The second half of section play in WPIAL boys basketball begins with a bang in Section 2-6A.
Two-time reigning district champion Upper St. Clair had a lot of new faces this season, but at the midway point of section play, the Panthers (13-1 overall) sit in second place with a 6-1 section record.
USC has won nine consecutive games since suffering its lone loss of the campaign Dec. 12.
That blemish came at the hands of first-place Central Catholic, which Upper St. Clair will host at 7 p.m. Friday on Trib HSSN.
The Vikings are 7-0 atop the section and also 13-1 for the season.
Central Catholic has won 12 straight games since a five-point loss to Moon in early December.
In the first meeting between the two, Central Catholic jumped out to a 30-10 lead by halftime, then Upper St. Clair battled back in the second half to outscore the host Vikings, 30-10, sending the game into overtime tied at 40.
The Vikings outscored the Panther, 8-6 in overtime, to win the thriller, 48-46.
Owen Campfield scored 17 points and Danny Haller added 10 to lead Central Catholic. Ryan Robbins scored 16 points and Jake Foster had 15 for USC.
Northern traffic jam
While New Castle is running away from the pack in Section 1-6A boys basketball, the rest of the group is getting tighter and tighter.
Only two games separate the rest of the seven teams in the section, making every game important in the second half of the season.
Here are the three key Section 1-6A games slated for Friday with their section records included.
• Woodland Hills (4-3) at Pine-Richland (2-5). The Wolverines beat the Rams in the first meeting, 45-37.
• Seneca Valley (3-4) hosts Fox Chapel (3-4). The Foxes cruised past the visiting Raiders earlier this season, 50-26.
• North Allegheny (2-5) visits Butler (3-4). In the first clash, the Tigers defeated the Golden Tornado, 48-43.
Jags looking for space
A year after squeaking into the postseason and finishing three games under .500 for the season, the Thomas Jefferson boys basketball team has been nothing short of dominant this season.
At the halfway point of section play, the Jaguars are alone in first place in Section 3-5A with a 6-0 record and are 14-1 on the season.
They have won five in a row since their only loss of the season to District 10 power McDowell over the holidays.
Now they look to gain a two-game buffer in the chase for a section title when they host Peters Township.
The Indians are 5-1 in the section and 11-3 overall. Peters has four straight wins, including two overtime victories over Fox Chapel and South Fayette.
In the first game between the two, a big fourth quarter helped Thomas Jefferson edge host Peters Township, 42-39.
Justin fry and Nick Trklja scored 13 points each for TJ while Dylan Donovan had a game high 15 points for PT.
Two for one in 2A
Some clarity should come to the chase for first place in two Class 2A boys basketball sections.
There will either be a tie for first place and a possible share of the section crown down the road, or there will be a two-game lead with only three weeks left for the current leaders.
In Section 2-2A, front-running Sewickley Academy is home to second-place Eden Christian Academy.
The Panthers are a perfect 6-0 in the section and 11-0 for the season.
The Warriors are a game back at 5-1 in the section and have an overall record of 9-3.
Sewickley Academy rolled past Eden Christian in the first meeting, 75-44.
In Section 4-2A, first-place Neshannock travels to play second-place Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.
The Lancers sit atop the section at 7-0 with an overall record of 9-2 with both losses coming against teams from District 10.
The Chargers are in second place with a 5-1 mark and are 10-4 on the season with six straight wins after going 0-3 on a holiday trip to Florida.
Neshannock cruised past visiting OLSH on Dec. 12, 69-46. David Kwiat scored 23 points to lead the Lancers while the Chargers got 19 points from Jake Johnson.
Friday on Trib HSSN
There are 12 broadcasts you can watch or listen to at TribHSSN.TribLive.com on the 16th day of January.
WPIAL Boys Basketball – Video Stream: Central Catholic at Upper St. Clair at 7 p.m. on the TribLive High School Sports Network at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Boys Basketball – Video Stream: Indiana at Penn Hills at 7:30 p.m. on the TribLive High School Sports Network at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Boys Basketball – Video Stream: Lincoln Park at Montour at 7:30 p.m. on the TribLive High School Sports Network at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Boys Basketball – Video Stream: Franklin Regional at Penn-Trafford at 7:30 p.m. on the Westmoreland Sports Network at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Boys Basketball – Video Stream: South Fayette at Ringgold at 7:30 p.m. on the MVI Sports Network at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Boys Basketball – Video Stream: Albert Gallatin at Uniontown at 7 p.m. on WMBS-AM 590, WMBS-FM 101.1 at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Boys Basketball – Video Stream: Laurel Highlands at McKeesport at 7 p.m. on WMBS-AM 590, WMBS-FM 101.1 at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Boys Basketball – Video Stream: East Allegheny at Derry at 7:30 p.m. on the Westmoreland Sports Network at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Boys Basketball – Video Stream: Laurel at Union at 7:30 p.m. on Lawrence County SportsNet at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Boys Basketball – Video Stream: Neshannock at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart at 7:30 p.m. on OLSH Network at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Girls Basketball – Video Stream: Greensburg Salem at Penn-Trafford at 6 p.m. on the Westmoreland Sports Network at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Girls Basketball – Video Stream: Laurel at Union at 6 p.m. on Lawrence County SportsNet at TribHSSN.TribLive.com