Lady Scotties take on WPIAL champ Blackhawk
Southmoreland has won a PIAA girls basketball playoff game in two of the last three years but the Lady Scotties face a stiff challenge in their quest for the program’s third ever state victory.
Standing in Southmoreland’s path is undefeated WPIAL champion Blackhawk.
The Lady Scotties (19-4) and Lady Cougars (25-0) play a 3:30 p.m. Class AAAA second-round game on Saturday at North Allegheny.
Southmoreland, the Section 3 champion, reached the WPIAL semifinals after receiving a first-round bye and defeating visiting Highlands, 50-24, in the quarterfinals. The second-seeded Lady Scotties, coached by Amber Cernoto, lost to No. 3 Knoch in the semifinals, 56-45.
Southmoreland, the fourth seed out of District 7 (WPIAL) regrouped and knocked off host Tyrone, the District 6 champion, 45-39, on Wednesday.
Blackhawk also had a first-round bye in the WPIAL playoffs then beat visiting Quaker Valley, 62-24, Elizabeth Forward, 76-53, and Knoch, 55-35, on its way to winning the district championship.
The Lady Cougars, who finished first in Section 2, faced a stiff match-up in the first round of the PIAA tournament, pulling out a 54-48 win over Eastern York, the sixth-place team out of District 3.
The Lady Scotties’ Olivia Cernuto totaled 18 points and 12 rebounds in the win at Tyrone and Gracie Spadaro added 15 points and seven boards. Also expected to be in the starting lineup for Southmoreland are Delaynie Morvosh, Maddie Moore and Elle Pawlikowski.
The winner will advance to the quarterfinals on Wednesday.