WPIAL boys basketball hits midway point of section play with rivalry Tuesday

By: Don Rebel
Monday, January 13, 2020 | 10:48 PM

Fifteen years ago, Danny Holzer led Upper St. Clair to the WPIAL Class AAAA boys basketball championship. The following year, in 2006, Joey David guided Mt. Lebanon to a district Quad-A title.

The Blue Devils also won WPIAL gold under David 10 years ago and last year.

Upper St. Clair and Mt. Lebanon renew their rivalry Tuesday with first place in Section 2-6A on the line.

Both teams are 4-0 in the section with a two-game lead over third-place Bethel Park.

The Panthers are 12-1 overall while the defending champion Blue Devils have won 10 of 13 this season.

Senior Jake Hoffman is one of the top scorers in the district. The Mt. Lebanon guard averages over 22 points per game.

Upper St. Clair is third in the WPIAL in team offense with an average of over 76 points per game.

More Tuesday hoops

The first half of section play concludes in WPIAL boys basketball Tuesday.

The top four teams in Section 3-2A will square off as defending champion Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (5-0, 11-1) visits rival Sewickley Academy (4-1, 5-4) while Shenango (4-1, 11-2) hosts Laurel (3-2, 8-5).

Two teams with perfect section records square off for first place at the midway point in loaded Section 1-A when Vincentian Academy hosts Cornell. Both the Royals and Raiders are 6-0 in the section and a combined 17-5 overall.

Girls 5A showdown

There are four WPIAL girls basketball section games set for Tuesday and none are bigger than the “Battle of the Hills.”

Penn Hills visits Woodland Hills in a Section 3-5A showdown.

The host Wolverines are in first place with a 6-0 section record, 10-2 overall and have won five straight.

The Indians are 4-1 in the section, a half-game behind Oakland Catholic for second place and a game behind Woodland Hills in the loss column.

The 6-6 Indians won four in a row before losing to Oakland Catholic last week.

Tags: Cornell, Laurel, Mt. lebanon, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Penn Hills, Sewickley Academy, Shenango, Upper St. Clair, Vincentian Academy, Woodland Hills