PIAA CLASS AA CHAMPIONSHIP
Saturday at Giant Center, Hershey
2 p.m. tip.
CLICK HERE FOR A PIAA CLASS AA TOURNAMENT BRACKET
BEAVER FALLS TIGERS (27-3, top seed out of District 7)
Probable starters
0 Javon Turner 5-9 so
2 Cadee Akins 5-7 sr
3 Elijah Cottrill 6-3 jr
10 Drew Cook 6-2 sr
12 Dan Stratton 6-2 jr
Top reserves
1 Zachary Miller 6-0 sr
5 Micoy Mason 5-9 sr
Head coach: Doug Biega
How they got to Giant Center:
Defeated Bald Eagle Area 92-48 in first round
Defeated Mercyhurst Prep 53-39 in second round
Defeated Lakeview 56-44 in quarterfinals
Defeated West Middlesex 59-47 in semifinals
Tigers notes: Lost to Imhotep Charter 56-54 (overtime) in last year’s Class AA state final. … In his 14th season at the Beaver Falls helm, Biega also piloted the Tigers to state finals in 2005 and 2006. Beaver Falls defeated York Catholic 71-59 to win the 2005 Class AA title, then fell to Prep Charter 82-51 in the ’06 championship game. … Beaver Falls is looking for its third state title, having won in 1970 (AAA) and 1994 (AAA). … No. 1 in the latest PennLive.com/Patriot-News rankings. … Have won 17 consecutive games, the last 13 by 10 points or more. … Only Cook and Cottrill were in the Tigers’ eight-man rotation last season. … Turner (12), Miller (12) and Stratton (10) reached double figures in Beaver Falls’ 59-47 win over West Middlesex. … Cottrill is averaging a team-high 16.5 ppg, while Cook checks in at 15.8 ppg. … Cottrill and Cook are averaging 17.0 ppg and 13.8 ppg, respectively, in state tournament play. … All seven players in Beaver Falls’ guard-heavy rotation are capable of connecting from deep.
HOLY CROSS CRUSADERS (25-5, top seed out of District 2)
Probable starters
00 Josh Kosin 6-6 sr
13 Connor Callejas 5-9 jr
22 Kerry Kearney 5-8 sr
24 Corey Joyce 6-1 sr
35 Casey Gaughan 6-2 sr
Top reserves
3 Erik Nelson 5-8 jr
33 Connor Jones 6-3 sr
Head coach: Al Callejas
How they got to Giant Center
Defeated Lewisburg 60-55 in first round
Defeated Delaware Valley Charter 70-54 in second round
Defeated Constitution 75-61 in quarterfinals
Defeated Trinity 53-39 in semifinals
Crusaders notes: Playing in school's first state championship, though Holy Cross, located in Dunmore, has reached the PIAA tournament every season since the school formed in July 2007 as a merger between Bishop Hannan and Bishop O'Hara. ... Previously, the Crusaders' furthest venture into the state tournament was last year, when they lost 37-35 to eventual champion Imhotep Charter in the semifinals. ... Also reached the quarterfinals in 2010 and 2008. ... Kosin is the star, averaging 19.4 ppg for the season and, incredibly, 27 ppg in the state tournament. He totaled 27 points, 17 rebounds and five blocks in the semifinal win over Trinity. ... Kosin is as of yet undecided for college, though he may try to walk on at a Division I school like Maryland or Penn State. He's interested in pursuing an aerospace or mechanical engineering major. His dad, Tom, was a standout at the University of Scranton in the early 1980s. ... Callejas, a very quick ball-handler, averages 10.6 ppg and scored 17 vs. the Shamrocks. ... Defeated Meyers 59-45 in the District 2 championship and enters this game on a nine-game winning streak.
THE PICK: BEAVER FALLS (Bullock), HOLY CROSS (Morrow)
BULLOCK ON TWITTER: @thebullp_n
MORROW ON TWITTER: @RageAgainstGMo