Bethel Park Girls and Boys Basketball Teams make Playoffs

Mariah Penascino, Staff Writer

February 14, 2013

Both the Girls and Boys Basketball Teams made it to the 2013 WPIAL Quad A Playoffs and will be entering the first round shortly.

The Bethel Park Boys Team is ranked number six in the Quad A class falling behind Central Catholic (5), USC (4), Hampton (3), NA (2), and the number one seed, New Castle. However, the Bethel Park Girls Team is ranked number three only behind NA (2), Mt. Lebanon (1), and in front of Hempfield stationed at number four.

To start off, the Bethel Park Boys Team will battle against the McKeesport Tigers in the first round this Saturday at precisely 3:00 p.m. in the Baldwin Highlanders gym. The Black Hawks had a pretty great season with a conference record steady at 11-3 and their overall record at 17-5.

Last time the Tigers and Black Hawks played, this past Friday, the Tigers pulled out with the victory 58-51. Hopefully, the second time around, the Black Hawks will secure the win and travel to the next round in the Playoffs.

Unfortunately, the Bethel Park Boys Basketball Team is not chosen to do any damage in the Quad A class. However, with the support of their student section, a.k.a. the Storm Squad, they should be able to make a run in the Playoffs and stun many. Come support the Black Hawks at Baldwin!

In addition, the Bethel Park Girls Basketball Team was provided with a BYE week and on Tuesday, February 19th they will play the winner of Penn Hills and Norwin, which will take place this Friday evening. Stay tuned for the location and time the Lady Hawks could battle against either opponent. The Lady Hawks ended the season with their conference record at 10-2, while their overall record was 19-3.

Earlier in the season, the Lady Hawks defeated Norwin at Norwin in a non-section battle 64-55 and look to repeat that action if Norwin can pull out the win on Friday. On the other hand, Penn Hills played in the Bethel Park Girls Christmas Tournament against Bethel and lost to the Lady Hawks 65-29. The Girls Team should advance to the next round rather smoothly.

Furthermore, Mike White, Post-Gazette Sports Writer, predicted that the Lady Hawks will overcome the Blue Devils and win the WPIAL Championship for the Quad A class. The Hawks have a bumpy road ahead of them and with their strong defensive they should be able to succeed greatly in the Playoffs.

About the Contributor

Mariah Penascino, Staff Writer

As you walk down the hallways of BPHS, there are smiles all around you. However, a certain senior catches your eye. Her eyes twinkling, the smile on her face puts one on your's too. Mariah Penascino's birthday could not have fallen on a more appropriate date, October 7, World Smile Day. Everywhere she goes, Mariah always seems to cheer people up. When she's not in school, this athlete is running or practicing basketball, as well as sleeping and listening to music. Her favorite music is R&B and anything she can get up and dance to. Another sport she enjoys is swimming, especially since she is a lifeguard in the summer. She also used to be a gymnist before she gave it up to follow her passion in basketball. Her ultimate goal in life is to be in the WNBA, so a lot of her free time is invested in both basketball and academics. As well as basketball, she also spends a lot of time practicing and perfecting her journalism skills for Hawk Eye. She chose to write for the online newspaper to become a better writer and also to spread her love of sports to the people. So, if you ever miss a game, find Mariah. She can fill you in on any sport, any time, any where. Written by: Julia Angotti, Staff Writer