Championship-caliber WPIAL girls basketball games highlight a busy Monday

By: Don Rebel
Sunday, January 5, 2020 | 10:30 PM

Three years ago, Bishop Canevin and Chartiers-Houston won WPIAL girls basketball championships.

On Monday, the Crusaders will host the Buccaneers for first place in Section 3-2A.

The 2017 WPIAL Class 3A championship for Bishop Canevin was the second of three straight district crowns. The Crusaders crushed Neshannock, 65-36, in that title game.

Two days earlier at Pitt’s Petersen Events Center, Chartiers-Houston captured the school’s first girls basketball championship with a 47-35 triumph over five-time defending champion Vincentian Academy.

This season, both teams are 6-4, but perfect in section play.

Bishop Canevin is 4-0. Chartiers-Houston checks in at 3-0.

You can watch the game on Trib HSSN.

Another small-school showdown

Two Class A girls basketball powers will meet for the first time this season with first place in Section 1-A up for grabs.

Defending WPIAL champion Rochester (4-0, 10-1) visits the small gym at Vincentian Academy (3-0, 7-1).

The Rams have won eight straight games, and the Royals check in with a five-game winning streak.

The two teams split their head-to-head meetings a year ago with Rochester winning at home by seven and Vincentian Academy earning a five-point home victory, the only section loss for the section champion Rams all season.

Boys battle in Beaver County

The only WPIAL boys basketball section game Monday is a good one in Section 2-4A.

The top four teams are separated by only one game, and two of those four teams meet Monday as Ambridge hosts Central Valley.

Quaker Valley is 3-0. Ambridge is 2-0, and Blackhawk and Central Valley are 2-1.

And don’t forget about three-time defending WPIAL champion New Castle. The Red Hurricane are 1-2 in section play.

Ambridge swept both games between the two teams last season, winning by 38 at Central Valley and by 3 points in a home victory over the Warriors.

Tags: Ambridge, Bishop Canevin, Central Valley, Chartiers-Houston, Rochester, Vincentian Academy