With the regular season now in the books, we now turn our attention to the region’s postseason tournament, as teams battle to reach the Petersen Events Center for the WPIAL and City League title games. Before that, however, we take a look at the top performances from the final week of the regular season.
This season, we will nominate four players (two boys, two girls) to the KDKA Radio Super 7 Basketball Watch List each week. At the end of the year, KDKA Radio will name one player from each WPIAL boys and girls classification, plus the Pittsburgh City League, as the prestigious KDKA Radio Super 7 Player of the Year Award winner.
Here is a look at the four players who had big weeks during Week 9 of our coverage:
Shea Champine, Bishop Canevin
Bishop Canevin has been one of Class 2A’s best teams this season, and Campine has been their top weapon.
Last week, he scored 35 points in a 57-44 win over another top team, Eden Christian, on Tuesday and then followed with a 31-point effort in a 93-52 blowout of Winchester Thurston Friday.
Champine is fourth in the WPIAL in scoring at over 30 points per game.
The senior has received college offers from Pitt-Johnstown and South Carolina Beaufort.
Shaye Bailey, Freedom
Bailey entered last Monday’s game against Aliquippa figuring that it might take her a couple more contests to reach the 1,000 career point mark. She sat 45 points away, after all.
But the junior needed just one game to get there, scoring 51 points in a 73-42 win over Aliquippa, setting Freedom’s single-game scoring record. She also scored 18 points in a 60-16 win over New Brighton Thursday.
Bailey is a multi-sport athlete who also plays soccer, softball and runs track.
She is scoring over 21 ppg for the Bulldogs, which earned the No. 2 seed in the girls Class 2A postseason.
Owen Norman, Fort Cherry
Fort Cherry is enjoying one of its best basketball seasons ever thanks, in large part, to Norman.
The senior scored a game-high 29 points in a 77-36 runaway win over Carmichaels. He then racked up 16 more points in a 755-63 win over Burgettstown Friday
Norman is scoring over 24 ppg for the Rangers, which earned the No. 3 seed in the boys Class 2A playoffs.
Rylee Kalocay, Upper St. Clair
Upper St. Clair enters the Class 6A postseason as the top seed thanks to a balanced group of contributors.
While the Panthers have had a number of players step up throughout the season, last week was Kalocay’s turn.
On Tuesday, she went for 17 points against Canon-McMillan ini a 67-33 win, helping the Panthers clinch a section title. She followed that with 19 points against Bethel Park, as USC wrapped up an unbeaten conference season.
The sophomore standout already has a Division I offer from Quinnipiac.
The high school basketball season continues with coverage of the WPIAL postseason. You can hear our games on 100.1 FM and 1020 AM KDKA Radio. And be sure to follow KDKA Radio’s social media accounts throughout the night for updates, photos and videos of the action.