Pittsburgh, Pa. – The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) held its final championship games of the 2023-24 winter season last Thursday through Saturday as six classifications competed in the WPIAL/UPMC Sports Medicine Girls' Basketball Championships at the Petersen Events Center on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh. For the third time since 2020, there were three repeat champions in North Catholic (Class 4A), South Fayette (Class 5A), and Union (Class 1A), while Greensburg Central Catholic claimed Class 2A, Norwin won Class 6A, and Shady Side Academy took Class 3A.
The last two times that at least three WPIAL girls' basketball champions defended their titles were in 2020 and 2021. In 2021, Chartiers Valley, Mohawk, North Allegheny, and Rochester all kept their trophies, and in the season prior Chartiers Valley and Rochester were joined by North Catholic in the repeat club. South Fayette completed a three-peat at Class 5A with its most recent win, making it two consecutive three-peats with Chartiers Valley doing so from 2019-21. Norwin is the fourth different champion at Class 6A since the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) expanded to six classifications in 2016-17, joining Mt. Lebanon, North Allegheny, and Peters Township.
North Catholic extended its lead in WPIAL girls' basketball championships by winning its 23rd. The Trojanettes are 12 ahead of second-place Vincentian Academy, having previously won in 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, and 2023.
Greensburg Central Catholic moves into a tie for ninth all-time in WPIAL titles with its sixth. The Centurions share the spot with Bishop Canevin, North Allegheny, Oakland Catholic, and Upper St. Clair, as they also won titles in 1991, 1997, 2003, 2006, and 2007.
South Fayette's successful three-peat also gives it its fourth WPIAL title overall, with the Lions' first coming in 2016.
Norwin is now a three-time WPIAL champion, previously winning at the largest classification – Class 4A – in 2015 and 2016.
Union repeated as the Class 1A winner after winning its first last season.
Shady Side Academy's triumph at Class 3A is its first in school history, and makes the Bulldogs the 64th different school to win a WPIAL girls' basketball championship.
The top four teams in Class 6A, top five teams in Class 1A, top six teams in Class 4A, top seven teams in Class 3A and Class 5A, and top eight teams in Class 2A have qualified for the PIAA Girls' 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
Top-seeded Norwin ended an eight-year wait to return to the top of the largest classification of WPIAL girls' basketball, as it defeated third-seeded North Allegheny for the Class 6A title, 56-41, in the third game of four last Friday.
Norwin (21-3, 10-0 Section I) bested its Section I rival North Allegheny (22-3, 8-2 Section I) thanks in part to a 26-10 difference in points in the paint. The Knights trailed the Tigers by five with 2:16 left in the first quarter, but went on a 21-6 run to close the half and take control of the contest.
Senior forward Lauren Palangio controlled the paint for Norwin, finishing with 12 points, 15 rebounds, and five blocks. She finished 8-of-9 at the charity stripe and contributed three assists and two steals. Sophomore guard Ava Christopher led all players with 16 points and collected seven caroms, while junior guard Kendall Berger chipped in with 10 points.
North Allegheny was led offensively by senior guard Lydia Betz, who had a team-high 13 points. Classmate Caroline Henderson tallied 11 points and four steals.
Norwin opened the WPIAL tournament with a 58-20 win over eighth-seeded Seneca Valley, then defeated fifth-seeded Chartiers Valley, 63-47. North Allegheny topped sixth-seeded Upper St. Clair, 44-41, and knocked off second-seeded Peters Township, 43-30, in the semifinals.
In the third-place consolation game, Peters Township defeated Chartiers Valley, 73-59.
Chartiers Valley, North Allegheny, and Peters Township all previously won PIAA girls' basketball championships. North Allegheny is the most recent winner of the three, doing so in 2021, while Chartiers Valley and Peters Township both won in 2019.
CLASS 5A RECAP
In possibly the most offensively efficient game over the 12 at the Petersen Events Center last weekend, sixth-seeded South Fayette completed a three-peat at Class 5A by defeating fifth-seeded Armstrong, 70-63, in the fourth game of five this past Saturday.
South Fayette (18-8, 6-4 Section IV) converted at a 46.8 percent rate from the floor and made 7-of-13 three-point attempts. The Lions had more assists (13) than turnovers (8) and scored 16 points on the fastbreak.
Making its first WPIAL Championship Game appearance, Armstrong (21-5, 10-2 Section II) finished at a 48.9 percent rate on field goals, had 17 assists to 10 turnovers, and scored 32 points in the paint.
South Fayette sophomore forward Juliette Leroux was one of three Lions in double-figures scoring, leading the way with 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting with eight rebounds and three steals. Senior forward Erica Hall matched Leroux in rebounds and steals while providing 17 points. Sophomore guard Haylie Lamonde also scored 17 points, and senior guard Lainey Yater finished with nine points and six assists.
Armstrong senior guard Emma Paul paced all players from the weekend in scoring, finishing with 36 points. Paul was 6-of-14 from deep and made 6-of-8 free throws, adding six assists, two steals, and a block. Classmate Kyla Fitzgerald provided the Riverhawks with 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting, eight rebounds, five assists, and two blocks.
South Fayette reached the WPIAL championship game with wins over 11th-seeded Mars (55-36), third-seeded Trinity (53-39), and second-seeded McKeesport (49-41). Armstrong won over 12th-seeded Greater Latrobe (51-40), fourth-seeded Lincoln Park (59-31), and top-seeded Oakland Catholic (49-40).
In the three consolation finals, McKeesport beat Oakland Catholic for third place, 43-41, Trinity was a 64-60 winner over Lincoln Park for fifth place, and Indiana topped North Hills, 35-28, for seventh place and the final PIAA qualifier spot.
Oakland Catholic is the lone Class 5A qualifier to previously win a PIAA title, as it is tied for second all-time in league history with four. The Eagles were champions in 1993, 2001, 2003, and 2005.
CLASS 4A RECAP
In a defensive slugfest, it was second-seeded North Catholic who would get the last laugh, as it defeated top-seeded Blackhawk in overtime, 40-37, to win Class 4A in the third of five games last Friday.
Neither North Catholic (17-7, 12-0 Section I) nor Blackhawk (22-3, 10-0 Section II) built a lead larger than six points, with the advantage trading sides seven times and a deadlock commencing eight times. The Trojanettes forced 17 turnovers over the 36 minutes of action and produced 15 points from those, while the Cougars enjoyed a 39-25 difference on the glass and scored nine second chance points to North Catholic's two.
North Catholic senior guard Alayna Rocco paced all players with 26 points, three steals, and two blocks. Freshman forward Lauren Reitz pulled down a team-high eight rebounds and swatted two shots.
Blackhawk sophomore forward Aubree Hupp had a double-double with 10 points and 15 rebounds, adding three assists, two steals and a block. Senior guard Alena Fusetti finished with a team-best 11 points and collected seven caroms and two helpers.
North Catholic opened the bracket with a bye, then defeated seventh-seeded Central Valley (65-32) and third-seeded Elizabeth Forward (42-34) on its way to the final. Blackhawk also was off to begin the tournament, and topped eighth-seeded Greensburg Salem (49-25) and fifth-seeded Laurel Highlands (51-32) in its next two games.
Elizabeth Forward defeated Laurel Highlands, 58-45, for third place, while Highlands was a 38-33 victor against Knoch for fifth place.
This is the first time since 2016 that the Class 4A championship game went to overtime, and the third time overall. Norwin defeated North Allegheny, 63-57, in that aforementioned title tilt, while in 1994, Upper St. Clair was a 68-66 winner over Penn Hills.
North Catholic and Blackhawk top the list of WPIAL schools that have won PIAA girls' basketball titles. The Trojanettes have the most in league history with eight, winning in 1980, 1983, 1984, 1988, 1993, 1994, 1995, and 2016. The Cougars are tied for second with four, with trophies from 1999, 2000, 2014, and 2015.
CLASS 3A RECAP
Making its second ever WPIAL Championship Game appearance, second-seeded Shady Side Academy won its first title in school history with a 52-45 triumph over top-seeded Avonworth in the Class 3A final. The contest was the first of four games held last Friday.
Shady Side Academy (24-2, 10-0 Section III) owned big advantages in field goal percentage (56.3%-29.8%) and points in the paint (36-16) over Avonworth (22-2, 10-0 Section II), while the Lopes forced the Bulldogs into 20 turnovers and had a 9-0 edge in bench points.
Shady Side Academy sophomore guard Maggie Spell led all players with 31 points. She finished 10-of-16 from the field and 11-of-13 from the free-throw line, adding four rebounds and three steals to her name. Classmate Karis Thomas added 11 points and three steals, while freshman forward Leah Buford was a perfect 4-for-4 on field goals for eight points.
Avonworth received an 18-point, 13-rebound double-double from senior forward Rebecca Goetz, who pulled down nine of her 13 boards on the offensive glass. Junior guard Greta O'Brien added 14 points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a block, and classmate Fiona Mahan netted nine points, six rebounds, and four steals off the bench.
Shady Side Academy began bracket play with a win over 15th-seeded Mohawk (53-42), then defeated seventh-seeded Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (37-36) and third-seeded Beaver Falls (41-26) to punch its ticket to the Petersen Events Center. Avonworth was victorious against 16th-seeded Apollo-Ridge (64-13), eighth-seeded Keystone Oaks (69-45), and fourth-seeded Neshannock (72-51).
The three consolation finals saw Neshannock defeat Beaver Falls for third place, 54-44, Keystone Oaks win 47-36 against Seton LaSalle for fifth place, and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart top South Park for seventh place and final PIAA qualifier spot, 41-31.
Three of the seven WPIAL qualifiers have previously won a PIAA title. Seton LaSalle is tied for fourth in league history with three, winning in 1984, 2012, and 2014. Neshannock has the most recent state championship of the group from 2022, while Beaver Falls was victorious in 1985.
CLASS 2A RECAP
An all-Section III matchup went the way of top-seeded Greensburg Central Catholic in the Class 2A final, as it defeated third-seeded Serra Catholic, 62-41, in the second of three games last Thursday.
Greensburg Central Catholic (20-6, 12-0 Section III) peaked at the end of the game, scoring 18 of the contest's final 22 points to turn a 44-37 advantage into the final score. The Centurions owned a 14-0 difference in fastbreak points over Serra Catholic (21-5, 10-2 Section III), and finished 8-of-13 from beyond the arc compared to the Eagles' 2-of-11 mark.
Greensburg Central Catholic was paced by sophomore guard Erica Gribble, who had a game-high 28 points on 9-of-18 shooting and 5-of-7 from deep, and added three blocks and two steals. Senior guard Avery Davis tallied 14 points, classmate Mya Morgan contributed nine points, six rebounds, four assists, and two steals, and sophomore forward Abigail Dlugos pulled down 14 rebounds.
Serra Catholic senior guard Cate Clarke tallied a team-best 13 points to go with five rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Classmate Bri Battles added 11 points, five caroms, three steals, and three blocks.
Greensburg Central Catholic defeated 16th-seeded Northgate (77-10), ninth-seeded Rochester (63-41), and 12th-seeded South Side (73-38) on its route to the final. Serra Catholic topped 14th-seeded Brentwood (59-23), 11th-seeded Winchester Thurston (67-42), and second-seeded Aliquippa (42-36).
In the three consolation finals, Aliquippa topped South Side for third place, 40-37, Rochester won 50-46 over Clairton for fifth place, and Fort Cherry defeated Winchester Thurston for seventh place, 61-46.
Aliquippa, Greensburg Central Catholic, and Serra Catholic are previous PIAA championship schools. The Quips went back-to-back in 1989 and 1990, while Greensburg Central Catholic won in 1997 and Serra Catholic claimed gold in 2005.
CLASS 1A RECAP
Top-seeded Union needed overtime to defend its Class 1A championship, but it did so successfully as the Scotties topped third-seeded Saint Joseph in an extra frame, 50-43, in the first of five games last Saturday.
Union (19-5, 6-0 Section I) scored 10 of the game's final 11 points after trailing by as large as a 20-9 deficit early in the second quarter. The Scotties held Saint Joseph (21-4, 8-0 Section III) to 0-for-5 shooting in the extra period, and went 8-for-10 from the free throw line during the additional four minutes. They also scored 16 second chance points to the Spartans' six.
Union senior forward Kelly Cleaver played all 36 minutes, producing a game-high 25 points on 9-of-16 shooting, six rebounds, and three blocks. Junior guard Kylie Fruehstorfer added 11 points and three steals, and classmate Mia Pruehs snagged a game-high 14 rebounds.
Saint Joseph senior guard Julie Spinelli was the Spartans' lone player with double-digit points, tallying 19 to go along with a pair of steals. Senior center Anna Kreinbrook added six points, 13 rebounds, and three assists, while junior guard Gia Richter collected three steals.
After a first-round bye, Union won over eighth-seeded West Greene (59-16) and fourth-seeded Riverview (56-13) to make the championship game. Saint Joseph also enjoyed a first-round bye, then knocked off sixth-seeded Bishop Canevin (66-36) and second-seeded Aquinas Academy (65-56).
Aquinas Academy was a 45-37 winner over Riverview for third place, and Monessen edged Bishop Canevin, 44-41, for fifth place and the final PIAA spot.
This is the first time since 2008 that the Class 1A championship game went to overtime, and the third time overall. Mt. Alvernia and Monessen went to two overtimes in that aforementioned title tilt, with Mt. Alvernia winning by a 74-68 scoreline, while in 1988, Geibel Catholic topped Monaca, 55-54.
Monessen and Union enter the PIAA Championships with a state title on their resume. The Greyhounds won in 2004, while the Scotties are the defending Class 1A champions.
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