After Norwin had trailed for nearly the entirety of the WPIAL Class 6A Championship game on Saturday, the Knights took their first lead with 2:33 left in the fourth quarter. That advantage lasted just seconds, though, as Upper St. Clair and star senior Rylee Kalocay came storming back to claim a 45-40 victory to win gold at the Petersen Events Center, denying Norwin its second consecutive WPIAL crown.

The fourth quarter saw a pair of sizable runs, as top-seeded Norwin scored nine straight points, capped by a 3-pointer by Bella Furno, to gain a 40-37 advantage. The Knights (15-8) did not score for the rest of the contest, however, as the No. 2 Panthers responded with a 3-pointer by Kalocay, which sparked an 8-0 run to give USC its seventh WPIAL title, and first since 2008.

Conversely, the Knights were denied their fourth championship, as they went back-to-back in 2015 and 2016, and looked to replicate the feat this season after prevailing in 2024.

In the rubber match between the Class 6A Section 2 foes, the Panthers jumped out to a 9-4 advantage, and led 11-8 after the opening stanza. In the first quarter, Meredith Huzjak scored eight points for USC.

Upper St. Clair (19-6) extended its lead in the second quarter, pushing the margin to 23-10 with 3:16 left in the frame. The Knights scored the final five points before the half, though, to remain within striking distance.

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After a sluggish offensive effort in the first half, the Knights showed their balance in the third, as four different players made field goals, including 3-pointers by Furno and Ava Christopher, the latter of which came to beat the buzzer at the end of the stanza. Still, Norwin faced a six-point deficit heading into the fourth.

With starting forward Lexi Heller battling foul trouble and eventually fouling out, sophomore Liz Yarosik filled in and provided a couple of baskets in the fourth quarter. Averi Brozeski also made a pair of shots, and Christopher’s basket tied the game at 37-37.

Christopher was the only Knight to score in double figures, with 11 points, while Furno, Brozeski, Heller, and leading scorer Kendall Berger each tallied six points and Yarosik added five.

Kalocay paced USC with game-bests of 13 points and five assists, Ryan Prunzik produced 11 points, and Huzjak tallied eight points.

As the runners-up, the Knights will trek to play District 6 Champion Altoona Area on Friday at 7 p.m.