Tuesday marks the first busy night of WPIAL boys basketball section action in the new year.
Two years ago, both teams were hoisting WPIAL gold, one in the highest classification and the other in the smallest district class.
Now they are Section 2-6A rivals set to meet for the first time this season as two-time WPIAL Class 6A champion Upper St. Clair visits former Class A two-time champ Imani Christian at CCAC-Allegheny at 7 p.m.
The two clash for sole possession of second place in the section as both teams are 3-1, one game behind front-running Central Catholic.
The Panthers are off to a 10-1 start and have won six consecutive games since their only loss of the season to the Vikings on Dec. 12.
This will only be the second home game for the Saints, who are 3-5 on the season and snapped a two-game skid with a comeback win Saturday at Norwin.
USC and Imani split their two regular season games a year ago. The Panthers crushed the visiting Saints by 42 points in early January, while the tables turned in the rematch in late January when Imani Christian stunned Upper St. Clair for its only section loss, 63-58.
Deuces are wild
In Section 1-6A, New Castle in threatening to run away and hide from the rest of the section, having won all its games thus far and building a two-game lead over a bunched-up rest of the pack.
Coming into the night, five teams are tied for second place with 2-2 section records, and four of them go head-to-head Tuesday.
Fox Chapel (7-4) visits North Hills (8-3) while North Allegheny (6-5) is home to Woodland Hills (6-5).
The other team with a 2-2 section record is Butler (4-6), which will host Seneca Valley (1-3, 6-5).
The Indians are the hottest team of the group, having won five straight games. The Foxes saw a two-game win streak end with a nonsection loss to Peters Township in overtime Friday.
The Wolverines have lost three of four, the Tigers have dropped two straight and four of five and the Golden Tornado have fallen in three straight games.
Fight for first and .500
At this point a month into the season, to say the WPIAL boys basketball Section 4-3A is like the NFC South would be very fair.
While the race is tight, there are no teams currently with an overall record over .500.
Ligonier Valley is the only team at .500 with a 1-1 record in the section and a 5-5 mark overall.
However, the winner in the battle for first place in the section will reach .500 for the season or pull to within a game of being even-steven when Waynesburg (4-6) travels to Southmoreland (5-6).
The overall record means nothing when it comes to the playoff chase, so both teams are focused on their section record, which currently sits at 2-0.
The Raiders have lost two straight games but own section wins over Brownsville and Charleroi while the Scotties have split their last four games and have section victories over Charleroi and Ligonier Valley.
The victor takes over sole possession in the NFC South, errrr, Section 4-3A.
Tuesday on Trib HSSN
There are 11 broadcasts you can watch or listen to at TribHSSN.TribLive.com on the sixth day of January.
WPIAL Boys Basketball – Video Stream: McKeesport at Penn-Trafford at 7:30 p.m. on the TribLive High School Sports Network at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Boys Basketball – Video Stream: South Allegheny at Seton LaSalle at 7:30 p.m. on the TribLive High School Sports Network at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Boys Basketball – Video Stream: Central Catholic at Norwin at 7:30 p.m. on the Westmoreland Sports Network at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Boys Basketball – Video Stream: Gateway at Uniontown at 7 p.m. on WMBS-AM 590, WMBS-FM 101.1 at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Boys Basketball – Video Stream: Albert Gallatin at Laurel Highlands at 7:30 p.m. on WMBS-AM 590, WMBS-FM 101.1 at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Boys Basketball – Video Stream: Latrobe at Franklin Regional at 7:30 p.m. on the Westmoreland Sports Network at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Boys Basketball – Video Stream: Shenango at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart at 7:30 p.m. on OLSH Network at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Boys Basketball – Video Stream: St. Joseph at Serra Catholic at 7 p.m. on the MVI Sports Network at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Boys Basketball – Audio Stream: Woodland Hills at North Allegheny at 8 p.m. on the North Allegheny Sports Network at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Girls Basketball – Audio Stream: Woodland Hills at North Allegheny at 6:30 p.m. on the North Allegheny Sports Network at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
High School Unified Bocce – Video Stream: Laurel at New Castle at 3 p.m. on Lawrence County SportsNet at TribHSSN.TribLive.com