The WPIAL Championships are in the books and attention now turns to a handful of district teams battle for PIAA gold. Last week saw a handful of fantastic basketball games at the Petersen Events Center, led by dominant individual displays.
This season, KDKA Radio will again nominate players each week to join the KDKA Radio Super 7 Awards watch list. Every Monday, a new crop of players will be unveiled based on their efforts that previous week. At the end of the year, KDKA Radio will announce the winners of the award for each WPIAL boys and girls classification, as well as the Pittsburgh City League.
Here are the top performances from Week 12:
Jayden Davis, Chartiers Valley
After leading his team with 13 points in a surprising upset of top-seeded section rival Montour Tuesday, Davis orchestrated one of his best games at the Petersen Events Center.
The senior guard scored 28 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished out nine assists at Chartiers Valley won the WPIAL Boys 5A title Saturday with a 73-66 victory over Peters Township.
Davis finished 11 of 17 from the field and 6 of 7 at the foul line, while adding three steals defensively.
Davis has scored around 25 points per game this season. Chartiers Valley won its first title in a decade and will face Cocalico in Friday’s PIAA first round.
London Creach, Oakland Catholic
Oakland Catholic is back on top of WPIAL girls basketball.
19 years after the regional power won its last district title, the Eagles made the short trip home Saturday with another title in tow.
Creach scored 12 points, added six rebounds, an assist and two blocked shots to lift Oakland Catholic to the WPIAL Girls 4A crown with a 52-50 win over Blackhawk.
The Eagles battle Slippery Rock in Saturday’s PIAA first round.
Creach received Division I offers from a handful of mid-major programs and committed to Robert Morris last May.
Courtney Wallace, The Neighborhood Academy
Wallace has put together a remarkable career and stellar senior season, resulting in the first WPIAL title for the Neighborhood Academy.
On Thursday, the senior scored 21 points and added 18 rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks in a 69-46 win over Serra Catholic in the 1A title game.
A Yale commit, Wallace has scored nearly 23 points per game this season.
The Bulldogs take on Shade in Friday’s PIAA opener.
Erica Gribble, Greensburg Central Catholic
The top scoring performance in the WPIAL Championships came from the Class 3A Girls title game.
Gribble scored 31 points and was star defensively, too, snagging five steals and blocking a pair of shots, as the Centurious avenged two regular season losses and beat Shady Side Academy 56-51.
GCC will face Cambria Heights in Friday’s PIAA first round, as it aims for a state title.
A junior, Gribble committed to play at Division I Richmond earlier this year.