PITTSBURGH — No. 3 Upper St. Clair faced off against a scrappy, underdog No. 4 Baldwin squad and used great defense to earn a 64-41 win in the WPIAL 6A Boys Championship game Saturday night at the Petersen Events Center.
The Panthers (20-5) win their second WPIAL Class 6A title, with their last one coming in 2021 in a 56-53 win over the Pine-Richland Rams. It is also their fourth WPIAL title overall, winning the Class 4A Championship in 2005 and 1996. The Highlanders (18-7) missed out on a chance to win their first WPIAL title in boys’ basketball, in their first WPIAL Championship game since 1985.
The win for the Panthers also gives them the edge in the season series with the Highlanders, as they split the two regular season games. The Highlanders defeated the Panthers 55-54 on Jan. 18 and the Panthers defeated the Highlanders 57-52 on Feb. 9, with both teams winning on the road.
Baldwin started the game with a 9-4 lead, with junior guard Nate Wesling hitting a 3-pointer and a layup. Upper St. Clair responded by ending the first quarter on a 16-4 run to take a 20-13 lead. 6-foot-9 junior center Tyler Robbins led the way with six points on the run for 10 points total in the quarter and senior guard Christian Ito made a bucket from behind the arc and a layup.
Senior guard Nathan Richards kept the Highlanders in the game with five straight points to open up the second quarter on an and-one layup opportunity and a layup on its own. He finished with nine points in the period, but no one else scored for the Highlanders and the Panthers stayed in the lead, 30-22 at halftime.
Defense played a large role in Upper St. Clair continuing to build its lead, which Baldwin failed to break into.
Upper St. Clair shot 6-for-9 in the third quarter, while Baldwin made just two of their 15 attempts. Junior forward Kaamil Jackson and Robbins traded baskets for an 8-0 run to end the period up 45-28, essentially ending any attempt for Baldwin to make a comeback.
Robbins served as the star for the Panthers, finishing with a double-double on 22 points, 9-for-11 shooting from the field and 4-for-6 on free throws, along with 12 rebounds.
Senior guard Brett Meinert finished with 19 points for the Panthers, scoring eight in the fourth quarter on a layup and six free throws. He also shot 5-for-9 from the field and 3-for-5 from behind the arc.
Baldwin shot 31.0% from the field in the loss, along with their poor display from 3-point range, 2-for-18, 11.1%. Upper St. Clair shot 56.9% from the field and made 16 free throws compared to Baldwin’s three.
The PIAA playoffs await both teams, with the First Round starting next Saturday, March 9. Upper St. Clair faces District Two seventh place finalist Central Dauphin from suburban Harrisburg, while Baldwin plays State College, winner of the District Six, Eight and 10 subregional.
Upper St. Clair Press Conference
