PIAA basketball championships tip Thursday at noon
The Northumberland Christen and Kennedy Catholic girls tip off the PIAA basketball championships Thursday at noon, the first of 12 title games spread over three days.
There will be four games each day, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, culminating with the boys Class 6A championship game Saturday at 7:30 from Giant Center.
Three teams enter the championship unbeaten: The Plymouth-Whitemarsh (30-0) girls in Class 6A, the Quaker Valley (27-0) boys in Class 4A and the Our Lady of Sacret Heart (27-0) boys in Class 2A.
The boys Class 6A game is a battle of Philadelphia Catholic League rivals, Roman Catholic vs. Archbishop Wood. Wood knocked out Reading High in the second round; the Vikings lost last year’s championship game to the Red Knights.
Archbishop Wood and Constitution, in Class 2A, are the only boys team back in the final. Constitution lost to OLSH last year.
Three girls teams have made it back to the final. Cardinal O’Hara and Chartiers Valley, which met in the 5A final in 2021, have a rematch; O’Hara won last year 51-27. Also, the Archbishop Wood girls, who beat Villa Maria last year in Class 4A final, are back again.
All games will be televised by PCN-TV.
Here’s the schedule:
Thursday
| Girls | Class 1A | 4-1 Northumberland Christian (23-3) | vs. | 10-1 Kennedy Catholic (25-2) | 12:00 |
| Boys | Class 1A | 4-1 St. John Neumann (26-3) | vs. | 7-1 Bishop Canevin (24-4) | 2:30 |
| Girls | Class 4A | 12-1 Archbishop Wood (24-5) | vs. | 12-3 Lansdale Catholic (19-7) | 5:00 |
| Boys | Class 4A | 12-1 Neumann-Goretti (22-4) | vs. | 7-1 Quaker Valley (27-0) | 7:30 |
Friday
| Girls | Class 2A | 4-1 Southern Columbia (29-1) | vs. | 7-1 Neshannock (28-2) | 12:00 |
| Boys | Class 2A | 12-1 Constitution (22-4) | vs. | 7-1 Our Lady Sacred Heart (27-0) | 2:30 |
| Girls | Class 5A | 12-3 Cardinal O’Hara (24-5) | vs. | 7-2 Chartiers Valley (28-2) | 5:00 |
| Boys | Class 5A | 12-1 Imhotep Charter (27-4) | vs. | 7-2 New Castle (27-2) | 7:30 |
Saturday
| Girls | Class 3A | 12-1 Neumann-Goretti (16-9) | vs. | 7-2 Freedom (22-5) | 12:00 |
| Boys | Class 3A | 12-3 Devon Prep (18-7) | vs. | 7-3 Aliquippa (21-8) | 2:30 |
| Girls | Class 6A | 1-1 Plymouth-Whitemarsh (30-0) | vs. | 7-1 Mount Lebanon (27-1) | 5:00 |
| Boys | Class 6A | 12-1 Roman Catholic (23-4) | vs. | 12-3 Archbishop Wood (21-7) | 7:30 |