Friday December 15, 2023 Boys High School Basketball
Riverside – 52
Beaver Falls – 56
Beaver Falls football head coach Ryan Matsook has resigned. Matsook released a statement on his Twitter account earlier this evening, thanking the players that he had the opportunity to coach over his 11-year tenure.
Matsook took over the head coaching position at Beaver Falls in 2006, leading the Tigers to the 3A PIAA Championship this past season.
Tune in to A.M. Beaver County with Matt Drzik and Pat Septak tomorrow morning at 6:30 for more details and dicussion on this development.
Lincoln Park had overcome upset bids and a loss in the WPIAL championship to find themselves in Hershey. So for that the Leopards had accomplishments to be proud of.
Unfortunately, they cannot add “defeated a machine” to that list.
Neumann-Goretti defeated Lincoln Park in the 3A Boys’ Basketball Championship Thursday night by a score of 89-58 at the Giant Center on Beaver County Radio. The closest the Leopards got was 8-7 (all 7 scored by Evan Brown), but a 23-2 run to start the second quarter turned on the rout for the Saints out of District 12.
Neumann-Goretti wins their 4th consecutive 3A PIAA Championship in boys’ basketball, while Lincoln Park picks up silver for the 3rd time in four trips to Hershey.
Despite settling for silver, Nelly Cummings ended his career on a high note: 37 points and becoming the 5th-highest scorer in WPIAL history. He and the Saints’ Quade Green (a Kentucky recruit) were selected as the CCBC Players of The Game.
Bob Barrickman and Bruce Frey have the recap for beavercountyradio.com.
Down by 11 points in the second half, Lincoln Park came back to defeat Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic 54-46 in the PIAA western semi-final at Ambridge.
CCBC Players of the Game: Nelly Cummings (Lincoln Park); Kenny Sukon (Cardinal Wuerl).
Lincoln Park is seeking more than their first trip to the PIAA Basketball Finals since 2014. Their match against Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic tonight on Beaver County Radio is a matter of revenge, as the Trojans defeated the Leopards in the 3A WPIAL Championship back on March 2 by a score of 56-51.
Now the two teams, both 24-5, will battle tonight at the Ambridge Fieldhouse for a chance to go to Hershey for the 3A Championship on Thursday at 8:00pm
Tonight’s game will be on Beaver County Radio from Ambridge, with pre-game at 6:30 and tip-off at 7:00.
PIAA Boys Basketball Quarter-final playoff:
Lincoln Park 70, Washington 58. (CCBC Player’s of the Game: Nelly Cummings (Lincoln Park); Matt Popeck (Washington).
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PIAA Playoffs: Erie Strong Vincent 71, Beaver Falls 48. CCBS Stars of the Game: David Morris (Erie Strong Vincent); Torian Leak (Beaver Falls).
Endings are new beginnings. Time repeats itself. Some things never change.
Whichever cliche you’d like to use, Blackhawk doesn’t want to deal with it again.
Villa Maria Academy, the team that ended the Lady Cougars’ season in the PIAA playoffs in 2016 and started this season by defeating the Lady Cougars at North Allegheny, upped the streak to three by defeating Blackhawk 75-50 in the 4A Girls’ Second Round matchup of the PIAA Basketball Championships.
The Lady Cougars kept it within single digits throughout the first half, but the pedigree of the Lady Victors, along with foul trouble, allowed the District 10 champions to pull away in the second half.
Villa Maria (20-5) will play the winner of CW North Catholic/Punxsutawney in the PIAA 4A Quarterfinals on Saturday. Blackhawk ends its season at 17-10.
The Lady Cougars’ MacKenzie Amalia and The Victors’ Andrea McCormick were selected as the CCBC Players of The Game.
Tom Hays has the stats for beavercountyradio.com.
Beaver County Radio invades Sharon High School tonight for a PIAA second-round basketball doubleheader.
At 5:00pm the Blackhawk Lady Cougars (17-9) attempt to get revenge against District 10 champion Villa Maria (19-5), who beat Blackhawk in last year’s PIAA playoffs. Pre-game is at 4:30.
Then at 8:00 the Beaver Falls Tigers (13-9) look to extend Doug Biega’s final run as they face the Boys’ District 10 Champion Erie Strong Vincent (24-3). Pre-game for game #2 is at 7:30.
Other games featuring area teams in the PIAA second round:
BOYS
4A
7-2 Quaker Valley
10-2 Grove City Eagles
@ North Allegheny HS
8:00pm
3A
7-5 Riverside
6-1 Central Cambria
@ Armstrong HS
5:00pm
7-2 Lincoln Park
10-1 Greenville
@ New Castle HS
7:00pm
2A
7-1 Sewickley Academy
6-2 Bishop Guilfoyle
@ Hempfield HS
8:00pm
6-1 Bishop McCort
7-2 OLSH
@ Norwin HS
6:30pm
GIRLS
3A
7-3 Carlynton
7-5 Riverside
@ Ambridge HS
6:30pm
2A
7-3 OLSH
7-5 Leechburg
@ Canon-McMillan HS
6:00pm
1A
7-2 Cornell
9-1 North Clarion
@ Slippery Rock University
6:00pm
BOYS Class 2A
OLSH-61
Cambridge Springs-52
Sewickley Academy-60
Rocky Grove-47
BOYS Class 4A
Beaver Falls-62
Central Martinsburg-52
Grove City-57
Central Valley-50
Quaker Valley-76
Harbor Creek-52
New Castle-72
Sharon-38
GIRLS Class 1A
Cornell-61
Farrell-49
North Clarion-57
Sewickley Academy-38
Winchester Thurston-55
North Potter-24
Juniata Valley-51
Shanksville-20
4A Girls
Blackhawk 53, Freeport 32
Forest Hills 63, Beaver 25
Punxsutawney 46, Central Valley 40
Villa Maria 60, South Park 34
2A Girls
OLSH 42, Reynolds 29
5A Boys
Franklin Regional 52, Moon 51
Mars 85, Hampton 81
3A Boys
Lincoln Park 70, Juniata 39
Riverside 50, Westinghouse 39