What to watch for in WPIAL sports on Jan. 11, 2025: Saturday showcases set on hardwood

By: Don Rebel
Saturday, January 11, 2025 | 1:48 AM

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It will be a full day of high school basketball action at a pair of area colleges Saturday.

Four boys basketball games are scheduled for LaRoche College in the PBC Classic:

• Shady Side Academy takes on Bishop Canevin at 1 p.m.

• Seton LaSalle challenges Our Lady of the Sacred Heart at 2:30 p.m.

• Thomas Jefferson goes up against Hampton at 4 p.m.

• South Allegheny plays Avonworth at 5:30 p.m.

There are six boys and girls games scheduled for the Ron Galbreath Classic at Westminster College:

• Laurel goes up against District 10 Slippery Rock in a girls game at noon.

• Two D-10 girls teams collide when Grove City plays Mercer at 1:30 p.m.

• Neighborhood Academy takes on District 10 Hickory in boys hoops at 3 p.m.

• Nazareth Prep battles Neshannock in boys basketball at 4:30 p.m.

• Mars challenges Neshannock in a girls hoops game at 6 p.m.

• Mars heads north to face New Castle in boys action at 7:30 p.m.

Champions collide

We have already seen two WPIAL basketball champions from last year collide this week, so what better way to cap off this unique week then with another clash of defending champions?

While Imani Christian at Upper St. Clair boys and Shady Side Academy hosting Greensburg Central Catholic girls were both section matchups, this golden girls clash is a nonsection contest.

Reigning WPIAL Class 6A girls basketball champion Norwin hosts 5A winner South Fayette at 1:30 p.m.

The Knights are 6-5 this season and ended a three-game losing skid Wednesday with two big Section 2-6A victories over Mt. Lebanon on Wednesday and Canon-McMillan on Friday.

The Lions have been lights out in an effort to win a fourth straight district championship. South Fayette is in first place in Section 3-5A and has won five in a row since losing in Florida over the holidays to St. Mary’s of New York.

Mat tournaments

Saturday marks the second and final day of two big wrestling tournaments in the district.

Fourteen schools are part of the annual Westmoreland County Coaches Association wrestling tournament taking place at Greensburg Salem to determine the top wrestlers in the county.

It is also the second and final day of the Burgettstown Invitational in which 27 schools are taking part with wrestlers from throughout District 7.