District 3 boys basketball preview capsules for Thursday games
Mar. 3—District 3 Class 4A quarterfinals
No. 8 Trinity (10-6) at No. 1 Wyomissing (11-3), 7
No. 5 Oley Valley (12-5) at No. 4 Littlestown (15-3), 7
District 3 Class 2A semifinals
No. 4 Antietam (11-6) at No. 1 Greenwood (15-0), 7
District 3 Class 1A quarterfinals
No. 6 Lancaster Country Day (10-6) at High Point (14-5), 7
Trinity (10-6) vs. Wyomissing (11-3)
The Shamrocks
Who to watch: Junior guard Bryan Skurcenski averages team-best 11.1 points per game, has 33 assists and 30 3s.
What to know: Have won eight straight district championships. ... Were moved up from Class 3A due to PIAA's newly implemented success formula. ... Rallied from 12-point deficit to beat Schuylkill Valley 47-42 in opening round despite missing 13-of-20 free throws. .... Have not been the same team since 6-5 prospect Chance Westry transferred to Seirra Canyon, where he's playing with LeBron James' son, Bronny. ... Westry was the state's Class 3A Player of the Year last year as a sophomore. ... Coach Larry Kostelac has 758 wins, tied for sixth-most in Pennsylvania boys basketball history.
The Spartans
Who to watch: Senior forward Darren Brunner, an all-division pick, leads team with 33 3-pointers and in scoring at 11.4 points per game. He's shooting 91.3% at the foul line.
What to know: Berks III champs. ... First division title in five seasons. ... Looking for first district win since 2012; have lost six straight openers. ... No. 1 seed in tournament for first time since 1976. ... Won championships in 1975, 1986 and 1989. ... Senior point guard and all-division pick Owen Doyle averages 10.3 points.
Winner meets: No. 4 Littlestown or No. 5 Oley Valley.
Oley Valley (12-5) vs. Littlestown (15-3)
The Lynx
Who to watch: All-division pick Matt Knowles averages 9.6 points and shoots 54% from the field.
What to know: Earned first district berth since 2012. ... Won Berks IV, first division title since 2010. ... 12 wins are most since finishing 14-7 in 2013. ... Wes McCalpine averages team-best 6.0 rebounds and shoots 51% from the field. ... Drew Rubendall leads team in steals, assists and 3s. ... Junior guard Danny Turchi averages team-leading 11.1 points and shoots team-best 57% from the field.
The Thunderbolts
Who to watch: Senior guard Jayden Weidhaas is a four-year starter and averages 17 points. He's the second-leading scorer in program history.
What to know: Won fourth straight York-Adams Division III title. ... Saw 10-game winning streak snapped with 58-57 loss to East Pennsboro Saturday. ... Richard Holder averages 10 points and had 30 3-pointers. ... Bounced in opening round of districts last season.
Winner meets: No. 1 Wyomissing or No. 8 Trinity.
Antietam (11-6) at Greenwood (15-0)
The Mounts
Who to watch: All-division pick Hector Tiburcio averages team-leading 17.3 points and has 30 3s. The junior forward has 978 career points.
What to know: Berks IV runner-up lost 5-of-7 over last three weeks. ... Making 12th straight tournament appearance. ... Aidan Freese averages 13.0 points.
The Wildcats
Who to watch: Senior point Avery Morder averages 10.3 points, leads teams in steals and assists, and is defensive stopper.
What to know: Tri-Valley Conference champs feature balanced lineup, with four players averaging 10 or more points. ... Senior wing Tom Pyle averages 12.1 points. ... Senior wing Mikey Strohm is knocking down nearly 58% of his 3-point shots. ... Team has as many steals (141) as turnovers (141). ... Beat Tulpehocken 49-47 Jan. 9.
Winner meets: No. 2 Lancaster Mennonite or No. 3 Millersburg for district championship, Tuesday at site of higher-seeded team.
Lancaster Country Day (10-6) at High Point (14-5)
The Cougars
Who to watch: Junior guard Grant Landis averages 16.8 points and had 43 3-pointers. He scored 30 points vs. Kutztown; his season-high is 33 points.
What to know: Finished third in Section 5 of Lancaster-Lebanon League. ... Have won 7-of-9 after a slow start, including a 71-51 win over Kutztown. ... Senior guard Lance Lennon, who averages 12.2 points, has returned from an ankle injury. He scored 33 points vs. Lancaster Mennonite.
The Eagles
Who to watch: Senior forward Brad Hoffman averages 19.9 points, has a team-best 47 3-pointers and is shooting 77.5% from the foul line. He has 1,185 career points, fourth-most in program history.
What to know: Finished third in Commonwealth Christian Athletic Conference East division. ... Lost in league semifinals to division champ Conestoga Christian 46-44. ... Junior Drew Hoffman averages 15.4 points and has 42 3s... Highest seed in tournament since earning No. 3 in 2008.
Winner meets: No. 2 Conestoga Christian or No. 10 Lititz Christian.
— Compiled by Mike Drago
