Westmoreland County PIAA basketball playoff preview capsule for March 14, 2026

Bill Beckner TribLive Fri, Mar 13, 2026 • 11:01 AM

Jeannette’s Kymon’e Brown is fouled by Mercyhurst’s Ashton Wilbur during a first-round PIAA game last year. (Chaz Palla | TribLive)

Boys

Class 2A

Quarterfinals

Jeannette (24-2) vs. Mercyhurst Prep (21-6)

2 p.m. Saturday at Sharon

District seeds: Jeannette 7-2; Mercyhurt Prep 10-1

Winner plays: Winner of 7-1 Sewickley Academy (27-1)/5-1 McConnellsburg (27-1) Tuesday in semifinals (time, site TBD)

Players to watch: Kymon’e Brown, Jeannette; Trent Bengel, Mercyhurst Prep

Layup lines: Jeannette advanced to the quarterfinals for the second year in a row with its second straight blowout win, topping Jefferson-Morgan, 68-36, in the second round. That came after a 72-34 win over Northern Cambria in the first round. Junior guard Markus McGowan scored 26 points and made four 3-pointers in both games. Xavier Odorisio-Farrow added 13 points and Jayce Powell had 10 in the second-round win. The Jayhawks are averaging 64.6 points and allowing 39.3. Last year, they lost to rival Greensburg Central Catholic, 45-36, in the quarterfinals at Norwin. Brown (12 ppg) and McGowan (19 ppg) are 1,000-point scorers. Jeannette has one PIAA title, in 2007-08. That was the last time the Jayhawks made the semifinals. One more win will tie the program record for wins in a season (25). … Mercyhurst Prep won in dramatic fashion to reach the quarterfinals. Jake DiBello-Millimaci hit a last-second shot to force overtime, then scored the final three points in the extra period to lift the Lakers to a 46-45 win over Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. DiBello-Millimaci made a free throw with 15 seconds left to put Prep ahead to stay. Ryan Harris led the Lakers with 10 points, while Aiden Ollinger added nine and DiBello-Millimaci (12 ppg) eight. Bengel averages 11 points, seven rebounds and four blocks. This is the Lakers’ first state quarterfinal appearance since 2010. The Lakers also have one state title (1991). Their last semifinal appearance was in 2010 when they lost to South Fayette, 54-41. Mercyhurst Prep averages 66.6 points a game. … Jeannette beat Mercyhurst Prep in the first round last year, 61-54. Brown, battling flu-like symptoms, scored 20 points and made 11 of 17 free throws. McGowan added 14.