Robert Morris lands Blackhawk basketball standout
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The daughter of one of the WPIAL’s most successful baseball coaches, Blackhawk’s Mackenzie Amalia would sometimes put on a glove and swing a bat as a softballplayer in her younger days.
“I played for a couple of years, but I knew it wasn’t mysport,” she said.
It didn’t take long for Amalia to realize her sport was basketball.
Years later, she has committed to play that sport at theDivision I level.
Amalia, who just finished her sophomore year, verbally committed to Robert Morris last week. She said she ultimately chose the Colonialsover her other finalist, Kent State, but she also had offers from Duquesne, Valparaiso, St. Bonaventure, Niagara and Vermont. Duquesne offered when she wasin seventh grade.
Robert Morris, which is about a 25-minute drive from her family’s home, was the most recent school to offer Amalia, extending her an invitation in October. Even though she still has two high school seasons remaining, she said there was no reason towait for any more offers.
“They have a really great coaching staff and I love everything about Robert Morris,” said Amalia, whose father, Bob, is the Blackhawk baseball coach. “It felt like the right place for me. The coaching staff said they will help me become a better player on the court and a better person off the court.”
A 5-foot-5 guard, Amalia averaged 17 points per game and was named Class 4A second-team all-state her sophomore season when she helped Blackhawk to a 19-4 record and reach the WPIAL semifinals.
Amalia will be a future teammate of one of her high school rivals. Beaver’s Bella Posset will be a freshman at RobertMorris this fall.
Robert Morris will be getting a player who has been well coached. In addition to playing for Steve Lodovico and his staff at Blackhawk, Amalia has worked with legendary Blackhawk boys coach John Miller since she was in second grade. Miller has coached Amalia the past two years on his Drill 4 Skill AAUteam.
Amalia will become the second Amalia sister to play college basketball. Madison recently completed her freshman year at St. ThomasAquinas College in New York.
Her college decision made, Amalia said she is looking forward to her junior season. She and rising senior Mady Aulbach (Youngstown State) give Blackhawk a duo of future DivisionI guards.
Said Amalia: “I’m hoping we can win the WPIAL and go farther into the state playoffs.”
Top wrestler commits
If all goes as planned, Shaler’s Ryan Sullivan will close out his high school career by competing in the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic at Fitzgerald Field House next March. Once he graduates, he’ll be wrestling in that samebuilding quite a bit.
Sullivan, last year’s WPIAL and PIAA Class 3A champion in the 113-pound weight class, committed to Pitt. Sullivan went 42-1 his junior season. A year earlier, he was the WPIAL and PIAA runner-upat 106 pounds.
Football offers
Pitt offered a pair of WPIAL rising seniors — Shady Side Academy wide receiver Dino Tomlin and Latrobe offensive lineman Trent Holler. Tomlin’s teammate, Skyy Moore, received his first FBS offer from Buffalo. Moore is being recruited asan “athlete.”
Football commitment
Freedom’s Cody Ross (SlipperyRock).
Swimming commitment
North Allegheny’s Jack Wright(Virginia).