Several storylines heading into a busy Friday of section boys basketball

By: Don Rebel
Thursday, January 30, 2020 | 9:11 PM

Thing are heating up in Section 2-5A in WPIAL boys basketball with three section games remaining.

Chartiers Valley (10-1) has clinched a section title and appears on its way to an outright section crown. Thomas Jefferson (8-3) is second and can clinch a playoff spot with a win Friday.

Then the fun begins in the battle for the other two playoff spots as one game separates the next four teams in the section.

Trinity and South Fayette are both 6-5 while Montour is 5-5 and West Allegheny is 5-6.

On Friday, South Fayette visits Montour while Trinity is at Thomas Jefferson and West Allegheny hosts West Mifflin.

Perfect challenge

Four more games remain for Fox Chapel, the only district boys basketball team with a chance at a perfect regular season.

Three of those games are at home as the Foxes host Connellsville and Upper St. Clair next week before ending the season at home against Plum on Feb. 10.

The final road test comes Friday when Fox Chapel visits Penn-Trafford.

The Warriors are tied with Hempfield for second place in Section 3-6A with a 4-4 record, four games behind the Foxes.

Fox Chapel has had only two section wins decided by single-digit points and both were road games. The Foxes earned a four-point win at Hempfield and a nine-point win at Norwin.

Second best

South Allegheny has run away and hid from the rest of the teams in Section 3-3A.

The Gladiators have already clinched both a playoff berth and a section championship.

But the battle for second place in the section appears to be coming down to two teams that meet Friday.

Steel Valley is in second with a 7-3 section record and can clinch that spot with a win at Deer Lakes. The Lancers are 5-4 with a game in hand and need a home win to stay alive for second place and join South Allegheny and Steel Valley in the playoffs from Section 3.

The Ironmen won the first meeting at home, beating the Lancers, 52-42, despite the fact the WPIAL’s second leading scorer, Cam Polak, was held to only 18 points, 15 below his average.

Tags: Chartiers Valley, Deer Lakes, Fox Chapel, Montour, Penn-Trafford, South Allegheny, South Fayette, Steel Valley, Thomas Jefferson, Trinity, West Allegheny, West Mifflin