‘Tis the season for one-day events with multiple games at one site to please any high school basketball fan on your holiday list.
From now until the end of January, district boys and girls hoop teams will take part in these events, usually played on Saturday.
There are two such events as we hit mid-December with the Shootout at LaRoche University and the Showdown at North Allegheny.
There are three games at the Redhawks Classic at LaRoche.
• Montour (0-3) takes on 2025 WPIAL 3A champ South Allegheny (3-1) at 12:30 p.m.
• Aquinas Academy (2-2) goes up against District 10 Sharon (2-2) at 2 p.m.
• A game between Franklin Regional (3-1) and Moon (3-1) scheduled for 3:30 p.m. has been postponed due to the forecast of snow.
• Defending district 5A champion Chartiers Valley (4-1) faces reigning City League winner Allderdice (2-3) at 5 p.m..
In the event at North Allegheny:
• In the lone girls game, Chartiers Valley (0-5) battles Quaker Valley (0-3) at 3 p.m.
• Brentwood (1-2) challenges Quaker Valley (3-0) at 4:30 p.m.
• District 10 Erie (3-0) faces off against Bishop Canevin (2-4) at 6 p.m.
• District 6 Johnstown (4-1) takes on McKeesport (2-1) at 7:30 p.m.
Perfect matchup
While there are plenty of nonsection boys and girls basketball games Saturday, one section opener features two teams that have been dominant in winning a combined seven games.
An early season Section 2-2A showdown is slated for Saturday as Eden Christian Academy visits Sewickley Academy.
The Warriors have defeated Beaver County Christian, Freeport, Shady Side Academy and Serra Catholic by an average total of 69-45.
The Panthers own double-digit victories over Nazareth Prep, Riverview and Ambridge by an average score of 75-26.
Eden Christian Academy lost in the preliminary round of the 2A playoffs a year ago while Sewickley Academy lost in the WPIAL semifinals and the PIAA championship game.
The Panthers beat the Warriors in both meetings last season, 58-33 and 69-26.
Saturday grappling tournaments
Saturday is not only a day featuring scholastic basketball events, it’s also a day for various high school wrestling duals tournaments.
There will be six different tournaments within the WPIAL boundaries Saturday, including:
• The Doug Conroy Memorial Duals at Ringgold with Albert Gallatin, Jefferson-Morgan, Ligonier Valley, McKeesport, Meyersdale and Ringgold
• The Hampton Dawg Duals with Baldwin, Central Catholic, Fox Chapel, Indiana, Latrobe, Mars, Thomas Jefferson, Altoona, Titusville and Hampton
• The Kiski Area Cavalier Duals with Canon-McMillan, Hempfield, North Allegheny, Penn-Trafford, Peters Township, DuBois, Fort LeBoeuf and Kiski Area
• The Mack McGuire Duals at Upper St. Clair with Ambridge, Avella, Brashear, Greensburg Salem and Upper St. Clair
• The Moon Duals with Beth-Center, Central Valley, Derry, Laurel, Laurel Highlands, Mt. Lebanon, Pine-Richland, Quaker Valley, West Allegheny, Palmyra, Parkersburg (WV) and Moon
• The North Hills Duals with Avonworth, Burgettstown, Chartiers-Houston, Gateway, Montour, Plum and North Hills