WPIAL boys basketball playoffs: North Catholic falls short in Class 4A title game against Belle Vernon
North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
North Catholic’s Eli Stofko (13) drives the ball past Belle Vernon’s Zion Moore (2) in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
North Catholic’s Tom Arth (11) looks for an opening past Belle Vernon’s Tommy Davis (11) in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
North Catholic’s Eli Stofko (13) takes it to the rim in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
North Catholic’s Joe Waskiewicz (23) shoots over Belle Vernon’s Zion Moore (2) in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
North Catholic’s Owen Maddalon (20) passes the ball in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
North Catholic’s Jude Rottmann becomes emotional after a 54-49 loss to Belle Vernon in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic’s Eli Stofko (13) drives the ball past Belle Vernon’s Zion Moore (2) in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic’s Tom Arth (11) looks for an opening past Belle Vernon’s Tommy Davis (11) in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic’s Eli Stofko (13) takes it to the rim in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic’s Joe Waskiewicz (23) shoots over Belle Vernon’s Zion Moore (2) in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic’s Owen Maddalon (20) passes the ball in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic fell to Belle Vernon 54-49 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic’s Jude Rottmann becomes emotional after a 54-49 loss to Belle Vernon in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
North Catholic’s Dominic Ghilani takes it to the rim in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Photog/Butler Eagle
PITTSBURGH — It seemed only a matter of time before North Catholic overtook top-seeded Belle Vernon in Thursday’s WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game.
Led by Jason Fredericks, Jude Rottmann and Joe Waskiewicz, the Trojans stormed back from a 12-point halftime deficit to trail by one point twice in the fourth quarter — 44-43 and 47-46 with five minutes left.
But the Leopards never did give up the lead, hit clutch free throws down the stretch and won the program’s first district title in 47 years with a 54-49 victory.
“We struggled early, scored just 22 points in the first half,” North coach Jim Rocco said. “You can’t score that few points in a half and expect to win here.
“We did get back in it, gave ourselves a chance, but just didn’t make shots at the end.”
At the center of Belle Vernon’s title victory was a dominating performance on the boards. The Leopards out-rebounded North 40-17, including 21-8 in the second half.
“I’m not surprised at all we stayed in the game with those rebound numbers,” Rocco said. “Belle Vernon does that to everybody. They rebound 49 percent of their own misses, which is crazy. That’s their game. That’s what they do.”
Senior forward Dom Ghilani led Belle Vernon’s quest for boards with 13, including two huge ones with less than 30 seconds remaining.
“We knew if we controlled the boards, we’d win the game,” said Ghilani. “That was my job.”
The Trojans (19-6) have the ability to overwhelm teams with their outside shooting. They made 7 of 23 from there Thursday, but hit a lull late with four straight misses when they desperately needed points.
The Leopards (21-4) have won 15 straight. Their last defeat was against Deer Lakes, a section foe of North Catholic.
Leopards head coach Joe Salvino, a head coach at various schools for 43 years, recently announced he is retiring at the end of the season.
“It doesn’t get any better than this,” he said. “Our big guys, Dom, Tommy (Davis, 10 boards), they were the difference tonight.”
Fredericks paced North with 20 points and Rottmann added 15.
Davis scored 20 for Belle Vernon, including eight in the second quarter as the Leopards led 34-22 at halftime.
The Trojans will now look to the state playoffs, which begin next weekend.
“(State playoffs) are more important than WPIAL,” said Fredericks. “If we win states, our name will be everywhere.”
Said Rocco: “Belle Vernon is a really good team. Hopefully, we’ll get another chance against them.”
NORTH CATHOLIC 49
Jason Fredericks 7 3-3 20, Jude Rottmann 4 4-5 15, Eli Stofko 2 0-3 5, Owen Maddalon 0 2-2 2, Joe Waskiewicz 2 1-2 5, Tom Arth 0 0-0 0, Donnie Schubert 1 0-0 2. Totals: 16 10-15 49.
BELLE VERNON 54
Curtis Wade 1 2-4 4, Trevor Kovatch 4 4-7 12, Zion Moore 4 4-5 12, Tommy Davis 7 6-6 20, D’Aubre Lightfoot 1 0-0 2, Cameren Jenko 2 0-0 4, Dom Ghilani 0 0-0 0. Totals: 19 16-22 54.
North Catholic 14 8 15 12 — 49
Belle Vernon 19 15 9 11 — 54
3-point goals: North Catholic 7 (Fredericks 3, Rottmann 3, Stofko);
Belle Vernon (none)
Next: PIAA Class 4A playoffs, TBD
