As scoring milestones go, the WPIAL has never seen three days like this past Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Three WPIAL players (two boys and one girl) scored their 2,000th career point – all in successive days. That has never happened in the history of the league.
Life in the 2000s started Thursday when Ellwood City senior Joseph Roth hit the milestone in a WPIAL quarterfinal loss. Roth already had 1,000 career rebounds, and he is one of the few players in WPIAL history to have 2,000 and 1,000 in his career. Two of the others are 2018 Mars graduate Robby Carmody and 1994 Duquesne grad Kevin Price.
On Friday, Clairton junior Iyanna Wade went over 2,000 in a WPIAL consolation game win. Then, on Saturday, Yough senior Terek Crosby hit 2,000 in a WPIAL consolation game loss.
While three players hit 2,000 points on three successive days, four WPIAL players actually reached the milestone over eight days. Lincoln Park senior Brandin Cummings got his 2,000th point in a WPIAL first-round game on Feb. 16.
Thirty-seven boys in WPIAL history have now reached 2,000 points, and this is the first time that three boys have reached the mark in the same season. Six times, two WPIAL players have scored their 2,000th point in the same season.
Wade became the 44th WPIAL girl to reach 2,000 career points – and the third from Clairton. Kamela Gissendanner scored 2,703 from 1999-2003 and Kameico Robison had 2,031 from 1995-99.
Wade reached 2,000 when she scored 56 in Friday’s consolation game against Winchester Thurston. That ties the WPIAL record for playoff points in a game. East Allegheny’s Brooke Stewart scored 56 in 1997.
Maybe one would question whether Wade’s 56 should count as a playoff record because it was a consolation game. Just FYI, the WPIAL doesn’t keep statistical records. The Post-Gazette keeps WPIAL playoff scoring records, and the P-G is counting Wade’s 56 as a record, even though it was a consolation game. WPIAL chief operating officer Vince Sortino and league basketball committee chairman Brian Geyer both said Wade’s mark should count as a record because consolation games are still considered part of the WPIAL tournament.
The consolation games are for placement in the PIAA playoffs.
Mike White: mwhite@post-gazette.com and @mwhiteburgh on X
First Published: February 25, 2024, 7:15 p.m.