What to watch for in WPIAL sports on Jan. 28, 2021: Trinity girls face another test

By: Don Rebel
Wednesday, January 27, 2021 | 11:33 PM

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Less than a week after a headlining-making victory, the Trinity girls basketball team faces another tough challenge on Thursday.

The Hillers climbed to the top of the district and state rankings by ending the state record win streak of Chartiers Valley, 49-42, on Saturday.

Now they host Thomas Jefferson with first place up for grabs in Section 3-5A.

The Hillers are 3-0 in the section and 7-1 overall while the Jaguars come into this showdown with a 4-0 section mark and an overall record of 6-2.

Senior Courtney Dahlquist leads a balanced attack for Trinity. She has scored 56 points in the last three Hillers wins.

On the other side, junior Graci Fairman, the daughter of coach Lisa Fairman, has paved the way for Thomas Jefferson. She is one of the top scorers in the district, averaging over 20 points per game.

“I think Gracie Fairman does a really, really good job,” Trinity coach Kathy McConnell-Miller said during the latest Rebel Yell podcast. “She’s very underestimated in the WPIAL. She can get to the rim. She’s strong, but she plays with finesse. I think she’s got a really good supporting cast.”

You can hear the game on HSSN at 7:30 p.m.

Battle of 2020 champions

Last year, North Catholic won the WPIAL Class 4A girls basketball championship for a fourth consecutive season and captured its record 20th district crown.

Also last winter, Mohawk edged Beaver to win the WPIAL Class 3A championship, the first girls hoops crown in school history.

Realignment dropped the Trojans to 3A, and they were placed in Section 1-3A along with the Warriors.

Both teams come into Thursday’s showdown with 4-0 record atop the section. North Catholic is 7-1 and No. 1 in the HSSN WPIAL and PIAA rankings. Mohawk is 9-1 and ranked No. 2 in the district and No. 3 in the state.

The HSSN girls basketball Game of the Week crew heads to Cranberry. You can watch this much-anticipated matchup at 7:30 p.m.

Nonsection dandy

It has been a stop-and-start season for the South Fayette girls basketball program, but when they have played, they have had nothing but the green light to score.

They are third in the WPIAL in scoring average, only trailing Chartiers Valley and North Allegheny with an average of 65.8 points per game in building a 5-0 record.

The Lions’ stiffest test to date comes Thursday when they visit Bethel Park.

Last year’s 6A runner-up Black Hawks are 5-1 and only allowing 44 points per game.