Central Catholic had great expectations going into the season as one of the leading contenders for the WPIAL Class 6A title, but Gateway didn’t mind spoiling the Vikings’ season opener.
In an exciting back-and-forth battle that came down to the final seconds, senior guard Jaydon Carr converted a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to lift the Gators to a 62-59 road win in the Central Catholic tournament. Carr led Gateway with 23 points.
“He’s a guy who can create for himself, and that’s what he did,” Gators coach Alvis Rogers said. “He created for himself and he knocked it down.”
Playing in what Rogers called a “playoff atmosphere,” the teams remained deadlocked for virtually the entire 48 minutes until Gateway started to pull away in the fourth. But just when the Gators seemed to be in control, Central came clawing back to tie it, 59-59 — then Carr called “game.”
“It was good. Central is the No. 1 team in [Class] 6A,” Rogers said. “It was a really good win against quality competition. We’re definitely excited about it.”
Allderdice boys outlast Imani in overtime thriller
In a matchup of a City League powerhouse against a rising Class 1A juggernaut, the Dragons (3-0) got the better of the Saints (1-3) in a dramatic 92-89 overtime win. Ethan Anish scored a game-high 23 points for Allderdice, while Major “Bean” Rainey finished with 20. Alier Maluk and Dame Givner led the way for Imani with 22 points apiece.
North Hills boys throttle North Allegheny
The Indians rolled to an 83-55 road win against the Tigers, who had no answer for 6-foot-8 junior Royce Parham in the paint. One of four players players in double figures for North Hills (2-1), Parham poured in a game-high 29 points for the Indians, who bounced back from a two-point loss against Hampton in their previous game. Anthony Sciote finished with a team-high 14 points for North Allegheny (0-3).
Cugini keeps pace for WPIAL scoring record
Aquinas Academy senior Vinnie Cugini continued his chase of the all-time WPIAL scoring record with a 42-point outburst against Nazareth Prep (2-1), leading the Crusaders (4-0) to a 68-41 home win. Cugini now has scored 40-plus points in three consecutive games and has 2,237 for his career. Valley grad Tom Pipkins holds the WPIAL record with 2,838 career points.
Mt. Lebanon boys pull away from Pine-Richland
The Rams (1-2) may have won a state title in football on Friday, but it was the Blue Devils (2-1) who were celebrating on the hardwood after a 69-48 home win. Lucas Garofoli drained six 3-pointers and scored a game-high 22 points for Mt. Lebanon, while Owen Luellen paced Pine-Richland with 19.
Mohawk boys stay unbeaten with eye-opening win
District 10 powerhouse Hickory is one of the premier programs in the state in Class 4A, while the Warriors finished 6-15 last season without even making the WPIAL playoffs in Class 3A. This year is a different story, though, and Mohawk (4-0) just continues to find ways to win. Playing on the road as a big underdog, Jay Wrona scored a game-high 17 points to lead the Warriors past Hickory, 54-52.
Defense carries Fox Chapel boys past Seneca
The Foxes (4-0) are no strangers to low-scoring games, and they have no problem relying on their defense to bring home a win. Friday night was no different, as Fox Chapel suffocated Seneca Valley (1-3) with a superb second half on defense, coming back from a 24-14 halftime deficit to win, 42-35. Kam Greil led the way with 15 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals.
Three stars
*** – Gemma Walker, Peters Township. Walker helped the Peters Township girls continue their strong start to the season, scoring a game-high 25 points for the Indians (3-1) in a 64-37 home win against Montour (0-3).
** – Tasso Sfanos, Mars. Sfanos scored 31 points to power Mars to a 75-44 win against Plum (2-2), lifting the Planets to 3-0 this year.
* – James Wesling, Baldwin. Baldwin may have lost to West Mifflin, 82-73, but James Wesling earns the first star of the night for his performance against the Titans (1-2). Wesling led all scorers with 40 points while converting nine 3-pointers in the losing effort for the Highlanders (2-2).
Steve is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at srotstein@unionprogress.com.
