What better way to kick off the final week of the regular season in boys basketball then with not one but two clashes between the two top WPIAL ranked teams in both Class 4A and 3A.
In Section 1-4A, top-ranked and first place Knoch hosts No. 2 North Catholic at 7:30 p.m. on Trib HSSN.
The Knights are a perfect 10-0 in the section and are 16-3 this season. They enter the showdown having won 15 of their last 16 games.
The Trojans are a game back at 8-1 in section play and 14-4 overall. They have won six consecutive games.
The only loss thus far in 2026 for the 2025 WPIAL 4A runner-ups was when North Catholic fell at home to Knoch on Jan. 9, 65-56.
Teegan Finucan led the Knights with 26 points while Jason Fredericks also tallied 26 points to lead the Trojans.
In Section 1-3A, No. 1 ranked and front running Mohawk hits the road as it travels to No. 2 Aliquippa at 7:30 p.m. on Trib HSSN.
The Warriors have won all but one of their games this season, including all 10 of their section contests. Since losing to 6A Central Catholic to start the season, they have won 17 in a row.
The Quips are a game back at 9-1 in the section and are 13-4 overall. They had a six-game winning streak end Sunday when they lost to 2A top-ranked Sewickley Academy.
When the teams met three and a half weeks ago in Bessemer, Mohawk broke open a close game with a dominant fourth quarter in beating visiting Aliquippa, 59-48.
Bobby Fadden led all scorers with 27 points for the Warriors while the Quips were paced by the 24 points scored by Qa’lil Goode.
Marathon men
While most teams are caught up on section games, the poor weather last week has caused some makeup games to leak into the final week of the regular season.
One team facing a very busy rest of the week is reining WPIAL 3A champion South Allegheny.
The Gladiators are locked in a three-way fight for supremacy in Section 3-3A.
South Allegheny is 4-2 in the section, a game behind both South Park at 6-1 and Seton LaSalle at 5-1.
The Gladiators will play four section games in the next five days, visiting South Park on Tuesday, traveling to Apollo-Ridge on Wednesday, hosting Steel Valley on Friday and then welcoming Seton LaSalle on Saturday afternoon.
South Allegheny lost to both the Eagles and Rebels in their first meetings and needs wins to salvage a split of the season series against the other two teams with section title aspirations.
Key girls games
There are a couple of important district girls basketball games, one with section ramifications and one with playoff implications.
In Section 3-5A, Montour visits Mars in a battle for fourth place.
The Spartans and Fightin’ Planets are both 4-6 in the section with one more section game left after Tuesday.
In Section 3-2A, Chartiers-Houston travels to California.
The Buccaneers are in first place, one game ahead of the second place Trojans.
A Chartiers-Houston win claims the section title outright while a California victory likely leads to a share of the section crown between the two.
PIAA team wrestling 1st round
Led by freshly minted boys team wrestling champions Franklin Regional in Class 3A and Derry in 2A, a field of eight WPIAL and City League teams opens up the 2026 PIAA boys team wrestling playoffs Tuesday.
In a Class 3A preliminary round match, City League champion Obama Academy (6-5) faces Palmyra (19-4) at Franklin Regional (18-0) at 4:30 p.m. with the winner advancing to the first round at 6 p.m. to take on the host Panthers.
In another prelim match, Connellsville (17-3) squares off against LaSalle College (11-5) with the winner facing host Gettysburg (21-1) at 6:30 p.m.
WPIAL runner-up Norwin (12-3) visits District 9 champion DuBois (8-8) at 7 p.m. in first-round action.
In Class 2A, Laurel and McGuffey must first win a preliminary round match to qualify for the first round.
Laurel (17-4) takes on Mifflinburg (19-1) at 4 p.m. with the winner facing host Bishop McDevitt (16-0) at 6 p.m.
McGuffey (17-2) battles General McLane (12-3) at 4:30 p.m. with the winner challenging host Bishop McCort (13-0) at 6 p.m.
WPIAL champion Derry (13-0) is home to Penns Valley (14-1) at 6 p.m. in a first round match, while district runner-up Burrell (16-3) visits Chestnut Hill (11-3) at 7 p.m. in the first round.
Tuesday on Trib HSSN
There are 13 broadcasts and one podcast you can watch or listen to at TribHSSN.TribLive.com on the third day of February.
Video Stream: Rebel Yell Podcast featuring WPIAL boys basketball Player of the Week on the TribLive High School Sports Network at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Boys Basketball – Video Stream: Hempfield at Upper St. Clair at 7 p.m. on the TribLive High School Sports Network at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Boys Basketball – Video Stream: North Catholic at Knoch at 7:30 p.m. on the TribLive High School Sports Network at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Boys Basketball – Video Stream: Mohawk at Aliquippa at 7:30 p.m. on the TribLive High School Sports Network at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Boys Basketball – Video Stream: South Allegheny at South Park at 7 p.m. on the TribLive High School Sports Network at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Boys Basketball – Video Stream: Gateway at Penn-Trafford at 7:30 p.m. on Westmoreland Sports Network at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Boys Basketball – Video Stream: Laurel Highlands at Uniontown at 7 p.m. on WMBS-AM 590, WMBS-FM 101.1 at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Boys Basketball – Video Stream: Greensburg Central Catholic at Jeannette at 7:30 p.m. on Westmoreland Sports Network at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Boys Basketball – Video Stream: Laurel at Neshannock at 7:30 p.m. on Lawrence County SportsNet at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Boys Basketball – Video Stream: Rochester at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart at 7:30 p.m. on OLSH Network at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Boys Basketball – Video Stream: Carlynton at Washington at 7:30 p.m. on WJPA-AM 1450 at TribHSSN.TribLive.con
WPIAL Boys Basketball – Video Stream: Neighborhood Academy at Serra Catholic at 7 p.m. on MVI Sports Network at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Boys Basketball – Audio Stream: North Hills at North Allegheny at 7:30 p.m. on the North Allegheny Sports Network at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Boys Wrestling – Video Stream: New Castle at North Catholic at 7 p.m. on the North Catholic Sports Network at TribHSSN.TribLive.com