News

Photo Credit: @MoonTigersBB

By: Don Rebel

The second half of section play begins for many girls basketball teams Thursday with a 6A showdown headlining a busy night on the hardwood.

Norwin can take a huge step toward an outright Section 1-6A championship with a win Thursday over visiting North Allegheny.

The Knights lead the section with a perfect 5-0 section record and are 13-3 overall. They have won four straight games, all by double-digit points.

The Tigers are alone in second place at 4-1, winners of 14 of their 15 games this year. NA has won eight straight games since its only loss of the season to Norwin earlier this month.

It was Jan. 2 when the teams collided in their section opener. The visiting Knights outscored the Tigers 26-8 in the second and third quarters combined to win, 47-42.

Senior Ava Kobus led Norwin with 15 points while senior Lauren Palangio added 13 points. Senior Caroline Henderson had a game-high 17 points for North Allegheny.

You can watch the matchup on Trib HSSN at 7:30 p.m.

BOYS AND GIRLS BATTLES

Why wait until Friday?

First place in Section 4-5A boys basketball is at stake when South Fayette hosts Moon.

The Lions are 4-1 in the section, one game behind the 5-0 Tigers.

South Fayette is 10-6 overall, but the Lions are hot, winners of five straight and six of their last seven games, including a 15-point victory over Section 1-5A leader Thomas Jefferson on Tuesday.

Moon is 12-3 this year and had an 11-game winning streak snapped in its last outing, a one-point loss to Hampton on Saturday.

The first meeting between the two was an overtime thriller Jan. 3.

The Tigers outscored the Lions 4-2 in OT to win, 54-52.

Elijah Guillory led Moon with 22 points while senior Michael Plasko scored a game-high 26 points for South Fayette.

That game is the first of a boys/girls doubleheader.

The stakes might not be as high in the girls game, but instead of first place, Moon (10-5) faces South Fayette (9-6) for third place in Section 4-5A.

The Tigers are 2-3 and trail the third-place Lions, who are 3-2 in the section, by one game.

In the first meeting of the year, South Fayette cruised on the road to a win at Moon, 65-38.

Since then, the Lions are 3-3 and the Tigers are 4-3.

The doubleheader of Moon at South Fayette can be seen on Trib HSSN starting at 6 p.m.