Butler, Pine-Richland boys to square off in 3 things to watch Tuesday in high school sports

By: HSSN Staff
Monday, January 7, 2019 | 4:27 PM

They met in the very first WPIAL Class 6A boys basketball championship game two years ago.

Now Butler and Pine-Richland square off for the first of two meetings Tuesday with first place at stake in Section 1-6A.

The Rams won that title game in March of 2017, 72-61. It was the third of four wins for Pine-Richland over Butler that season.

Last year, the two teams split, with Butler winning at Pine-Richland, 77-74, to end a six-game losing streak against the Rams.

This season, both teams have an identical 2-0 record in Section 1 and are 9-2 overall.

The Rams have won eight straight games.

Listen to Class 6A clash of ranked teams on the TribLive High School Sports Network.

5A and 4A showdowns

The Butler at Pine-Richland game isn’t the only battle for first place in WPIAL boys basketball on Tuesday.

There are a pair of undefeated section showdowns in both Class 5A and Class 4A on Tuesday night.

In Section 1-5A, a half-game separates Woodland Hills (4-0), Penn Hills (3-0) and McKeesport (3-0). The Wolverines host the Tigers on Tuesday.

In Section 2-5A, the post-Tim McConnell era is off to a great start at Chartiers Valley as the Colts lead the section with a 4-0 record, just ahead of Moon at 3-0. The Colts host the Tigers, who enter the game with a perfect 10-0 overall record.

In Section 1-4A, Knoch and Highlands are tied for first at 2-0 and are a combined 14-6 overall. The Golden Rams host the Knights on Tuesday.

In Section 3-4A, Uniontown and Ringgold are both 2-0 atop the section. The Rams, who host the Red Raiders, are off to one of their best starts in years with a 9-1 overall record.

All four of those games can be heard at TribHSSN.TribLive.com.

Top-ranked girls hoops showdown

Tuesday is a light slate of games in WPIAL girls basketball, with five section games and nine nonsection games.

One game that stands out is a pair of top teams in their respective classification as West Greene travels to Washington for a 6 p.m. tip against the Little Prexies.

Both teams are ranked No. 1 in the latest Trib HSSN WPIAL girls basketball rankings and are in first place in their section.

Washington won its first nine games before that streak ended Saturday with a 15-point loss to Class 2A power Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.

The Little Prexies are 4-0 in Section 2-3A.

West Greene split their first two games of the season before winning eight straight.

The Pioneers are also 4-0 in Section 4-A.

Don Rebel is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Don at drebel@tribweb.com or via Twitter @TheDonRebel.

Tags: Butler, Chartiers Valley, Highlands, Knoch, McKeesport, Moon, Pine-Richland, Ringgold, Uniontown, Washington, Woodland Hills