In a showdown of undefeated teams, Baldwin’s leading scorer was surprisingly quiet in the first half Tuesday.
Nate Wesling, one of the top guards in WPIAL Class 5A who entered the night averaging 20 points per game, was limited to just three in the opening two quarters as his Highlanders trailed host Peters Township at the half.
“I told him that we needed him to step up and be the player that he is,” Baldwin coach Jeff Ackermann said. “And he came out hot. And once he got going, he was cooking.”
So much so that he helped Baldwin cook up a big road win.
Wesling scored 21 of his game-high 24 points in the second half to lead Baldwin to a 56-49 win at Peters Township in Class 5A Section 3.
Baldwin (6-0, 1-0), a WPIAL Class 6A finalist a season ago, trailed Peters Township (5-1, 1-1), 19-18, at the half before using a 15-8 scoring advantage in the third quarter to take a 33-27 lead. Wesling tallied nine points in the third and added 12 more in the fourth.
Caden Cherico and Max Marzina added 10 points apiece for Baldwin. Dylan Donovan led Peters Township with 21.
“It’s a big win,” Ackermann said. “At Peters, that’s a place where most teams aren’t going to win. That’s a very good team and a great program. We respect them a lot. But we were not scared of them and we wanted to make sure we were trying to match their physicality and their intensity, and I thought we did that.”
Other boys games
• Zach Pollaro scored 22 of his game-high 36 points in the second half to help North Hills (2-4, 1-1) rally for a 69-65 home win against Butler (5-2, 0-2) in Class 6A Section 1. North Hills outscored Butler, 34-26, in the second half. Stainton Forbes scored 20 points to lead Butler.
• Freshman Kai Cox’s 25 points propelled New Castle (6-0, 2-0) to a 54-49 win at Woodland Hills (3-3, 0-2) in Class 6A Section 1. Cox scored 14 points in the first half when New Castle built a 31-16 lead. Amere Brown’s 20 points paced Woodland Hills.
• Asher White scored 21 points and Caden Kaiser had 20 to lead Fox Chapel (5-1, 2-0) to a 66-47 home win against Pine-Richland (2-2, 1-1) in Class 6A Section 1. Kaiser also had seven rebounds and four assists for the Foxes, who led, 34-15, at the half. Emery Moye led Pine-Richland with 11 points.
• Central Catholic (2-3, 1-1) used a pivotal fourth quarter to snap a three-game losing streak courtesy of a 55-46 win against visiting Mt. Lebanon (3-2, 1-1) in Class 6A Section 2. The score was tied, 33-33, after three quarters before Central Catholic held a 22-13 edge in the fourth. Wills Kontul paced Central Catholic with 13 points. Jacob Zaber and Carter Gould scored 16 apiece for Mt. Lebanon.
• Calvin Winfrey scored 26 points, including the 1,000th of his career, and Uniontown (5-1, 3-0) used a dominant second half to win at Latrobe (5-1, 1-1), 81-53, in Class 5A Section 1. Notorious Grooms added 25 points for Uniontown, which led by four points at the half before outscoring Latrobe, 47-23, in the second half. John Wetzel led Latrobe with 21 points.
• In a matchup of unbeaten Class 5A Section 4 teams, Ama Sow’s 25 points and 20 rebounds helped Montour (4-0, 1-0) deal host Chartiers Valley (6-1, 1-1) its first loss, 66-60. Colton Straight and Kaleb Platz each added 14 points for the Spartans, while Jayden Davis scored 25 to lead Chartiers Valley.
• In a matchup of reigning WPIAL champions, Moon (4-1, 1-0) opened section play with a 68-36 win at Lincoln Park (2-4, 0-1) in Class 5A Section 4. Michael Santicola scored 21 points and Carter Tumulty 15 for the Tigers, who won their fourth game in a row. Amir Woods paced Lincoln Park with 11 points.
• Jackson Bauman’s 26 points fueled visiting Knoch (6-1, 2-0) to a 58-37 win against Burrell (3-3, 1-1) in Class 4A Section 1. Zane Pacek added 12 points for the Knights, who limited Burrell to 14 points in the second half. Tucker Bitar led Burrell with 17 points.
• Derry (5-2, 2-0) stormed back from a 16-point deficit to claim a 67-63 win at Greensburg Salem (1-4, 1-1) in Class 4A Section 3. John Wasnick scored a game-high 24 points to lead Derry. Solomon Cain and Ty Harkcom scored 14 points apiece for Greensburg Salem.
• Ethan Spivak scored 23 points and Erond Jakupi added 19 to help unbeaten Keystone Oaks (7-0) rally for a 71-64 home win against Hopewell (4-4) in non-section play. The Golden Eagles trailed, 51-47, after three quarters before outscoring Hopewell, 24-13, in the fourth. Freshman James Armstrong led Hopewell with 18 points.
• Cam Epps poured in 22 points and Josh Jackowski chipped in 19 points and nine rebounds to help South Allegheny (6-1) roll to an 81-53 non-section win at previously unbeaten Serra Catholic (7-1). Tyler Sapida scored 24 points to lead Serra.
• Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (5-1, 1-1) led by 15 points after one quarter and went on to roll to a 56-26 win at Laurel (4-4, 1-1) in Class 2A Section 4. Luca Grisafi scored seven points in that first quarter and finished with a game-high 14.
Girls games
• Penn-Trafford (8-0, 2-0) remained perfect following a 70-58 win at Latrobe (4-3, 1-1) in Class 5A Section 2. Torrie DeStefano led the Warriors with 19 points and Lauren Marton added 14. Carly Berk paced Latrobe with a career-high 31 points.
• Natalie Wetzel’s game-high 23 points propelled unbeaten Peters Township (6-0, 2-0) to a 64-42 win against visiting Baldwin (3-4, 0-1) in Class 5A Section 4. Peters led, 38-21, at the half. Bri Morreale chipped in 14 points for the Indians, while Julianne Ott led Baldwin with 20.
• Thomas Jefferson (7-1, 2-1) rebounded from its first loss by winning at Trinity (4-2, 0-2), 60-39, in Class 5A Section 4. Maggie Spell scored 17 points for the Jaguars, who held a 34-18 lead at the half. Kaylee DeAngelo added 13. Trinity was led by Sutton Williamson’s 17 points.
Three stars
*** — Tyler Pepin, Seneca Valley. Pepin scored nine of his 27 points in the fourth quarter to help Seneca Valley (2-6, 1-1) slip past host North Allegheny (4-2, 1-1), 47-39, in Class 6A Section 1.
**— Ava Shazer, Chartiers Valley. Shazer came off the bench to score a game-high 17 points and lead host Chartiers Valley (5-2, 2-0) to a 40-32 win against Montour (4-2, 1-1) in Class 5A Section 3.
* — Cooper Hochendoner, South Park. Hochendoner poured in 30 points to lead host South Park (5-1) to a 65-51 non-section win against Carrick (3-4).
Hot from deep
Players with 3 or more 3-pointers: Sam Miller, Canon-McMillan, 5; Liam Gallagher, Greensburg Central Catholic, 5; Kolby Stewart, Frazier, 4; Ethan Spivak, Keystone Oaks, 4; Bri Morreale, Peters Township, 4; Ben Franciscus, Riverview, 4; Kylie Fruehstorfer, Union, 4; Jayden Davis, Chartiers Valley, 3; Dailan McManus, Frazier, 3; Kaleb Platz, Montour, 3; Matt Sopko, Neshannock, 3; Carter Melzer, North Allegheny, 3; Natalie Wetzel, Peters Township, 3; Alex Schultheis, Riverview, 3; Joe Campoli, Shenango, 3.
Boys scores
WPIAL Class 6A
Section 1
Fox Chapel 66, Pine-Richland 47
Seneca Valley 47, North Allegheny 39
New Castle 54, Woodland Hills 49
North Hills 69, Butler 65
Section 2
Central Catholic 55, Mt. Lebanon 46
Hempfield 70, Connellsville 50
Upper St. Clair 62, Canon-McMillan 32
WPIAL Class 5A
Section 1
Albert Gallatin 43, Penn-Trafford 42
Gateway 53, Laurel Highlands 50
McKeesport 55, Franklin Regional 44
Uniontown 81, Latrobe 53
Section 2
Kiski Area 68, Indiana 45
Penn Hills 46, Hampton 40
Plum 47, Armstrong 41
Section 3
Baldwin 56, Peters Township 49
South Fayette 61, Bethel Park 34
Thomas Jefferson 68, Trinity 63
Section 4
Montour 66, Chartiers Valley 60
Moon 68, Lincoln Park 36
West Allegheny 66, Blackhawk 56
WPIAL Class 4A
Section 1
Deer Lakes 78, Valley 59
Knoch 58, Burrell 37
Section 3
Belle Vernon 79, Yough 37
Derry 67, Greensburg Salem 63
Elizabeth Forward 61, East Allegheny 36
WPIAL Class 3A
Section 1
Ellwood City 35, Riverside 32
Mohawk 72, New Brighton 31
WPIAL Class 2A
Section 1
Greensburg Central Catholic 58, Clairton 27
Jeannette 70, Bentworth 42
Riverview 50, Frazier 49
Springdale 81, California 42
Section 2
Eden Christian 72, Propel Braddock Hills 33
Northgate 55, Leechburg 13
Sewickley Academy 58, Brentwood 41
Section 3
Chartiers-Houston 65, Carmichaels 30
Fort Cherry 67, Burgettstown 55
Jefferson-Morgan 61, Beth-Center 54
West Greene 53, Mapletown 21
Section 4
Neshannock 60, Shenango 46
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart 56, Laurel 26
Union 58, Western Beaver 31
Non-section
Central Valley 72, Southmoreland 29
Keystone Oaks 71, Hopewell 64
St. Joseph 60, Summit Academy 57
Seton LaSalle 69, Waynesburg 60
Shaler 64, Shady Side Academy 54
South Allegheny 81, Serra Catholic 53
South Park 65, Carrick 61
West Mifflin 61, Ringgold 57
Girls scores
WPIAL Class 5A
Section 1
Fox Chapel 61, Gateway 29
Section 2
Penn-Trafford 70, Latrobe 58
Section 3
Chartiers Valley 40, Montour 32
Section 4
Peters Township 64, Baldwin 42
Thomas Jefferson 60, Trinity 39
Non-section
Canon-McMillan 58, North Hills 39
Frazier 64, Charleroi 32
Greensburg Salem 47, Connellsville 29
New Castle 52, Beth-Center 15
Riverview 44, Freeport 34
Mars 60, Avonworth 47
Union 52, Freedom 36
Washington 51, South Allegheny 14
Brad is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at beverett@unionprogress.com.