victory over Shaler Area in Section 2-5A. Colin Keller's 17 points paced the Cavaliers (12-6, 9-1) with Amaree Gonzalez adding 14 points and Tyler McDermott ending with 10. Jordan Epps registered 15 points for the Titans (7-12, 4-6). Kiski Area remains tied with Penn Hills for first place in the section. The two teams will meet next Friday, February 7th.

Freeport 57 Burrell 51

Burrell dropped its sixth game in a row, as the Buccaneers suffered a 57-51 home setback against Freeport Area in Section 1-4A. In the setback, Tucker Bitar paced the Bucs (6-13, 3-8) with 21 points, including 11 in the final stanza. The Yellowjackets (6-12, 3-7), who withstood a fourth-quarter rally from Burrell, were led by Carson Kane’s 16 points.

Belle Vernon 76 East Allegheny 49

Zion Moore exploded for 37 points, surpassing 2,000 career points in the process, as Belle Vernon Area cruised to a 76-49 home win against East Allegheny in a Section 3-4A matchup. Moore became the 39th boys player in WPIAL history to reach the scoring milestone. Trevor Kovatch added 11 points for the first-place Leopards (17-4, 10-1), while Jayden Patterson netted 25 for the Wildcats (5-14, 2-8).

Derry Area 56 Yough 26

Yough was thinking upset at halftime, ahead of Derry Area 19-17, but the Trojans used a big second half to upend the Cougars 56-26 in a Section 3-4A battle. Both Stanley Rajkovich and John Wasnick finished with 16 points for the Trojans who outscored the Cougars 39-7 in the second half. Charlie Quinn notched 10 points for Yough (1-19, 0-10).

Southmoreland 58 Waynesburg 51 OT

Southmoreland claimed its first section title since 1992, as the homestanding Scotties outlasted Waynesburg Central 58-51 in overtime. As a result, the Scotties (15-4, 8-0) clinched the Section 4-3A crown. Noah Felentzer produced 28 points, including 25 in the second half and overtime, for the Scotties as they overcame a 23-12 halftime deficit. Brady Sherbondy added 11 points for Southmoreland, while Cole Headlee paced the Raiders (8-10, 6-2) with 17 points.

Ligonier Valley 75 Brownsville 65

Ligonier Valley's Parker Hollick racked up 22 points to power the Rams to a 75-65 victory over Brownsville in Section 4-3A. Along with Hollick, Michal Wisniewski (18), Brian Wisniewski (12), and Michael Vargulish-Graver (10) reached double-figures. The Falcons drop to (4-14, 2-6).

Charleroi 68 Mount Pleasant 51

Mount Pleasant trailed by just two points after one but was outscored by Charleroi 20-7 in the second quarter, falling 68-51 in a Section 4-3A contest. Jonah Townsend and Isiah Taylor both tossed in 11 points for the Vikings (0-20, 0-8) while Braeden Todaro accumulated 16 points to lead the Cougars (9-10, 3-5).

Greensburg Central Catholic 65 Riverview 34

A.J. Tarpley collected 18 points leading Greensburg Central Catholic to a 65-34 win at Riverview in Section 1-2A. The Centurions (16-2, 10-0) were ahead 32-16 at the halftime break. Matt Orbin and Levi Roupas scored eight points each for the Raiders (7-12, 5-7).

Jeannette 54 Springdale 39

Jeannette used a big second quarter to pull away from Springdale, securing a 54-30 Section 1-2A win. Marcus McGowan put in a game-high 19 points for the Jayhawks (16-1, 9-1) with Jayce Powell adding 13. Robbie Simmen and John Duku both tallied 11 points for the Dynamos (11-7, 5-6).