With only a few days left in section play, the WPIAL basketball playoff field is beginning to take shape.

After Tuesday night’s games, 79 boys teams have secured a playoff spot while 70 girls teams have clinched. The top four teams in all sections qualify for the playoffs. The top five teams qualify in the few sections that have eight teams. Ties for final playoff spots are broken by head-to-head competition. If teams split head-to-head, they both make the playoffs.

The WPIAL plans to announce playoff pairings and seedings Monday at 5 p.m. The playoffs start Feb. 18 and the higher-seeded team will play at home through the quarterfinals, provided the gym meets the WPIAL criteria to play host to a playoff game. In other words, is the gym big enough to have a playoff game? Here are the teams that have clinched playoff spots:

BOYS

CLASS 6A: (Section 1) North Hills, Pine-Richland North Allegheny, Butler. (2) Upper St. Clair, Bethel Park, Mt. Lebanon, Baldwin. (3) Fox Chapel, Central Catholic, Penn-Trafford.

Class 5A: (1) Laurel Highlands, West Mifflin, Albert Gallatin, Thomas Jefferson. (2) New Castle, South Fayette, Chartiers Valley. (3) Penn Hills, Gateway. (4) Mars, Highlands, Hampton, Shaler.

Class 4A: (1) North Catholic, Burrell, Freeport, Deer Lakes. (2) Quaker Valley, Lincoln Park, Montour, Blackhawk, Central Valley. (3) Belle Vernon, Elizabeth Forward, Uniontown.

Class 3A: (1) Ellwood City, Neshannock, Beaver Falls, Laurel. (2) Seton LaSalle, Aliquippa, Avonworth, Summit Academy. (3) South Allegheny, Shady Side Academy, Ligonier Valley, Steel Valley. (4) Washington, Brownsville, Brentwood, Waynesburg. 

Class 2A: (1) Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Springdale, Shenango, South Side Beaver. (2) Carlynton, Fort Cherry, Sto-Rox, Chartiers-Houston. (3) Greensburg Central Catholic, Serra, Winchester Thurston, Jeannette. (4) Monessen, Carmichaels, Jefferson-Morgan, California.

Class 1A: (1) Union, Eden Christian, Rochester. (2) Bishop Canevin, Geibel, Mapletown, West Greene. (3) Imani Christian, Leechburg, Neighborhood Academy, Aquinas Academy.

GIRLS

Class 6A: (1) North Allegheny, Norwin, Seneca Valley, Penn-Trafford, Butler. (2) Mt. Lebanon, Upper St. Clair, Bethel Park, Peters Township.

Class 5A: (1) Chartiers Valley, South Fayette, Moon, Oakland Catholic. (2) Indiana, Mars, Hampton, Armstrong. (3) Trinity, Albert Gallatin, Thomas Jefferson. (4) Latrobe, McKeesport, Greensburg Salem, Woodland Hills.

Class 4A: (1) Knoch, Highlands, Deer Lakes, Freeport. (2) Blackhawk, Beaver, Montour, Quaker Valley. (3) Southmoreland, Elizabeth Forward, Belle Vernon, West Mifflin.

Class 3A: (1) North Catholic, Freedom, Laurel, Mohawk. (2) South Park, Waynesburg, Charleroi, Brownsville. (3) Avonworth, Keystone Oaks. 

Class 2A: (1) Neshannock, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Shenango. (2) Serra, Seton LaSalle, California, Frazier. (3) Burgettstown, Fort Cherry, Sto-Rox, Chartiers-Houston. (4) Greensburg Central Catholic, Winchester Thurston, Apollo-Ridge. 

Class 1A: (1) Union, Rochester, Bishop Canevin, Eden Christian. (2) West Greene, Monessen, Avella, Mapletown. (3) Aquinas Academy, Clairton.

Mike White: mwhite@post-gazette.com and Twitter @mwhiteburgh

First Published: February 9, 2022, 1:25 p.m.