Defending champion South Allegheny rallies past Shady Side Academy

South Allegheny overcomes 30-26 third-quarter deficit to reach WPIAL Class 3A championship game

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

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No. 8 seed South Allegheny, the defending WPIAL Class 3A champion, rallied from a four-point third-quarter deficit to defeat No. 13 seed Shady Side Academy 48-43 in the WPIAL semifinals on Tuesday night. The Gladiators, who have won 9 of their last 10 games, will face No. 2 seed Aliquippa in the championship game on Saturday.

Why it matters

South Allegheny's comeback victory over Shady Side Academy, a team they had previously defeated by 20 points in the regular season, demonstrates the Gladiators' ability to win important games at the most crucial time of the season. Their championship pedigree and experience have helped them overcome early-season struggles and grow into a formidable playoff contender.

The details

After leading 19-12 at halftime, Shady Side Academy went ahead 30-26 after three quarters behind 17 points from Cam Mallory. But South Allegheny responded with a 12-0 run, sparked by the foul trouble of Mallory, to take the lead for good. Drew Cook and Fischer Ielase combined to go 11-for-14 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter to seal the victory for the Gladiators.

  • South Allegheny led 15-9 after the first quarter.
  • The score was 19-12 in favor of South Allegheny at halftime.
  • Shady Side Academy took a 30-26 lead after three quarters.
  • South Allegheny went on a 12-0 run in the fourth quarter to take the lead.

The players

Cam Mallory

A senior at Shady Side Academy who scored a game-high 30 points, including 24 in the second half.

Drew Cook

A senior at South Allegheny who scored 15 points and hit several key free throws down the stretch to help the Gladiators secure the victory.

Fischer Ielase

A senior at South Allegheny who scored 14 points and also made important free throws in the fourth quarter.

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What they’re saying

“After the year they had last year and the year we've had this year with newer, inexperienced guys, we grew as the season went on and now we're hot at the right time. We're winning important games at the most important time in the season. That's why we're going to play for the championship on Saturday.”

— Tony DiCenzo, South Allegheny head coach (triblive.com)

“We play this game in practice. It's called 'Win the Game.' They put us up by two, and if we miss a free throw, they get two points. We do that every practice, and it prepares us for the big moments and the free throws. If we don't make them, we end up running, so nobody wants to do that and everyone focuses on making the foul shots.”

— Drew Cook (triblive.com)

What’s next

South Allegheny will face No. 2 seed Aliquippa in the WPIAL Class 3A championship game on Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Petersen Events Center.

The takeaway

South Allegheny's comeback victory over Shady Side Academy demonstrates the Gladiators' ability to win important games at the most crucial time of the season, overcoming early-season struggles through their championship pedigree and experience. Their resilience and clutch free-throw shooting in the fourth quarter proved to be the difference in a tight playoff battle.