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Teslovich gives Shady Side local flavor, leads Bulldogs to WPIAL title

By Rob Burchianti rburchianti@heraldstandard.Com 2 min read
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When Shady Side Academy defeated Avonwoth for the WPIAL Class 3A boys basketball championship on Friday there were plenty of fans from Fayette County that rejoiced.

The Bulldogs’ 66-54 victory was keyed by sophomore sensation Eli Teslovich, who scored a team-high 20 points. The Shady Side point guard is the eldest son of Brian Teslovich and Cara Davis Teslovich of Belle Vernon and the grandson of Brownsville native Jim Davis of Davis & Davis Attorneys at Law in Uniontown.

Cara Davis played high school basketball for Geibel Catholic, where she was part of the Lady Gators’ 1993 WPIAL championship team, and Brownsville, whom she help lead to a section title.

Eli Teslovich, who has played basketball on Grant Street in Uniontown and in the Brownsville Biddy League, earned All-Section 3 honors as a freshman last year when first-place Shady Side went 14-3 and reached the WPIAL quarterfinals.

This season Shady Side is 19-6 overall went 10-2 in tying South Allegheny for the Section 3 title. The Bulldogs were made the No. 3 seed in the WPIAL pairings and knocked off No. 14 Laurel, 68-28, No. 6 Washington, 57-50, and No. 2 Aliquippa, 56-51, on their way to the final.

Shady Side fell behind early in the championship game against the No. 8 Antelopes at Petersen Events Center.

The Bulldogs were down 13-8 after shooting just 23.1 percent from the field in the first quarter before using a 16-7 advantage in the second to take a 24-20 halftime lead. They outscored Avonworth 23-10 in the third quarter to take a commanding 47-30 lead and settled on a 12-point victory to claim their second ever district crown.

Shady Side shot 60.5 percent over the final three frames.

Teslovich made nine of 15 shots and was two for three at the foul line. He also contributed three rebounds, two assists and one steal. Teammate and fellow sophomore Peter Kramer had 18 points and eight assists.

Shady Side opens the PIAA tournament as the No. 1 Class 3A team from District 7 and plays Penns Valley (12-13), the fourth-place team out of District 6, in a 6 p.m. game on Wednesday at North Allegheny.

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