Friday basketball rundown: Greensburg Central Catholic outlasts rival Jeannette in marquee matchup to hand Jayhawks first loss of season

They simply don’t make regular-season rivalry games much bigger than Greensburg Central Catholic’s high-stakes clash against Jeannette Friday night — and this one more than lived up to the hype.

In the end, coach Christian Hyland and the visiting Centurions were the ones celebrating on the brief bus ride home after spoiling the Jayhawks’ perfect record and taking over sole possession of first place in Class 2A Section 1 with a narrow 53-47 win.

“Any time we get together, it’s always a battle,” Hyland said. “No matter if it’s football, baseball, basketball or what, Jeannette-Greensburg Central is always going to be a battle. It felt good to go into their place and get a win and put ourselves in a good place section-wise.

“Those are some of my favorite memories, coming back from games with my team. The guys had a lot of fun.”

After taking a year off from basketball to train for football as a sophomore, junior Samir Crosby has played a key role for Greensburg Central this year — and Crosby’s elite athleticism was on full display for the Centurions as he registered a game-high 19 points in the win. Markus McGowan led Jeannette with 17 points to go with 12 from Ky’mone Brown.

“[Crosby] has been rock-solid, and we’re glad to have him back after missing a year,” Hyland said. “It was his turn tonight. It could be someone else on Tuesday. That’s kind of how we’ve been rolling all year.”

Brady O’Rourke added 13 points for Greensburg Central (11-1, 5-0), including two pivotal 3-pointers in the second half. O’Rourke is one of three returning players who started in the 2024 WPIAL title game for the Centurions, with Crosby and 6-4 sophomore forward A.J. Tarpley replacing the talented tandem of Tyree Turner (21 ppg) and Franco Alvarez (15 ppg).

“[Turner] did a lot of our scoring. And we lost Franco [Alvarez], who did a lot of our scoring, too,” Hyland said. “I thought [O’Rourke] battled really well on the glass for us.”

After knocking Greensburg Central out of the second round of the 2024 PIAA tournament with a 48-46 upset win in overtime, the Jayhawks (11-1, 5-1) returned all five starters this season and entered Friday as the final remaining unbeaten team in the WPIAL. But the Centurions clearly had revenge on their minds, and the statement delivered by Greensburg Central Friday surely will reverberate throughout the Class 2A landscape.

“We’re growing,” Hyland said. “I think playing bigger schools in non-section play is good for us. You never want to lose, but I thought the [63-49 loss Dec. 27 at Hempfield] taught us a lot about ourselves and brought us back to reality, so to speak.

“I’m not really concerned right now with what our ranking is. We’re just focused on trying to get better every day and take it one game at a time. Hopefully we’re at the right spot at the end of February and early March. That’s our ultimate goal and where we want to be.”

Other boys games

• In a showdown between two of the top teams in Class 6A, New Castle and Fox Chapel went into the locker room with the score tied at halftime — but the Red Hurricanes stormed out of the break with a dominant second half, surging to a 72-41 win to move into a tie for first place in Class 6A Section 1. Freshman Kai Cox scored a game-high 19 points to pace four double-digit scorers for New Castle (10-1, 5-1), followed by 17 apiece from Ralphie Blundo and Damian Harrison, and 10 from Jayden Shaffer. Caden Kaiser finished with 14 points for the Foxes (10-3, 5-1) to go with 11 from Asher White.

• Tyler Robbins and Jake Foster led the way with 16 points apiece for Upper St. Clair, and Julian Dahlem chipped in with 12 as the Panthers (13-1, 6-0) thumped visiting Hempfield in Class 6A Section 2, 75-50. The Spartans (7-6, 2-4) took a 31-30 lead into halftime, but Upper St. Clair outscored them by 13 points in the third and fourth quarters to run away with the win. Jack Kopas led Hempfield with 12 points to go with 11 from Danny Husenits.

• Nate Wesling poured in a game-high 26 points for Baldwin in a 71-55 win at Bethel Park in Class 5A Section 3. Matt Schenk added 12 points and Gabe Barakat finished with 10 for the Highlanders (11-1, 4-1). Tanner Pfeuffer led three players in double figures for the Black Hawks (5-7, 2-3) with 14 points, along with 11 apiece from Evan Devine and Will Thomas.

• Sharp-shooting senior Rowan Carmichael saw his season scoring average take a slight dip, but he still did enough to outduel Jarod Astorino of Ambridge with a game-high 34 points for host Avonworth in a 79-63 win in Class 4A Section 2. Noah Goetz added 24 points for the Antelopes (10-1, 4-0), while Astorino finished with 32 points to lead three players in double figures for the Bridgers (2-9, 0-4).

• Led by a game-high 26-points from Cameron Epps and 25 from Drew Cook, red-hot South Allegheny surged to a lopsided 81-38 win at South Park in Class 3A Section 3. Jack Jackowski added 16 points for the Gladiators (12-1, 4-0), who held one of the WPIAL’s leading scorers in Luke Scarff to just 10 points. Cooper Hochendoner finished with a team-high 12 points for the Eagles (9-3, 2-1).

• Star senior and Yale recruit Courtney Wallace posted a triple-double with 26 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists for Neighborhood Academy (12-1, 4-0), helping the Bulldogs roll to a 73-44 victory at Serra Catholic in Class 1A Section 2. Kedron Gilmore contributed 11 points for Neighborhood Academy along with 10 from Syncer Nicholson. Tyler Sapida led the Eagles (10-2, 3-1) with 16 points.

• Drew Allen scored a game-high 23 points to lead three players in double figures for Bishop Canevin (5-7, 4-0), which also received 14 points from Lamier Wade and 11 from Jackson Maddix in a 61-51 win at Keystone Oaks (9-4, 2-2) in Class 3A Section 2. Erond Jakupi led the Golden Eagles with 19 points to go with 14 from Joey Colton.

• Gavin Orosz tallied a team-high 19 points for South Fayette to go with 12 from Tyson Wright as the Lions (8-4, 5-1) pulled away in the second half for a 51-37 win against visiting Trinity (6-5, 1-4) in Class 5A Section 3. Jacob Dunkle finished with 19 points to lead the Hillers.

• Will Wilson converted five 3-pointers on his way to scoring a game-high 29 points for Mars (7-4, 3-1), and Austen Wroblewski buried four 3-pointers while contributing 18 points for the Planets in a 73-58 win over visiting Lincoln Park in Class 5A Section 4. Mason Rowan led the Leopards (2-9, 0-5) with 15 points.

• Fresh off a 39-point performance Tuesday in a win over Ambridge, multi-sport standout Brady Mayo erupted for a game-high 36 points to lead Beaver (11-3, 3-1) to a 63-49 win at Quaker Valley in Class 4A Section 2. Harrison Kerley finished with a team-leading 18 points for the Quakers (8-3, 2-2) to go with 16 from Nic Cohen.

• Forrest Betz finished with a game-high 29 points to lead a trio of double-digit scorers for host Brentwood (5-6, 3-2) in a 68-56 win against Eden Christian in Class 2A Section 2. Colton Rosing added 17 points for the Spartans to go with 10 from Xhavier Nunez. Jay Wilken led the Warriors (3-9, 2-3) with 19 points along with 13 from Mason Dean.

• Alex VanSickle led four players in double figures for Waynesburg with 23 points in a 68-52 win over Ligonier Valley (6-6, 1-2). Alex Eck tallied 19 points and 14 rebounds and Dane Woods finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Raiders (2-9, 2-1). Parker Hollick led the Rams with 21 points.

Girls games

• Amelia McMichael led all scorers with 24 points for Butler (8-5, 3-1) to go along with 16 from Malina McElroy, as the Golden Tornado stormed back from a 12-point halftime deficit to defeat visiting Pine-Richland in Class 6A Section 1, 53-44. Cate Gentile scored a team-high 17 points for the Rams (4-9, 3-1) to go with 13 from Rebekah Shaffer.

• Bella Furno scored a team-high 14 points for defending WPIAL Class 6A champion Norwin (6-5, 3-1), while Kendall Berger added 10 points in a 56-40 victory in Class 6A Section 2 against visiting Canon-McMillan (7-6, 2-2). Madison Clair led the Big Macs with 14 points in the defeat.

• Jules Ott led all scorers with 21 points for Baldwin (7-6, 3-2), and Mary Vargo added 13 while Lynsey Bernotas and Bella Niles chipped in with 11 points apiece in a 67-57 win at Bethel Park in Class 5A Section 4. Ella Sabatos finished with a team-leading 20 points for the Black Hawks (6-7, 3-2).

• Tiffany Miller scored a game-high 20 points for Montour and Sofia Brandy tacked on 12 for the Spartans (6-6), who cruised to a commanding 60-30 non-section win over visiting Lincoln Park (2-7). Patty Wesdowski finished with a team-leading 15 points for the Leopards.

Three stars

*** — Rylee Kalocay, Upper St. Clair. One of the top all-around players in the WPIAL, Kalocay scored a game-high 28 points to propel the Panthers to a 57-45 non-section win at Thomas Jefferson.

**— Noah Felentzer, Southmoreland. Felentzer racked up a game-high 36 points to lead the Scotties back from a six-point halftime deficit en route to a 70-52 home win over Mount Pleasant in Class 3A Section 4.

* — Jayden Davis, Chartiers Valley. The standout senior helped the Colts overcome four double-digit scorers for Blackhawk, pouring in a game-high 39 points in a 92-79 road win in Class 5A Section 4.

Hot from deep

Players with 3 or more 3-pointers: Jayden Iorio, Laurel, 6; Talan Anderton, Neshannock, 5; Parker Pruitt, Burrell, 5; Will Wilson, Mars, 5; David Zaharko, Aquinas Academy, 5; Nic Cohen, Quaker Valley, 4; Seth Dolan, Geibel Catholic, 4; John Jubec, North Allegheny, 4; Hunter Mozley, Beaver County Christian, 4; Zach Pollaro, North Hills, 4; Nico Santapau, Seneca Valley, 4; Scoop Smith, Woodland Hills, 4; Sean Thelk, Peters Township, 4; Austen Wroblewski, Mars, 4; Isabel Chaparro, Riverview, 3; Karma Cialella, New Castle, 3; Kaylee DeAngelo, Thomas Jefferson, 3; Harrison Kerley, Quaker Valley, 3; Tyler Pepin, Seneca Valley, 3; Gary Tarbuk, Geibel Catholic, 3; Will Thomas, Bethel Park, 3; Nate Wesling, Baldwin, 3.

Scoreboard

Boys scores

Class 6A Section 1

Butler 52, Pine-RIchland 42

New Castle 72, Fox Chapel 41

North Hills 52, North Allegheny 40

Seneca Valley 61, Woodland Hills 51

Class 6A Section 2

Central Catholic 70, Connellsville 17

Norwin 68, Canon-McMillan 56

Upper St. Clair 75, Hempfield 50

Class 5A Section 1

Franklin Regional 43, Albert Gallatin 39

Gateway 68, Penn-Trafford 52

Latrobe 67, McKeesport 63 (OT)

Uniontown 79, Laurel Highlands 49

Class 5A Section 2

Hampton 48, Armstrong 43

Kiski Area 57, Plum 30

Class 5A Section 3

Baldwin 71, Bethel Park 55

Peters Township 75, Ringgold 40

South Fayette 51, Trinity 37

Class 5A Section 4

Chartiers Valley 92, Blackhawk 79

Mars 73, Lincoln Park 58

Moon 61, West Allegheny 47

Class 4A Section 1

Burrell 61, Valley 41

Highlands 49, Freeport 45

Knoch 61, North Catholic 56

Class 4A Section 2

Avonworth 79, Ambridge 63

Beaver 63, Quaker Valley 49

Central Valley 60, Hopewell 36

Class 4A Section 3

Belle Vernon 65, Greensburg Salem 28

Elizabeth Forward 77, Yough 32

West Mifflin 45, East Allegheny 41

Class 3A Section 1

Ellwood City 57, Beaver Falls 45

Class 3A Section 2

Bishop Canevin 61, Keystone Oaks 51

Carlynton 59, Washington 52

McGuffey 55, Sto-Rox 38

Class 3A Section 3

Seton LaSalle 54, Apollo-Ridge 27

Shady Side Academy 65, Steel Valley 39

South Allegheny 81, South Park 38

Class 3A Section 4

Charleroi 66, Brownsville 31

Southmoreland 70, Mount Pleasant 52

Waynesburg 68, Ligonier Valley 52

Class 2A Section 1

Bentworth 60, California 52

Clairton 48, Riverview 45

Greensburg C.C. 53, Jeannette 47

Springdale 59, Frazier 27

Class 2A Section 2

Brentwood 68, Eden Christian 56

Sewickley Academy 54, Northgate 49

Winchester Thurston 64, Lechburg 30

Class 2A Section 3

Chartiers-Houston 77, Mapletown 33

Fort Cherry 55, West Greene 42

Jefferson-Morgan 64, Carmichaels 33

Class 2A Section 4

Neshannock 72, Laurel 45

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart 55, Rochester 24

Shenango 75, Western Beaver 46

Union 76, South Side 38

Class 1A Section 1

Aquinas Academy 91, Avella 72

Beaver County Christian 67, Summit Academy 53

Nazareth Prep 70, Cornell 13

Class 1A Section 2

Geibel Catholic 87, Environmental Charter 68

Monessen 68, St. Joseph 47

Neighborhood Academy 73, Serra Catholic 44

City League

Allderdice 83, Carrick 48

Brashear 59, Perry 31

Obama Academy 53, Westinghouse 30

Non-section

Cathedral Prep 54, Aliquippa 46

Deer Lakes 67, Derry 49

Propel Braddock Hills 55, Propel Montour 42

Girls scores

Class 6A Section 1

Butler 53, Pine-Richland 44

North Allegheny 51, North Hills 35

Class 6A Section 2

Norwin 56, Canon-McMillan 40

Class 5A Section 4

Baldwin 67, Bethel Park 57

Class 3A Section 1

Ellwood City 53, Beaver Falls 51

Class 2A Section 4

Apollo-Ridge 45, Jeannette 38

Riverview 42, Ellis School 36

Class 1A Section 2

Geibel Catholic 59, Mapletown 22

City League

Allderdice 75, Carrick 22

Brashear 44, Perry 34

Obama Academy 68, Westinghouse 16

Non-section

Aquinas Academy 43, Chartiers-Houston 41

Homer-Center 49, Ligonier Valley 16

McKeesport 45, Penn Hills 41

Montour 60, Lincoln Park 30

New Castle 52, Hopewell 48

Upper St. Clair 57, Thomas Jefferson 45