2022 WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship breakdown: Quaker Valley vs. Montour
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Thursday, March 3, 2022 | 2:01 AM
Quaker Valley’s Will Dunda celebrates after hitting a three-pointer against Lincoln Park during a WPIAL Class 4A semifinal on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022, at UMPC Events Center in Moon.
Quaker Valley’s Markus Frank scores against Lincoln Park during a WPIAL Class 4A semifinal on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022, at UMPC Events Center in Moon.
Montour’s Tyriq Eleam scores against Lincoln Park during a Section 2-4A game on Friday, Jan. 14, 2022, in Midland.
Quaker Valley’s Adou Thiero drives to the basket past Lincoln Park’s DeAndre Moye during their WPIAL Class 4A semifinal on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022, at UMPC Events Center in Moon.
No. 1 Quaker Valley vs. No. 2 Montour
9 p.m. Thursday, Petersen Events Center
On the air: Livestream: TribHSSN.TribLive.com; Radio: 1230 AM, 99.3 FM, 1460 AM
WPIAL titles: Quaker Valley 1 (1997); Montour 2 (2011, ’13)
Quaker Valley (22-0)
Coach: Mike Mastroianni
3, Adou Thiero, 6-6, sr., G
4 Will Dunda, 6-1, sr., G
5, Jack Gardinier, 6-0, sr., G
13, Markus Frank, 6-6, sr., F
25 Dan Bartels, 6-3, jr., F
Notable: Quaker Valley defeated Montour twice in section play this winter, winning 47-46 on Jan. 7 and 56-36 on Feb. 1 … The Quakers reached the finals by defeating No. 8 Deer Lakes, 66-34, in the quarterfinals, and No. 5 Lincoln Park, 74-63, in the semifinals … The win over Lincoln Park was the team’s third this season … Frank averages 28.2 points and 9.8 rebounds. He shoots 70% from the field, scoring mostly in the paint … Thiero averages 24.1 points and 9.5 rebounds. He scored 25 points in the semifinals despite playing with a fractured right thumb … Gardinier averages 8.3 points … This is Quaker Valley’s fourth appearance in the finals in six years. The team finished as WPIAL runner-up in 2017, ’18 and ’19. … The Quakers won their lone title in 1997 with a 57-49 victory over New Brighton in the Class 2A final.
Montour (20-4)
Coach: Bill Minear
3, Vason Stevenson, 6-3, sr., F
4, Dante Deltondo, 6-1, sr., G
5, Tyriq Eleam, 6-4, sr., F
10, Diaun Pinkett, 6-1, sr., G
11, Jake Wolfe, 6-0, so., G
Notable: Montour has three double-digit scorers in Pinkett (14.9 ppg), Stevenson (13.5) and Eleam (10.4) … The Spartans also lean on their defense; they allow 47.9 ppg, best in WPIAL Class 4A but only a tenth better than Quaker Valley (48 ppg) … Montour defeated No. 7 Burrell, 70-50, in the quarterfinals, and No. 3 Belle Vernon, 64-53, in the semifinals. … The Spartans have won 12 of their past 13 games interrupted only by the Feb. 1 loss to Quaker Valley … Montour reached the finals for the first time since winning the 2013 Class 3A title over Chartiers Valley, 47-40 … Minear previously won two WPIAL titles and one state championship in 11 seasons as Sto-Rox’s coach.
Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.
Tags: Montour, Quaker Valley
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