Despite Missing Three Starters, Aliquippa Boys Basketball Wins Record 15th WPIAL Title

The Quips got revenge against South Allegheny with a 65-54 win.

Aliquippa's Qa'lil Goode, left, attempts to maneuver to get around South Allegheny's Drew Cook Saturday at Petersen Events Center. Goode scored a team-high 30 points to help the Quips win their 15th WPIAL title with a 65-54 victory. / Josh Rizzo

PITTSBURGH -- The Aliquippa boys basketball faced several departures in the offseason that would have rattled the foundation of many programs.

When the second-seeded Quips battled their way back to the WPIAL Class 3A final, they wouldn’t have a full arsenal of players at their disposal. Missing three starters, Aliquippa found a way to generate points in transition and off turnovers to beat defending champion South Allegheny 65-54 Saturday afternoon at Petersen Events Centers.

The Quips captured their record 15th district title.

First-Year Head Coach Mrryce Smith Led His Alma Mater to the Title

“A lot of you didn’t expect us to be in this situation because of the incidents that happened,” said first-year Aliquippa coach Mrryce Smith, who is a 1992 Quip graduate. “But as a coaching staff, we knew what we had coming back so we were full confident.”

Last season, Aliquippa made a run to the WPIAL championship game and PIAA semifinals, but were turned away by South Allegheny. In the offseason, the school made the decision to not retain veteran coach Nick Lackovich.

Guard Josh Pratt, who committed to play at Columbia, chose to transfer back to Lincoln Park.

A Tough Schedule Prepared the Quips for a Championship Run

“We had some bumps in the road,” Smith said. “But if you look at the teams we had the bumps in the road against, they are either playing in this game, won this game or lost this game. We played a couple of state teams that are really good. We prepared ourselves with our out-of-section schedule for this moment here tonight.”

Aliquippa's Dejuan Hill attempts to get past South Allegheny's Fischer Ielase during the WPIAL Class 3A championship game at Petersen Events Center. Hill, who was forced into a starting role due to injury, finished with 13 points. / Josh Rizzo

Hill filled an important role

Aliquippa (18-6) was playing without 6-foot-2 sophomore forward T’Vonn Parchman Jr., 5-11 guard Camden Evanochko and 6-4 forward Anthony Ingram. That required the Quips to adjust on the fly.

Sophomore guard Dejuan Hill would play more than 25 minutes and contributed 13 points and three rebounds. Antonio Reddic Jr. also scored in double figures, finishing with 13 points and five rebounds.

“(Hill) is a sophomore who has never played at the high school level,” Smith said. “He had to step up and start tonight and he did an excellent job. Our mentality is next man up.”

Goode shines again

Goode may be one of the first men called. He has shined in big games in multiple sports for the Quips.

Goode made a leaping catch in the back of the endzone during football season to help Aliquippa seal the WPIAL football title against McKeesport. Against South Allegheny, Goode made his living by getting to the rim.

As a team, the Quips only shot 10% (1-of-10) from the 3-point line. Goode shot 13-of-17 from the field and added eight rebounds to his point total.

Playing in big games doesn’t feel different for Goode, who will play football for Slippery Rock University next season.

“It just feels normal,” Goode said. “It just feels like another game. You can’t think of it like that or it might get in your head, you know.”

South Allegheny's Drew Cook drives past Aliquippa's Dejuan Hill during the first half of the WPIAL Class 3A title game at Petersen Events Center. Cook finished with 28 points, but the defending champion Gladiators lost, 65-54. / Josh Rizzo

Cook sparked the Cinderella Gladiators

South Allegheny, the defending champions, upset its way to the finals as a No. 8 seed. The Gladiators (16-9) hung tough with the Quips and had a four-point lead late in the first half. Aliquippa was able to bring things level, 26-26, by halftime.

The Quips were focused on stopping Drew Cook, who led the WPIAL by averaging more than 28 points per game. Cook finished with 28 points and had eight rebounds, but he had to work for every basket.

He was 9-of-23 from the field.

“We knew how they were going to come into play,” Cook said. “We beat them twice last year and they had that fire. They came in chirping at us. I knew what kind of game it was going to be. We just weren’t physical enough.”

As a team, the Gladiators shot 18.8% (3-of-16) from the 3-point line. Jake Uher also contributed 10 points for South Allegheny.

“The defensive pressure they apply is certainly challenging for us to answer and execute against,” South Allegheny coach Tony DiCenzo said. 

Quip legacy continues on

Smith believed when he stepped in as coach Aliquippa would find a way back to the top. The Quips didn’t earn the top seed in the WPIAL playoffs after being swept in section play by Mohawk.

Aliquippa wasn’t discouraged.

“I’ve been coaching them since they were in 9th or 10th grade, I know what they can bring to the table,” Smith said. “We just had to get it out of them each and every day. In the beginning it was tough. Once we got our basketball legs, we knew we'd be fine.”

--Josh Rizzo |rizzo42789@gmail.com| @J_oshrizzo