PITTSBURGH - Reaching the WPIAL Class 3A girls basketball championship game didn't bring Greensburg Central Catholic guard Erica Gribble any solace. The career 2,000-point scorer would have liked to added a third medal to her collection, but it didn't work out for the two-time defending champion Centurions. Section rival Shady Side Academy pulled away after halftime to grab a 57-40 win.

"I'm frustrated," Gribble said. "I wanted to win another one."

It was the Bulldogs' third win over GCC this season. Last season, the Centurions upended SSA, which went on to reach the PIAA final, in the championship game at Petersen Events Center. The Bulldogs were able to grab the championship thanks to an efficient offensive performance. Shady Side Academy shot 61.1 percent (22-of-36) from the field.

Karis Thomas scored 21 points for Shady Side Academy, while Cassie Sauer added 14. Gribble, who fouled out in the fourth quarter, scored nine points and had two rebounds. Avery Jones led GCC with 14 points.

Centurions coach Chris Skatell felt the Centurions played well.

"I thought we missed some opportunities in the first half where we could stretch things a little bit," Skatell said. "I thought we played well into the third quarter. Somewhere in the third quarter things got a little loose. The score isn't indicative of the game."

Bulldogs guard Karis Thomas said she felt what she saw from GCC was similar from the team's two matchups during the regular season.

"We didn't really see anything new," Thomas said. "They worked hard on defense. They tried everything."

Eagles fall short again
Serra Catholic took a tough loss where it lost to Neighborhood Academy in the 1A final for the second straight year. Read more about the game here. The Eagles didn't make a 3-pointer.

Brayden Graham, who scored 10 point for Serra Catholic, said the Eagles weren't discouraged with the defeat. They battled back to take the lead in the fourth quarter before the Bulldogs closed the game on a 15-2 run to win the game.

"It feels good coming back here two times in a row," Graham said. "Losing both times is hard, but we're going to be back here next year."

Neighborhood Academy won despite shooting 38.8 percent from the floor. The Bulldogs were able to make five 3-pointers and 17 free throws to find an edge.

Knoch makes history
The Knights won their first WPIAL crown in school history. Read my story on it for the Tribune Review.

Josh Rizzo is the editor of Pittsburgh Preps and Colleges. Story ideas can be submitted to [email protected] or on X @J_oshRizzo.

HAMPTON TWP - Quaker Valley boys soccer coach Sean Ryan wasn't shocked with how the WPIAL Class 2A boys soccer field played out. He believed anything could happen.

Ryan, who led the Quakers to a Section 2-2A crown and the second seed, believed in the potential of every playoff team in their section. Three of those teams -- Quaker Valley, No. 4 Avonworth and No. 9 Beaver -- reached the semifinals.

 The Bobcats pounded the Antelopes 8-2 in the semifinals Monday at Hampton to reach the WPIAL Class 2A final at Highmark Stadium this week, while Deer Lakes used a pair of second half goals to topple Quaker Valley.

Beaver will have a rematch with Deer Lakes from their 2022 meeting, which the Lancers won to capture their second district crown.

Deer Lakes, which were the sixth seeded, knocked out No. 11 Central Valley and No. 3 North Catholic on its way to the final. Top-seeded South Park got knocked out in the quarterfinals by Beaver in a 2-1 decision.

The Quakers survived a 3-2 win over No. 10 Shady Side Academy in the quarterfinals.

"I said at the beginning of the season that our section is one of the strongest in 2A if not all of the WPIAL," Ryan said. "I feel pretty confident that three of our four teams made it to a semifinal. I feel Shady Side Academy was above their seeding. They weren't as low quality as a typical 10 seed, they felt like a four or five-seed. This Deer Lakes team could be a No. 2 seed in any other year as well.

Josh Rizzo is the editor and publisher of Pittsburgh Preps and Colleges. Story ideas can be sent to [email protected] or on X @J_oshRizzo.

Following Arkansas coach John Calipari to Kentucky hasn't worked out how Adou Theiro thought it would.  Thiero, a Quaker Valley graduate, has been productive on the court. But the Razorbacks have struggled to win games consistently.

But on Saturday night, Thiero, and has coach, got revenge on their former school by beating Kentucky 89-79 at Rupp Arena. Thiero finished with a game-high 21 points. The Razorbacks led by one at halftime, but really dominated the last 20 minutes. The Razorbacks (13-8, 2-6 SEC) are still well outside the picture for the NCAA Division I Tournament, but Thiero has continued to provide proof he could be headed for the NBA.

Thiero averages 16.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.