Decade’s best WPIAL finals: Girls basketball No. 5

By: Don Rebel
Monday, February 17, 2020 | 11:41 PM

2333247_web1_ptr-ChampsDecade-021820 — Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review

The Vincentian Academy girls celebrate after upsetting No. 1 North Catholic to win the girls Class A WPIAL championship at the A.J. Palumbo Center on March 3, 2012.

There were a lot of changes to the WPIAL basketball championships over the last 10 years.

They expanded from two days to three days and from eight boys and girls finals to a dozen championship games. The district also switched venues, moving from the Palumbo Center at Duquesne to the Petersen Events Center on the Pitt campus.

Bigger and better has led to some fantastic championship moments over the course of the just completed decade. So as we prepare for the first finals of the 20s, here is a look back with a countdown of the top 10 WPIAL boys and girls basketball championship games from the last 10 years.

Girls No. 5 – Royal run begins

Vincentian Academy won the program’s fifth WPIAL girls basketball championship two years earlier when the Royals routed defending champion and top-seed North Catholic by 26 points in the 2010 Class A title game.

After the Trojans won district gold again in 2011, Vincentian Academy and North Catholic squared off in a Class A dandy in the 2012 title game.

The Royals were victorious in the first of what would be five straight WPIAL Class A championships, the second-longest title run in district girls basketball history.

Click below for HSSN’s recap.

Vincentian Academy 54, North Catholic 50

Previous Top 10:

Boys No. 6 – Three-peat chopped

Girls No. 6 – Golden Gators

Boys No. 7 – Stormy repeat

Girls No. 7 – Thrilling three-peat

Boys No. 8 – Panthers survive

Girls No. 8 – High flying Hawks

Boys No. 9 – A Royals flush

Girls No. 9 – Surprise bolt

Boys No. 10 – Hat trick