Trib HSSN Girls Basketball Player of the Week for March 18, 2024

By: Don Rebel
Tuesday, March 19, 2024 | 12:08 AM

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Trib HSSN girls basketball player of the week: Aubree Hupp

School: Blackhawk

Class: Sophomore

Height: 5-foot-10

Position: Forward

#Earned: While senior Alena Fusetti has been the leading scorer for Blackhawk this season, Hupp has stepped up and been a force on the blocks for the Cougars in the postseason. In the PIAA second round last Wednesday, Fusetti scored 17 points while Hupp added 15 points in a rout of District 9 champion St. Mary’s, 63-33. Then on Saturday, when the Cougars defense was the star, limiting District 10 champion Fairview to only 19 total points, Hupp controlled the action close to the hoop on both sides of the floor as she outscored the Tigers herself with 23 points in the state quarterfinals victory, 43-19, that send Blackhawk to the PIAA semifinals for a second straight year.

What coach says: “She scored 15 points, but she struggled a little bit finishing around the rim early in the game,” Blackhawk coach Greg Huston said of Hupp’s performance against St. Mary’s in the second round. “What impressed me, though, was that she never stopped playing hard, defending like crazy, rebounding and finding other ways to affect the game. In the second half, all that hard work in the other aspects of the game kind of paid off as she found her touch and started putting the ball in the hoop. As is usually the case, no one plays with more consistent effort than Aubree.”

“In the Fairview game, she scored two quick buckets to open the game and it really just got better from there,” Huston said. “She was hitting shots from all three levels, and when that happens, she is extremely difficult to guard. She had three big 3s that really gave us some breathing room against a good defensive team. But probably more impressively, she held a pretty good post player who averages around 15 per game to five points. Her toughness on both ends of the court helps to set her apart.

“We’ve definitely seen her grow over the course of this season and into the postseason,” Huston said. “I think the biggest thing is that as the season has progressed, she has started to knock down the outside shots pretty consistently, and that has made her really hard to guard. But the thing about Aubree is that because she always plays so hard, even if her shots aren’t falling, she is leaving her mark on the game. She’s our leading rebounder, tied for the lead for steals and has the most deflections on our team. She’s a talented kid with a work ethic to match, and that’s why we’re so glad she’s on our team.”

Background: At 5-foot-10, Hupp has been a big addition to one of the top girls programs in the district upon her arrival as a freshman last season. In her two years, Blackhawk has won two section championships with a combined record of 20-2, reached the WPIAL championship game both years, losing to North Catholic each time, and played in the PIAA championship game and lost to Lansdale Catholic, 53-45. Hupp is dedicated to improving her game year round as she does not play any other sports at Blackhawk. The Cougars are hoping to win their fifth PIAA championship, which would put them alone in second place behind North Catholic for most state crowns by a WPIAL girls basketball team. The Cougars’ first state still came 25 years ago in 1999 and their third one was 10 years ago in 2014.

2024 Trib HSSN Girls Basketball Players of the Week

Week 10 – Rachael Manfredo, McKeesport

Week 9 – Maggie Spell, Shady Side Academy

Week 8 – Emma Paul, Armstrong

Week 7 – Bailey Strnisa, South Side

Week 6 – Bella Antonacci, Indiana

Week 5 – Emma Larkin, Geibel Catholic

Week 4 – Shaye Bailey, Freedom

Week 3 – London Creach, Oakland Catholic

Week 2 – Mallory Daly, Seton LaSalle

Week 1 – Iyanna Wade, Clairton

Tags: Blackhawk