In Upper St. Clair’s biggest game of the season, the Panthers turned to their big man to deliver them their fourth WPIAL title.
Tyler Robbins, a 6-foot-9 junior forward, was a force offensively and defensively, finishing with 22 points, 12 rebounds and 5 blocked shots to help No. 3 Upper St. Clair roll to a 64-41 win against No. 4 Baldwin in the Class 6A final Saturday at Petersen Events Center.
It’s the second WPIAL title in four years for Upper St. Clair (20-5), which also won one in 2021. The Panthers did it by winning the rubber match with section-rival Baldwin (18-7), which was appearing in its first final since 1985 and was looking to win its first championship.
Baldwin, which has only one player taller than 6-1, had no answer for Robbins, who was held in check by the Highlanders in the first two meetings. But it was a different story Saturday for Robbins, who was ultra-efficient as he went 9 of 11 from the field and 4 of 6 from the free-throw line. Robbins set the tone by scoring the first points of the game and collected 10 in the opening quarter when Upper St. Clair raced to a 20-13 lead.
“His point scoring was a huge difference, and I think that’s why we were able to separate ourselves with them, as opposed to the last two games, because he was such an offensive factor and threat,” Upper St. Clair coach Danny Holzer said. “He was certainly on top of his game tonight.”
Not only did Robbins hurt Baldwin with his offensive talents, but he was also excellent on the boards and had a couple of big blocks. And even when Robbins didn’t get a hand on an opponent’s shot, him just getting out and putting his hand up likely led to some hesitation among Baldwin shooters.
“He’s an unbelievable player,” Holzer said. “He’s still getting better. He still looks like a young kid. I don’t think he’s done growing. I think he’s going to get bigger and stronger. I can’t imagine what he’s going to look like next year at this time.”
Robbins was all smiles after Holzer and the Upper St. Clair players danced to “Y.M.C.A.” in the team’s locker room following the game. Robbins doesn’t own any college offers, but if he continues to develop and plays like he did Saturday, it’s probably only a matter of time before they begin flowing in.
“Winning this with my best friends, it’s awesome,” he said.
Robbins wasn’t the only Upper St. Clair player who had a strong game. Senior guard Brett Meinert added 19 points, drilled three of the team’s four 3-pointers, and went 6 of 8 from the line, where the Panthers went 16 of 26 compared to just 3 of 3 for Baldwin. The Panthers were 22 of 39 from the field (56%).
With their school playing in the final for the first time in 39 years, Baldwin fans packed the Pete. There were purple shirts throughout, and a large student section was at least a few-hundred students deep. But the Highlanders were done in not only by Robbins’ monster performance, but also by a dismal shooting night that saw them shoot 18 of 58 (31%). Nathan Richards, one of only two seniors on the team, led Baldwin with 18 points, but was the only player to score in double figures. Standout junior Nate Wesling was limited to seven points on 3-of-16 shooting. Wesling scored 19 and 25 points in Baldwin’s first two playoff wins. Matt Schenk, a 6-4 forward, scored six points before fouling out with 4:23 left in the game.
“We were not going to allow Richards or Wesling to get anything easy,” Holzer said. “I know Nathan had 18, but we made him work for everything. And I think they were out because of our pressure, and I really felt like our defense 20 feet and in was really good and relentless. They made a few shots early in the first half to kind of stay with us, but that second half, I think fatigue got to them. That was a credit to our half-court defense.”
Leading, 30-22, at the half, Upper St. Clair pulled away in the third quarter by outscoring Baldwin, 15-6, to take a commanding 45-28 advantage. Upper St. Clair took its largest lead of the game, 61-35, with 1:57 remaining.
Afterward, Holzer got a little emotional when talking about what winning the program’s fourth WPIAL championship means to him.
“Of course, it’s satisfying when you’re a coach and this is what you strive for, to get your kids there and win,” Holzer said. “All four, I feel the same as I did the other three because I just love the community, I love our kids, I love our program, and I’m so happy when they get to share this joy. Because they work so hard and they believe in what we do. And that’s what makes it really special.”
Brad is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at beverett@unionprogress.com.