OLSH basketball standout Dante Spadafora picks West Liberty State

By: Paul Schofield
Monday, September 28, 2020 | 8:57 PM

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Dante Spadafora helped Our Lady of the Sacred Heart to consecutive WPIAL Class 2A titles, but he still has some business to finish.

The senior would like to make it three titles in the winter. The team also was denied a shot at PIAA title because of the coronavirus and was denied a trip to Hershey in 2019 with a one-point loss (62-61) to Bishop Guilfoyle in the state semifinals.

Spadafora, who was a Trib HSSN second team all-star, averaged 24 points. 8.5 assists and 5 steals per game during the 2019-20 season.

On Monday, he announced on Twitter that he committed to one of the top NCAA Division II programs in the country, West Liberty State in West Virginia.

“It’s an outstanding school and a great program that plays at a great level,” OLSH boys basketball coach Mike Rodriguez said. “He’ll fit right in there. The team is well-coached, and year in and year out, they compete for championships.”

OLSH was 26-1 in 2019-20, defeating Section 3 rival Sto-Rox in the WPIAL finals. The Chargers rolled to wins against Youngsville and Portage in the PIAA playoffs before playoffs were stopped.

West Liberty State has competed in 13 NCAA or NAIA tournaments, won 11 regular-season titles and won nine league tournament titles.

Spadafora posted on Twitter: ”I am thrilled to be playing under two great coaches in Coach Howlett and Coach Lamberti. I am very excited to be a Hilltopper.”

Extremely blessed and excited???????? pic.twitter.com/gXQIWZEY4d

— Dante Spadafora (@DanteSpadafora) September 28, 2020

Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.

Tags: Our Lady of the Sacred Heart