Busy day on girls’ basketball courts across the state on Saturday, with a couple of leagues starting their conference playoffs.
Reigning PIAA-AAAA state champ Spring-Ford, fresh off beating Cumberland Valley in a rematch of last year’s title game on Thursday, remained hot, cruising past Upper Perkiomen 64-18 in a PAC-10 Conference semifinal on Saturday.
Up next for the No. 6 Rams in the PAC-10 semifinals on Wednesday: Methacton, which had an eventful day on Saturday.
First, the Warriors knocked off Class AAA honorable mention pick Pope John Paul II 48-44 in a PAC-10 Conference semifinal game at Boyertown.
Later Saturday, Methacton played a nonleague make-up game at home against Emmaus, falling to the Hornets 46-35.
But the good news for the Warriors: Hey, they’re still alive in the postseason, after playing a nonleague game and a playoff game on the same day.
Northern York from the Mid-Penn Conference in District 3 played two games on the same day this past week.
Intriguing all-WPIAL battle on Saturday in the Shady Side Academy Shootout, where South Park, an honorable mention pick in AAA, knocked off Class AAAA No. 9 Bethel Park by a 39-32 count.
That’s four losses in a row for Bethel Park, which is on the verge of dropping out of the top 10 with the WPIAL playoffs right around the corner.
Also Saturday, Burrell, No. 3 in Class AA, capped a perfect 22-0 regular-season run with a hard-fought 63-61 win over Mount Pleasant in the Westmoreland County Hoops Fest.
So the Bucs will hit the postseason unblemished.
The lone undefeated teams in the state through Saturday’s games:
Manheim Township (22-0) in Class AAAA; Greencastle-Antrim (21-0) and Hickory (19-0) in Class AAA; Burrell (22-0) and Neumann-Goretti (19-0) in Class AA; and Port Allegany (18-0) in Class A.
Here’s how our PennLive state-ranked girls’ basketball teams fared on Saturday, Feb. 8 (rankings through Feb. 5 with home district in parenthesis; HM = honorable mention) …
CLASS AAAA
1. Cumberland Valley (3) 18-4 — Idle. Next game: Feb. 11 vs. Class AAA No. 10 Greencastle-Antrim in Mid-Penn Conference semifinals.
2. Mount St. Joseph (1) 20-2 — Idle. Next game: Sunday vs. Gwynedd-Mercy in Catholic Academies League playoffs.
3. North Allegheny (7) 19-1 — Won @ Hempfield (Greensburg) 61-50. Next game: Feb. 10 @ Chartiers Valley.
4. North Penn (1) 19-3 — Idle. End regular season.
5. Upper Dublin (1) 18-4 — Lost vs. Central Bucks East 29-24. End regular season.
6. Spring-Ford (1) 18-5 — Won vs. Upper Perkiomen 64-18 in PAC-10 Conference semifinals. Next game: Feb. 12 vs. Class AAAA (HM) Methacton in PAC-10 Conference championship.
7. Manheim Township (3) 22-0 — Idle. Next game: Feb. 10 vs. Lampeter-Strasburg in Lancaster-Lebanon League quarterfinals.
8. Central Bucks West (1) 16-5 — Idle. Next game: Feb. 10 @ Hatboro-Horsham.
9. Bethel Park (7) 16-4 — Lost vs. Class AAA (HM) South Park 39-32 in Shady Side Academy Shootout. Next game: Feb. 10 vs. Seneca Valley.
10. Mt. Lebanon (7) 15-5 —Idle. End regular season.
CLASS AAA
1. Archbishop Wood (12) 16-2 — Idle. Next game: Feb. 10 vs. Conwell-Egan.
2. Scranton Prep (2) 18-1 — Won vs. Abington Heights 44-21. Next game: Feb. 10 @ Delaware Valley.
3. Blackhawk (7) 18-2 — Idle. Next game: Feb. 10 vs. Penn-Trafford.
4. Lancaster Catholic (3) 21-1 — Idle. Next game: Feb. 10 vs. Cocalico in Lancaster-Lebanon League quarterfinals.
5. Bonner-Prendergast (12) 17-5 — Idle. End regular season.
6. Bethlehem Catholic (11) 18-3 — Idle. Next game: Make-up game vs. Allentown Allen still on the schedule.
7. Villa Maria (10) 14-2 — Idle. Next game: Feb. 10 @ Warren Area.
8. Hickory (10) 19-0 — Idle. Next game: Feb. 10 vs. Oil City.
9. Allentown Central Catholic (11) 19-2 — Won @ Holy Redeemer 59-57. End regular season.
10. Greencastle-Antrim (3) 21-0 — Idle. Next game: Feb. 11 vs. Class AAAA No. 1 Cumberland Valley in Mid-Penn Conference semifinals.
CLASS AA
1. Seton-La Salle (7) 18-3 — Idle. Next game: Feb. 10 @ Class AAA (HM) West Mifflin.
2. Neumann-Goretti (12) 19-0 — Idle. Next game: Sunday vs. Bishop McDevitt (Wyncote).
3. Burrell (7) 22-0 — Won vs. Mount Pleasant 63-61 in Westmoreland County Hoops Fest @ Greensburg Salem. End regular season.
4. Neshannock (7) 21-1 —Idle. End regular season.
5. St. Basil Academy (1) 18-3 — Idle. Next game: Sunday vs. Villa Maria (Malvern) in Philadelphia Academies League playoffs.
6. Bishop Canevin (7) 16-5 — Idle. End regular season.
7. Blairsville (6) 17-1 — Idle. Next game: Feb. 11 vs. Ligonier Valley.
8. Tussey Mountain (5) 20-1 — Idle. Next game: Feb. 10 @ Forbes Road.
9. York Catholic (3) 19-3 — Idle. Next game: Feb. 12 vs. Class AAA (HM) Susquehannock in York/Adams semifinals.
10. Delone Catholic (3) 18-4 — Idle. Next game: District 3-AA playoffs.
CLASS A
1. Vincentian Academy (7) 17-3 — Idle. Next game: Feb. 10 @ Gateway.
2. Port Allegany (9) 18-0 — Idle. Next game: Feb. 11 @ Cameron County.
3. Marian Catholic (11) 20-1 — Won @ Lehighton 53-19. Next game: Feb. 12 vs. Class AAA (HM) North Schuylkill in Schuylkill League semifinals.
4. Berlin Brothersvalley (5) 17-2 — Idle. Next game: Feb. 11 @ Class A No. 6 Portage.
5. Serra Catholic (7) 19-2 — Idle. Next game: Feb. 10 vs. Riverview.
6. Portage (6) 19-1 — Idle. Next game: Feb. 11 vs. Class A No. 4 Berlin Brothersvalley.
7. Southern Fulton (4) 18-2 — Idle. Next game: Feb. 10 vs. Northern Bedford.
8. Kennedy Catholic (10) 16-2 — Won @ Girard 38-37. Next game: Feb. 10 vs. Farrell.
9. Bishop Guilfoyle (10) 12-4 — Idle. Next game: Feb. 11 @ Altoona.
10. Old Forge (2) 14-3 — Idle. Next game: Feb. 10 @ Mid Valley.