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Friday January 10, 2025 | 00:27
Christopher Horner | TribLive
Greensburg Central’s Brady O’Rourke is fouled by Kiski Area’s Jacob Musselman on December 21, 2024 in Hempfield.
What a week of matchups in WPIAL basketball as we approach the halfway point of regular season sectional play.
On Tuesday we saw the top two teams face off in Class 6A boys as Imani Christian Academy visited Upper St. Clair, followed Thursday by No. 1 facing No. 2 in 3A girls with Shady Side Academy hosting Greensburg Central Catholic.
There will be two more battles of No. 1 versus No. 2 on Friday in a busy night of district boys hoops.
In Class 2A, heated rivals battle for first place in Section 1 when Jeannette, undefeated with an overall score of 11-0, takes on once-beaten Greensburg Central Catholic with a mark of 10-1.
The Jayhawks are 5-0 in the section and have won their 11 games by an average score of 72-37.
The Centurions are 4-0 in sectional play and have won three straight games since their only loss of the season to Class 6A Hempfield.
GCC was also impressive, outscoring its 11 foes by an average of 70-45.
In Class A Friday, two teams with perfect sectional records with just one loss overall face each other for the first time when No. 1 Neighborhood Academy visits No. 2 Serra Catholic.
Both teams are 3-0 leading Section 2.
The Bulldogs are 11-1 after beating Geibel Catholic earlier this week to bounce back from their lone loss to 4A Beaver.
The Eagles are 10-1 and have won three in a row since their only loss of the season to 3A South Allegheny.
Both top-ranked matchups can be seen Friday on Trib HSSN.
Red fox
Two teams with a combined 19-3 overall record meet Friday for a piece of the first-place pie in Section 1-6A as Fox Chapel (10-2) visits New Castle (9-1).
The Foxes currently lead the section with a 5-0 record. They previously had a five-game winning streak with a loss to Class A’s top-ranked Neighborhood Academy, but have since won two in a row.
The Red Hurricanes are 4-1 in the section and tied for second with Seneca Valley (4-1, 7-6). The Canes suffered their only loss this season last week against Seneca Valley but rebounded Tuesday with a 13-point victory against Pine-Richland (3-2, 5-5).
Freshman guard Kai Cox leads New Castle averaging 21.1 points per game while senior Caiden Kaiser averages 18.3 points per game for Fox Chapel.
You can listen to the game at 7:30 p.m. on Trib HSSN.
Two for one
Two other WPIAL men’s basketball battles on Friday are the only ones holding the top spot on the line.
In Section 3-3A, South Allegheny visits South Park in a game you can watch on Trib HSSN.
The Gladiators are 3-0 in the section and 11-1 overall. They’re on a roll with eight straight wins after their only loss of the season to 6A powerhouse New Castle.
The Eagles are 2-0 in the section and 9-2 for the season. They had a six-game winning streak with a loss to Southmoreland before winning their most recent game Tuesday at Steel Valley.
In Section 2-2A, first place is up for grabs when Sewickley Academy hosts Northgate.
The Panthers are 4-0 in the section and 8-1 overall. SA lost its season opener to Nazareth Prep by two points, but has since won eight in a row, including a 47-point victory Tuesday against Propel Braddock Hills.
The Flames are 3-0 sectional and 6-4 overall. They lost four of their first six games, but have now won four in a row.
Both matches kick off at 7 p.m.