Trib HSSN girls basketball team of the week for Jan. 5, 2025

By: Don Rebel
Sunday, January 5, 2025 | 8:21 PM

Purchase Photo Options

Trib HSSN girls basketball team of the week – Shaler Titans

Coach – Tony Grenek (first season)

Record – 10-1 overall, 3-0 in Section 1-5A

#Earned – In only his third year as a high school basketball head coach following a long run at the college level, Tony Grenek has become the program whisperer, turning struggling teams around quickly. In two years at North Hills, he took a program that had one win in 2022, and led them to an eight-win season in 2023, followed by a 15-win campaign and a share of a section championship last year. He announced he was stepping away from coaching and, following some down time, he applied and was hired to take over the Shaler girls basketball program. The Titans, who finished 8-14 a year ago, are now 10-1 overall after a victory over Norwin on Sunday and a section triumph over Penn Hills on Friday.

Scoring stars – In a rare Sunday game to wrap up the North Allegheny holiday tournament, Shaler defeated 6A ranked Norwin, 40-38. Sophomore guard Reese Smetanka led the Titans with 13 points, senior point guard Bayleigh Perez scored 12 points and senior guard Noelle Roth added 11 points in the balanced attack. Five days later in their first game of 2025, Shaler picked up its third section victory and 10th win of the year with a shutdown triumph over Penn Hills. Smetanka, who is averaging 18.5 points per game, scored a game high 19 points while Roth connected on four 3-pointers and finished with 16 points in the 49-10 win.

Last year – While Shaler had a rough start overall, losing its first two games and four of first five contests, the Titans did stun Armstrong in their Section 2-5A opener, 48-39. The River Hawks would go on to finish as co-champs in the section and district runner-up. The Titans could not build on that stunner though, losing seven of their first eight games played after the calendar changed to 2024. A strong finish in which Shaler won its last two games and three of its final four were not enough, as the Titans missed the playoffs by one game. They finished in fifth place with a 5-7 section record and 8-14 overall in Cornelious Nesbit’s final of nine seasons as head coach of the Titans.

Remember when – This year marks the 45th anniversary of the first WPIAL girls basketball championship for Shaler when it defeated Thomas Jefferson to win the 1980 Class 3A title, 53-39. It was 14 years ago that the Titans shocked the district by dethroning two-time defending champion Mt. Lebanon. No. 2-seeded Shaler defeated Fox Chapel and Penn-Trafford by double-digits before edging Bethel Park in the semifinals by two points. That set up a battle with the top-seeded Blue Devils in the 2011 Class 4A district championship game, and the Titans prevailed in the finals, 41-35. Following wins over Penn-Trafford and Oakland Catholic in the PIAA playoffs, Shaler lost to Mt. Lebanon in the state quarterfinals to finish 26-3 overall.

A look back at the 2024 Trib HSSN Girls Basketball Teams of the Week

Week 12 – Blackhawk Cougars

Week 11 – McKeesport Tigers

Week 10 – North Catholic Trojans

Week 9 – South Fayette Lions

Week 8 – Laurel Highlands Mustangs

Week 7 – Penn Hills Indians

Week 6 – Trinity Hillers

Week 5 – Upper St. Clair Panthers

Week 4 – Lincoln Park Leopards

Week 3 – Elizabeth Forward Warriors

Week 2 – Aliquippa Quips

Week 1 – Norwin Knights

Tags: Shaler