Top-ranked boys basketball teams to face off as part of 3 things to watch Tuesday in WPIAL athletics

By: HSSN Staff
Monday, January 15, 2018 | 10:48 PM

The WPIAL boys basketball first half concludes for most teams on Tuesday on a night usually dedicated to section rivalries.

One of the marque matchups is the first of two regular-season matchups between the two teams that played for the WPIAL Class 2A crown a year ago and the top two teams in the latest TribLive High School Sports Network 2A rankings as Sewickley Academy visits Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.

Both teams have a trio of offensive threats leading the second- and third-highest scoring teams in the WPIAL.

The defending champion Panthers are 5-0 in Section 3-2A and 9-1 overall with their only loss coming against District 10 and PIAA powerhouse Kennedy Catholic. Sewickley Academy has three players — Isaiah Smith, Jett Roesing and Isiah Warfield — averaging more than 15 points.

The host Chargers have been just as impressive with a 6-0 mark in the section and 11-1 overall with 11 straight wins since falling to Seton LaSalle in the season opener.

Dante Spanafora has averaged nearly 18 points to lead OLSH, with both Austin Wigley and Donovan Johnson averaging more than 15.5 points.

The game can be heard at 7:30 p.m. on the TribLive High School Sports Network .

Fab Four

Four other WPIAL boys basketball games on Tuesday will help decide first place at the midway point.

The competitive Section 2-4A will have one team on top after Ambridge visits Quaker Valley. Both teams are 5-0 in the section and a combined 18-2 overall.

Lincoln Park looks to stay alone atop Section 1-3A when it visits Ellwood City. The Leopards are 2-0 while the host Wolverines are a half game back at 2-1.

Fort Cherry is on top in Section 2-2A with a 5-0 record. The Rangers host Chartiers-Houston, which is 3-0 in section play.

Two of the top three teams in the Class A rankings meet for first place in Section 2. Top-ranked Clairton has won 8 of 9 overall, compared to No. 3 Monessen, which brings an overall mark of 3-6 into the game. Both the Bears and Greyhounds are 2-0 in section play.

Three of the games can be heard on the TribLive High School Sports Network .

Girls battle for first

As the district girls basketball regular season also hits the midway point, a handful of section games close out the first half on Tuesday, none bigger than the battle for first place in Section 3-5A.

Top-ranked Trinity will host Ringgold, with both teams sporting 5-0 records atop the section.

The Hillers are 10-3 overall with only one of those losses coming to a WPIAL team when Trinity fell to 6A power Peters Township in the third game of the season. The Hillers are fourth in the class in scoring and fifth in points allowed in 5A. Riley DeRubbo leads Trinity, averaging more than 17 points per game.

The Rams are 9-4 and sport the fourth lowest average points per game in the class. The game can be heard at 7:30 p.m. on the TribLive High School Sports Network .

Don Rebel is a TribLIVE High School Sports Network broadcaster and staff writer. Reach him at drebel@tribweb.com.