Pittsburgh, Pa. – The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) hosted its final championship games of the 2023-24 winter season last Thursday through Saturday as six classifications competed in the WPIAL/UPMC Sports Medicine Boys’ Basketball Championships at the Petersen Events Center on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh. For the first time in league history, four defending champions reigned again in Aliquippa (Class 2A), Deer Lakes (Class 3A), Imani Christian Academy (Class 1A), and Lincoln Park (Class 4A), while Moon and Upper St. Clair won at Class 5A and Class 6A, respectively.
There have been numerous times that three WPIAL boys’ basketball champions were repeat winners from a year before, with the most recent instance coming in 2019 with Lincoln Park, Mars, and New Castle all keeping the trophy. Upper St. Clair is the first school to win twice at Class 6A since the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) expanded to six classifications in 2016-17, and Moon is the third two-time winner at Class 5A, joining Mars (2018, 2019) and Laurel Highlands (2020, 2022).
Aliquippa’s win at Class 2A moved it into a tie with New Castle for first all-time with 14 WPIAL boys’ basketball championships. The Quips were previously victorious in 1949, 1987, 1988, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2015, 2016, and 2023.
Lincoln Park is now 11th in WPIAL history with seven titles. The Leopards’ first crown came in 2012, and they have since added trophies from 2014, 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2023.
Moon’s championship is its fifth in school history, joining ones from 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2017. Upper St. Clair’s title is its fourth, with wins in 1996, 2005, and 2021 coming prior.
Two first-time 2023 champions were repeat winners in Deer Lakes and Imani Christian Academy. The Lancers are the first school to go back-to-back at Class 3A since Lincoln Park in 2018-19, and the second since Moon’s three-peat from 2004-06.
The top three teams in Class 6A, top five teams in Class 1A, and top seven teams in Class 2A, Class 3A, Class 4A, and Class 5A have qualified for the PIAA Boys’ Basketball Championships. First round games begin March 5-6, and all championship games will be held March 21-23 at the GIANT Center in Hershey.
CLASS 6A RECAP
In an all-Section II matchup to close the weekend, third-seeded Upper St. Clair outscored fourth-seeded Baldwin in each of the four quarters to claim the Class 6A title with a 64-41 victory in the final of five games last Saturday.
Upper St. Clair (20-5, 8-2 Section II) was efficient offensively, shooting at a 56.4 percent clip (22-39) from the floor with just nine turnovers to 11 assists. The Panthers trailed by five with 3:47 to go in the first quarter, only to answer with a 16-4 to close the frame and take full control.
Junior forward Tyler Robbins led Upper St. Clair with 22 points on 9-of-11 shooting, 12 rebounds, five blocks, and three assists. Senior guard Brett Meiner added 19 points – including a 3-for-5 performance from three – and four steals.
Playing in its first WPIAL Championship Game since 1985, Baldwin (18-7, 7-3 Section II) saw senior guard Nathan Richards lead the team in scoring and passing with 18 points and four assists.
Upper St. Clair defeated sixth-seeded Butler in its first-round matchup, 78-71, then knocked off second-seeded Central Catholic in the semifinals, 61-46. Baldwin was a 55-49 winner over fifth-seeded North Allegheny, and bested top-seeded Mt. Lebanon to reach the title game, 54-52.
Mt. Lebanon was a 62-57 winner over Central Catholic in the third-place consolation game on Thurs., Feb. 29 to claim the final PIAA qualifier spot.
All three WPIAL schools are in search of their first PIAA boys’ basketball title.
CLASS 5A RECAP
Trailing 42-37 entering the fourth quarter, top-seeded Moon outscored second-seeded Franklin Regional, 16-6, over the final eight minutes to win the Class 5A championship, 53-48, in the final of four games last Friday.
Moon (23-3, 10-0 Section IV) was down 26-20 at halftime, but scored 33 points over the next two frames. The Tigers made 63.1 percent of their field goal attempts and went 6-of-12 from deep in the second half, and held Franklin Regional (23-3, 9-1 Section III) to just 15.4 percent shooting in the fourth quarter.
Moon had three players reach double-figures scoring, with junior forward Michael Santicola providing a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double. Senior guard Aiden Reesman had 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting and seven rebounds, while classmate Elijah Guillory provided 11 points, six caroms, and four assists.
Franklin Regional’s senior guards Cooper Rankin and Cameron Rowell led all players in scoring with 16 and 15 points, respectively. Rankin added three assists and three steals, while Rowell converted 6-of-9 from the field with five rebounds.
Moon reached the final by defeating 17th-seeded Woodland Hills (73-39), eighth-seeded Fox Chapel (63-50), and fourth-seeded Thomas Jefferson (67-65). Franklin Regional topped 15th-seeded Mars (67-50), seventh-seeded Gateway (53-35), and third-seeded Shaler (69-40) to make it to the Petersen Events Center.
In the three consolation finals, Shaler defeated Thomas Jefferson for third place, 75-71, Fox Chapel won 57-36 over Bethel Park for fifth place, and Gateway edged Kiski Area, 53-51, to seventh place and the last PIAA qualifier spot.
Two of the WPIAL’s seven qualifiers in Class 5A have previously won a PIAA title. Moon is a two-time champion, doing so in 2004 and 2019. Fox Chapel won the Class 3A championship in 1977.
CLASS 4A RECAP
Lincoln Park saw four of its five players score in double-figures as the top-seeded Leopards repeated as Class 4A champions with a 66-51 victory over second-seeded Hampton in the final of three games last Thursday.
Lincoln Park (23-3, 12-0 Section II) used a balanced effort on the scoresheet to defend its crown, and enjoyed an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2-to-1. Junior guard Meleek Thomas led all players with 21 points, adding 10 rebounds, five steals, and four helpers. Senior guard Brandin Cummings added 16 points on 5-of-10 shooting, while junior Rhaki Lum and senior Mikey Crawford both tallied 12 points.
Hampton (22-4, 10-0 Section I) was guided by senior forward Liam Mignogna, who had 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting, nine rebounds, and three blocks. Classmate Alex Nyilas added 16 points on 6-of-9 from the field and 3-of-4 on three-pointers.
Lincoln Park’s path to the Petersen Events Center included wins over 16th-seeded Freeport (93-63), eighth-seeded Knoch (81-58), and fourth-seeded Uniontown (74-63). Hampton defeated 15th-seeded Central Valley (66-55), seventh-seeded South Allegheny (69-40), and sixth-seeded Avonworth (61-39).
The classification’s three consolation finals saw Uniontown top Avonworth for third place, 59-55, North Catholic win 74-61 against South Allegheny for fifth place, and Montour knock off Knoch, 70-58, for seventh place and the final PIAA qualifier spot.
Lincoln Park begins its attempt at a fourth PIAA boys’ basketball title, having previously won in 2014, 2019, and last season. Uniontown is tied for the fourth-most PIAA championships among WPIAL schools with four, having won in 1925, 1962, 1964, and 1981.
CLASS 3A RECAP
Down 17-8 with 4:35 remaining to go in the first half, top-seeded Deer Lakes went on a 13-0 run to close the quarter and never trailed again, as the Lancers defeated Section III rival Burrell, 55-49, to win its second straight Class 3A championship in the second of four games last Friday.
Deer Lakes (21-4, 11-1 Section III) and 11th-seeded Burrell (16-9, 8-4 Section III) combined for just 38 points in the first half, then outpaced that with 45 combined points in the third quarter alone. The Lancers were 8-of-12 from the field in that frame and the Bucs converted 9-of-11 field goal attempts, which offset both teams’ fourth-quarter defensive performances that saw a combined 20.8 percent field goal conversion rate.
Deer Lakes senior guard Billy Schaeffer paced the field with 20 points and added seven rebounds. Sophomore guard Collin Rodgers added 12 points, while junior forward Nathaniel Moore provided a game-high 16 rebounds to go along with six points and three assists.
Burrell’s top scorer was senior guard Macky Bennis, who had 17 points. Senior forwards Maliq Buchak and Esau King-Buchak both blocked a pair of shots, and classmate Joey Discello had nine points and three assists.
Deer Lakes made its second straight championship game with wins over 16th-seeded Sto-Rox (62-32), ninth-seeded Ellwood City (39-38), and fourth-seeded Neshannock (84-73, OT). Burrell’s magical run included victories over sixth-seeded Seton LaSalle (55-50), third-seeded Shady Side Academy (48-44), and second-seeded Mohawk (51-34).
In the three consolation finals, Mohawk beat Neshannock, 61-59, for third place, Shady Side Academy was a 62-58 winner over Derry for fifth place, and Ellwood City bested Yough for seventh place and the last PIAA qualifier spot, 40-37.
Shady Side Academy is the only Class 3A qualifier to previously win a PIAA championship, doing so twice in 1995 and 2000.
CLASS 2A RECAP
Top-seeded Aliquippa never trailed in the Class 2A championship game, opening up a 16-3 lead after one quarter before cruising to a 69-32 victory over second-seeded Greensburg Central Catholic in the second of five games last Saturday.
Aliquippa (21-5, 10-0 Section I) was dominant offensively and defensively, converting at a 58.3 percent rate from the field – including a 12-of-15 mark from beyond the arc – with 19 assists to five turnovers, while producing 16 turnovers and a 35.3 percent conversion rate from Greensburg Central Catholic (23-3, 12-0 Section III).
Quips sophomore guard Joshua Pratt was the top scorer from all six boys’ basketball championship games, pouring in 33 points on 13-of-20 shooting and three steals. Pratt was 7-of-9 from three-point land, while backcourt mate Quentin Goode went 2-for-2 on three-pointers and added 11 points and five assists. Senior guard Brandon Banks had a game-high six assists in 21 minutes.
Centurions senior guard Tyree Turner led the team with 16 points. Classmate Franco Alvarez had six points and seven rebounds – five coming on the offensive end.
Aliquippa was victorious against 16th-seeded Nazareth Prep (70-57), eighth-seeded Serra Catholic (76-50), and fourth-seeded Fort Cherry (55-36). Greensburg Central Catholic topped 15th-seeded Frazier (57-22), 10th-seeded Eden Christian Academy (69-41), and third-seeded Northgate (60-43) to reach the championship game.
The classification’s three consolation finals featured Fort Cherry defeating Northgate, 71-62, for third place, Bishop Canevin topping Jeannette for fifth place, 52-46, and Serra Catholic narrowly winning over Eden Christian Academy, 67-65, for seventh place and the final PIAA qualifier spot.
Five of the WPIAL’s seven PIAA qualifiers at Class 2A have previously raised a PIAA trophy. Aliquippa is tied with Midland for the second-most PIAA championships with five, winning in 1949, 1989, 1994, and 1997. Bishop Canevin has the most recent title of the group in 2022, while Jeannette and Serra Catholic both won in 2008. Fort Cherry won its PIAA championship in 1961.
CLASS 1A RECAP
Top-seeded Imani Christian Academy outscored second-seeded The Neighborhood Academy, 58-20, over the second and third quarters to claim its second consecutive Class 1A title with a 78-49 win in the first of three games last Thursday.
After being behind 15-11 through eight minutes, Imani Christian Academy (14-10, 10-0 Section III) went 22-of-35 from the field in the second and third frames, while holding The Neighborhood Academy (18-6, 8-2 Section III) to a 6-of-20 mark during the same stretch. The Saints converted at a 50.9 percent clip for the game and went 9-of-21 from deep.
Imani Christian Academy had three players reach double-figures in scoring, led by senior guard Nate Brazil and his 17 points. Junior guard RJ Sledge collected 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting, six steals, and four assists, and senior guard Avery Wesley provided 16 points with four three-pointers and eight rebounds.
The Neighborhood Academy was paced by junior guard Courtney Wallace, who tallied a game-high 28 points and nine rebounds. Freshman guard Kedron Gilmore scored nine points and collected a pair of steals.
Imani Christian Academy opened the WPIAL tournament with a bye, then defeated eighth-seeded West Greene (60-26) and fifth-seeded Union (101-67). The Neighborhood Academy also was off for the first round before topping seventh-seeded Aquinas Academy (79-56) and third-seeded Rochester (62-41).
Union topped Rochester in the third-place consolation game, 62-59, while Monessen bested Carlynton, 62-47, in the fifth-place consolation matchup to claim the final PIAA spot.
Imani Christian Academy is the reigning PIAA Class 1A champion, but is not the only WPIAL qualifier to previously claim gold. Monessen is a two-time champion, going back-to-back at Class 1A in 1988 and 1989.
#WPIAL