2025 WPIAL Class 3A boys basketball championship: Aliquippa vs. South Allegheny

By: Chris Harlan
Friday, February 28, 2025 | 5:35 PM

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WPIAL Class 3A boys basketball championship

No. 1 Aliquippa vs. No. 2 South Allegheny

1 p.m. Saturday, Petersen Events Center

On the air: Video livestream: NFHS Network; Audio: Trib HSSN

WPIAL titles: Aliquippa 14 (2024, ‘23, ‘16, ‘15, ‘07, ‘06, ‘04, ‘03, ‘00, 1998, ‘94, ‘88, ‘87, ’49), South Allegheny 0

Aliquippa (20-4)

Coach: Nick Lackovich

Projected starting lineup

No., Name, Ht., Cl., Pos.

2, Jeremiah Pratt, 5-10, fr., G

3, Marques Council, 6-2, jr., G/F

4, Josh Pratt, 6-2, jr., G

5, Qa’lil Goode, 6-2, jr., G

15, Michael Gaskins, 6-0, sr., F

How they got here: Aliquippa defeated No. 16 New Brighton, 83-29, in the first round; No. 9 Shady Side Academy, 71-49, in the quarterfinals; and No. 4 Bishop Canevin, 66-36, in the semifinals.

Notable: Aliquippa seeks its third consecutive WPIAL title, having won Class 2A in 2023 and ’24. The Quips also won the 2A state title last season. … Aliquippa is tied with New Castle for the most boys basketball titles in WPIAL history (14). … The team averages 70.8 points per game led by Josh Pratt ( 25 ppg), Goode (16) and Council (10). Jeremiah Pratt and Gaskins average eight points each. … They’re one of three WPIAL teams to hold opponents to fewer than 40 points per game (39.1), joining Upper St. Clair (39) and Sewickley Academy (37.8). … Lackovich’s coaching record is 182-39 in eight seasons with four WPIAL titles.

South Allegheny (22-3)

Coach: Tony DiCenzo

Projected starting lineup

No., Name, Ht., Cl., Pos.

1, Cam Epps, 5-7, sr., G

2, Drew Cook, 6-1, jr., G

4, Jake Uher, 6-3, jr., F

10, Josh Jackowski, 6-4, sr., F

12, Camden Lewis, 6-3, sr., C

How they got here: South Allegheny defeated No. 15 Charleroi, 61-32, in the first round; No. 10 Ellwood City, 77-34, in the quarterfinals; and No. 3 Mohawk, 75-53, in the semifinals.

Notable: This is South Allegheny’s second appearance in the WPIAL finals. The Gladiators lost in 2021 to Ellwood City, 53-50, in the Class 3A final. That championship game was played at North Allegheny under covid restrictions. … This year’s team averages 67.9 points led by Cook (22 ppg), Epps (20) and Jackowski (13). … Cook scored 31 points and Epps had 21 in the semifinals. … Epps joined older brothers Antonio and Bryce as 1,000-point scorers for the Gladiators. … SA’s defense allows 46.6 ppg. … DiCenzo’s career record over 13 seasons is 168-133. In the past six years, the team went 118-33 with four 20-win seasons. … Glassport High School, a predecessor to South Allegheny, finished as the WPIAL runner-up in 1936 and ‘43.

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.

Tags: Aliquippa, South Allegheny