What to watch for in WPIAL sports on Jan. 14, 2023: Tournament action on hardwood

By: Don rebelled

Wednesday, January 14, 2023 | 12:25 AM

Mid-January seems like the perfect time to get out and hit the road.

That’s exactly what five local basketball teams are doing this weekend.

The undefeated Blackhawk (11-0) girls team heads north to the Big Apple where it will take on Nazareth Regional (5-5) from Brooklyn on Saturday at the Rose Classic Super Jam in Brooklyn.

Four other groups headed east for Martin Luther King Jr. Hoops for the Hope event in Chambersburg.

Imani Christian (5-5) boys host Theodore Roosevelt out of Washington DC (15-0) at 4 p.m. followed by Aliquippa (6-2) boys against New Town (Md.) (7-2) at 6 p.m. Also in Chambersburg, the North Allegheny (7-3) girls will face Imhotep Charter (6-5) at 4:30 p.m. and the Woodland Hills (5-7) girls will play Dallastown (5-4) at 7:30 p.m.

More competition hoops

There are three other contests/events this weekend involving WPIAL teams closer to home.

Woodland Hills will host the MLK Weekend Show. Saturday boys schedule:

• Northgate (8-4) takes on Westinghouse (0-7) at 1 p.m

• Army Woodland Hills (8-4) will face Burrell (6-6) at 3 p.m

• Kiski County (5-8) hosts Linsly (W. Va.) (6-6) at 5 p.m.

In the Ron Galbreath Classic at Westminster College, there were seven WPIAL boys and one local girls team in action Saturday. Boys program:

• Blackhawk (7-4) vs. Franklin (7-4) at 1:30 p.m

• Armstrong (9-3) vs. Neshannock (8-3) at 3 p.m

• Mars (8-2) vs. New Castle (10-1) at 6:30 p.m

• Central Catholic (5-5) vs. Lincoln Park (11-0) at 8 p.m

The girls game has Mohawk (8-6) battling West Middlesex (5-6) in the afternoon.

Finally, it’s Day 2 of the MVI Shootout Classic at California High School with the following girls basketball schedule set for Saturday:

• South Allegheny (5-7) at California (6-5) at 2 p.m

• Serra Catholic (7-1) vs. Belle Vernon (7-6) at 3:30 p.m

• Clairton (5-3) vs. Monessen (5-4) at 6 p.m

• Thomas Jefferson (6-7) vs. Charleroi (8-3) at 7:30 p.m

(All records above are available through Thursday.)

Saturday mat tournament

There are a couple of wrestling matches on Saturday.

It was Day 2 of the Burgettstown Invitational with 25 WPIAL teams participating, including Burgettstown, Avonworth, Beaver, Bentworth, Carlynton, Central Valley, Chartiers-Houston, Elizabeth Forward, Greensburg Salem, Hampton, Highlands, Hopewell, Jefferson-Morgan, Keystone Oaks, Mars, Mt. Lebanon, North Hills, Penn Hills, Ringgold, Shaler, South Side, Southmoreland, Mount St. Clair, Washington and West Greene.

Also on Saturday, Indiana (Pa.) will host the Mid-Winter Mayhem with seven District 7 teams including Franklin County, Kiski County, Laurel, North Allegheny, Penn-Trafford, Thomas Jefferson and West Allegheny.