The high school basketball regular season has come to a close and we now turn our attention to the postseason. But first, we take one final look at the top individual showings from the final week of section play.
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 9:
Courtney Wallace, Neighborhood Academy
Neighborhood Academy heads into the WPIAL Class 1A playoffs as the team to beat in the classification.
Last week, Wallace played a large role in bringing home an unbeaten section title for the Bulldogs.
The senior scored 23 points against Serra Catholic in a 84-58 win Tuesday, and followed that up with 22 points against St Joseph in a 76-42 win on Friday.
A Yale commit, Wallace and the Bulldogs are 21-1 this season and will face Beaver Country Christian in the first round of the postseason next week.
Mimi Thiero, Quaker Valley
It was a strong week for one of the area’s top girls basketball recruits.
Thiero scored 25 points in a 48-35 win over Lincoln Park Sunday, 23 points in a 43-14 victory over Mohawk Monday, and 38 points in a 67-53 triumph over Ellwood City Thursday.
She added 18 rebounds, five blocks and five steals in the win over Ellwood City.
The 6-foot-4 combo guard has numerous Division I offers from the power conference level. Her older brother, Adou, starred at Quaker Valley and now plays at Arkansas.
Drew Cook, South Allegheny
South Allegheny finished off an unbeaten section season as well last week.
Cook dropped in 25 points in an impressive 68-39 win over a solid South Park team Tuesday. He then went for 34 points in a 73-50 victory over Steel Valley Friday, including six three-pointers.
Despite a close loss Saturday in non-section play to a very good Knoch team, the Gladiators finished the season well, sitting at 19-2 and as the 2-seed in the Class 3A playoffs.
Cook is also a standout football player with an offer from Akron.
Natalie Wetzel, Peters
Another top girls basketball recruit had a big week to power her team to a section title.
Wetzel posted 23 points in a 58-49 win over Thomas Jefferson Monday, 15 points against Uniontown Tuesday. On Friday, Wetzel and the Indians clinched a section title with a 44-40 win over Bethel Park.
Peters Township will be the 2-seed in the WPILA Girls 5A playoffs and will host Fox Chapel in its first round game Friday.
Wetzel is committed to play at Miami (FL).