WJPA Sports

The WPIAL’s three-day basketball championship weekend at the Petersen Event Center is underway.  Two and a half weeks ago, the League released the brackets and teams have battled through deficits and overtime periods to reach the finals.  Twelve games are on the schedule over three days in Oakland.  We’ll have FOUR Saturday championship games for you on WJPA-FM. Not only will the championships be determined, but the last four PIAA tournament berths will be decided as well, all based on the League’s “follow the winner” qualifying system. Peters Township, Ringgold and Bethel Park boys and Baldwin girls teams are all still alive heading into Saturday’s games.  Bracket & Listen links and the complete schedule for our coverage follow.

Girls WPIAL Brackets — — Boys WPIAL Brackets

WPIAL Basketball Championships at Petersen Events Center
Thursday, Feb. 27
2A Girls #2 Bishop Canevin over #4 Laurel, 50-41 (Canevin’s 5th WPIAL title)
1A Boys #1 Vincentian over #3 Cornell, 63-51 (Vincentian’s 4th WPIAL title)
3A Boys #2 North Catholic over #1 Lincoln Park, 65-56  (NC’s 5th WPIAL title)

Friday, Feb. 28
3 pm  1A Girls #2 West Greene vs. #1 Rochester
5 pm  2A Boys #1 Our Lady of the Sacred Heart vs. #2 Sto-Rox
7 pm  4A Girls #1 North Catholic vs. #2 Southmoreland
9 pm  5A Boys #3 Mars Area vs. #8 Laurel Highlands

Saturday, Feb. 29
11 am  3A Girls #1 Beaver vs. #2 Mohawk
1 pm  4A Boys #6 Belle Vernon vs. #1 Highlands  —  WJPA-FM (95.3)
2:50 pm  5A Girls #3 Trinity vs. #1 Chartiers Valley  —  WJPA-FM (95.3)
7 pm  6A Girls #1 Bethel Park vs. #2 North Allegheny  —  WJPA-FM (95.3)
9 pm  6A Boys #3 Mt. Lebanon vs. #1 Butler  —  WJPA-FM (95.3)

UNDATED (AP) – The Boston Bruins have widened their lead in the NHL’s Atlantic Division. David Pastrnak’s  46th goal of the season was the eventual game-winner as the Bruins topped the Stars, 4-3. The game was deadlocked, 1-1 until Brad Marchand and Nick Ritchie tallied 77 seconds apart late in the second period.  Jaroslav Halak turned back 31 shots to help Boston end its first two-game losing streak in over a month.  The Bruins now pace the Eastern Conference and Atlantic Division races by seven points over Tampa Bay.  The Lightning dropped their fourth straight since a team-record, 11-game winning streak. Dominik Kubalik recorded his first career hat trick with three goals in the third period of the Blackhawks’ 5-2 victory at Tampa. The Blackhawks trailed 2-0 before scoring three times in the final period, including three in a 5:20 span.  Slater Koekkoek  scored his first goal of the season and Brandon Saad added his 20th as Chicago beat the Lightning for the first time in regulation since Dec. 13, 2009.

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (AP) – Tom Lewis and Harris English each fired 4-under 66s to take a one-shot lead in the first of the PGA’s Honda Classic at Palm Beach Gardens.  Lewis and English each made the field on sponsor exemptions after failing to qualify for the event. Zach Johnson shares second with J.T. Poston, Brian Stuard, Cameron Tringale and Lee Westwood, who also made the field on a sponsor exemption.