2025 WPIAL Class 4A girls basketball championship breakdown: Blackhawk vs. Oakland Catholic

By: Bill Hartlep
Friday, February 28, 2025 | 3:26 PM

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WPIAL Class 4A girls basketball championship

No 1 Blackhawk vs. No. 2 Oakland Catholic

3 p.m. Saturday, Petersen Events Center

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

WPIAL titles: Blackhawk 8 (2022, ‘15, ‘14, ‘11, ‘00, 1999, ‘97, ‘96); Oakland Catholic 6 (2006, ‘05, ‘02, ‘01, ‘00, 1999)

Blackhawk (23-2)

Coach: Greg Huston

Projected starting lineup

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

4, Andrea Kinger, 5-6, Sr., PG

15, Alivia Rabick, 5-7, Sr., G/F

20, Aubree Hupp, 5-10, Jr., F

22, Mia Sheesley, 5-7, Jr., G

31, Ava Pagani, 5-6, Sr., G

How they got here: Blackhawk defeated No. 16 Yough, 60-12, in the first round; No. 8 Laurel Highlands, 59-32, in the quarterfinals; and No. 4 Elizabeth Forward, 57-51, in the semifinals.

Notable: Blackhawk, which won the 2022 WPIAL title, lost to North Catholic in the past two WPIAL Class 4A championship games. The Cougars, though, defeated Scranton Prep to win the PIAA title a year ago. This year’s Cougars won the Section 2 title at 12-0 with a group that averages 57.4 ppg and allows just 34.1. They have won 16 straight games, with their only losses to Class 6A Mt. Lebanon and Class 3A finalist Shady Side Academy. Junior forward Aubree Hupp, who scored 10 points in last year’s WPIAL final, averages 21.2 ppg. Senior point guard Andrea Kinger was also a factor last season with five points and three rebounds.

Oakland Catholic (22-3)

Coach: Harry Schechter

Projected starting lineup

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

1, Alayla Bivins, 5-9, Sr., G

4, Zephania Troxler-Scott, 5-8, Jr., G

11, London Creach, 5-11, Sr., G/F

21, Madi Pullen, 5-9, So., G/F

32, Josie Fontana, 6-2, Jr., F

How they got here: Oakland Catholic beat No. 15 Hampton, 65-15, in the first round; No. 7 Central Valley, 66-29, in the quarterfinals; and No. 3 North Catholic, 57-29, in the semifinals.

Notable: Oakland Catholic is back in the championship game after falling to South Fayette in the 2023 Class 5A final. The Eagles were semifinalists last season and dropped down to Class 4A prior to this campaign. They allow just 32.1 ppg, best in Class 4A. Oakland Catholic tied for the Section 1 title with North Catholic at 13-1 and has won 10 straight games. Besides falling to North Catholic on Dec. 11, the Eagles’ only other losses were to York Suburban and Western Reserve Academy. Senior London Creach, a Robert Morris recruit, returned from a knee injury late in the season and has made a major impact. At 6-foot-3, center Josie Fontana is a key player in the paint who has recent Division I offers from Drexel, Butler and Sacred Heart, among nearly two dozen others.

Bill Hartlep is the TribLive sports editor. A Pittsburgh native and Point Park graduate, he joined the Trib in 2004, covering high school sports. He held various editing roles before assuming his current position in 2019. He can be reached at bhartlep@triblive.com.

Tags: Blackhawk, Oakland Catholic