Trending
TONIGHT
GIRLS
PIAA CLASS 6A QUARTERFINALS
Teams: 6-1 Altoona Lady Lions (22-4) vs. 12-3 Cardinal O'Hara Lady Lions (23-4)
Site, time: Cumberland Valley High School, Mechanicsburg, 5:30 p.m.
The coaches: Altoona -- Chris Fleegle. Cardinal O'Hara -- Chrissie Doogan
Playoff path: Altoona -- defeated Williamsport, 57-10, in the District 4-6 semifinals; def. State College in District 4-6 championship, 51-35; def. Norwin, 59-54 in overtime, in PIAA first round; def. Pennsbury, 37-34, in second round. Cardinal O'Hara -- def. Abraham Lincoln, 70-28, in District 12 play-in game; def. Downingtown East, 51-38, in PIAA first round; def. Wilson West Lawn, 36-26, in second round
Probable starting lineups: Altoona -- PG Zaelinh Nguyen-Moore, sr.; G Raylin Eyer, jr.; G Samantha Harpster, sr.; F Kendall Cogan, sr.; F Brionna Hudson, so. Cardinal O'Hara -- G Megan Rullo, sr.; G Brigidanne Donohue, jr.; G Leah Hudak, jr.; G Catie Doogan, so.; C Olivia Craft, fr.
Key reserves: Altoona -- G Achiera Cuspert, sr.; G-F Alannah Heyward, so. Cardinal O'Hara -- G Penny Miller, jr.; G Alanna Phillips, jr.; F Carly Wakefield, jr.; F Brezhae Davis, jr.
Who they get: The winner plays either WPIAL champion Canon-McMillan or District 3 runner-up Dallastown in the PIAA semifinals on Monday.
Notable: Cardinal O'Hara senior guard Megan Rullo is a Drexel commit. ... O'Hara freshman Olivia Craft had 14 rebounds in the Lady Lions' second-round win over Wilson West Lawn. ... Sophomore guard Catie Doogan is the daughter of head coach Chrissie Doogan. ... Cardinal O'Hara also made it to the PIAA quarterfinals last year before it lost to Garnet Valley in double overtime after Garnet Valley had knocked off Altoona in the second round. ... Cardinal O'Hara won the PIAA Class 6A championship in 2024 with a 42-26 win over Spring Ford in the championship game. ... Altoona is playing in the PIAA quarterfinals for the first time since 2006 when it was in the 4A quarterfinals. The Lady Lions lost that game to Parkland, 69-53, and Parkland went on to win the state championship. ... Altoona last reached the semifinal round a year earlier in 2005 when the Lady Lions beat Harrisburg in overtime in the quarterfinals but fell to Oakland Catholic, 45-41, in the PIAA semifinals at IUP. Oakland Catholic went on to win the state championship.
PIAA CLASS 3A QUARTERFINALS
Teams: 6-1 Central Cambria Lady Devils (22-6) vs. 7-1 Shady Side Academy Lady Bulldogs (25-2)
Site, time: Armstrong High School, Kittanning, 7:30 p.m.
The coaches: Central Cambria -- Brittany Bracken. Shady Side Academy -- Jonna Burke
Playoff path: Central Cambria -- def. Philipsburg-Osceola, 54-10, in the District 6 quarterfinals; def. Penns Valley, 52-37, in the semifinals; def. Cambria Heights, 55-45, in District 6 championship; def. Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, 54-27, in PIAA first round; def. Karns City, 41-34, in second round. Shady Side Academy -- def. Avonworth, 48-27, in WPIAL quarterfinals; def. Seton LaSalle, 55-36, in semifinals; def. Greensburg Central Catholic, 57-40, in WPIAL championship; def. Marion Center, 63-54 in overtime, in PIAA first round; def. Beaver Falls, 39-31, in second round
Probable starting lineups: Central Cambria -- PG Alaina Long, sr.; G Paige Alexander, so.; F Katie George, jr.; F Rowyn Ruddek, jr.; F Gianna Grimaldi, so. Shady Side Academy -- G Karis Thomas, sr.; G Laila Banner so.; G Jocelyn Long, fr.; F Cassie Sauer, sr.; F Leah Buford, jr.
Key reserves: Central Cambria -- F Camryn Matlin, jr.; G Makenzie Hite, so.; G Delaney Snyder, fr. Shady Side Academy -- G Nay Kelley, sr.; G Kate Benec, so.; G Morgan Kane, fr.
Who they get: The winner plays either District 3 champion Trinity or WPIAL runner-up Greensburg Central Catholic in the PIAA semifinals on Monday.
Notable: These teams met in the 2019 PIAA playoffs with Shady Side Academy coming in as the WPIAL runner-up and Central Cambria as the District 6 third-place finisher, and the Lady Devils picked up a 63-57 second-round win on their way to an appearance in the PIAA semifinals. ... Shady Side Academy fell to Westmont Hilltop in the 2024 PIAA quarterfinals, 47-41, and the Lady Hilltoppers went on to make the state title game. ... This matchup almost took place last year. If Central Cambria would have beaten Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in the quarterfinals, it would have played Shady Side in the semifinals. Shady Side knocked off OLSH in that game before losing the state final to Loyalsock Township. ... The winner of this game will play the Trinity team out of District 3 or the WPIAL's Greensburg Central Catholic in the semifinal, and that quarterfinal game is being played at the Altoona Area High School at 5 p.m. tonight. ... Shady Side Academy won the WPIAL championship for just the second time in school history.