Saturday could mark last local game for former Norwin star Alayna Gribble

A basketball career that seemed to begin ages ago is turning to twilight, but Alayna Gribble has one more local stop before she throws her sneakers over the telephone wires.

Gribble, a grad student guard at St. Joseph’s and the all-time leading scorer at Norwin, will play in Pittsburgh one last time in the regular season Saturday afternoon when the Hawks (10-16) visit Duquesne (11-16) for a 2 p.m. tip.

Her family and friends are expected to flock to UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse.

The former Pitt player who gave the game a two-year rest after concussions plagued her in 2018-19 and 2019-20, has played in 19 games this season with 11 starts.

Gribble, 24, missed about a month of this season, though, with an undisclosed injury. She is averaging 5.6 points and 3.3 rebounds. She had a season-high 15 points at Drexel and added 14, with four 3-pointers, against Yale.

The 6-foot guard known for her 3-point range has a long college resume that stretches back six years. This is her second year at St. Joseph’s.

Last year, she was the SJU Unsung Hero Award recipient. She played in 15 games and again negotiated an injury to average 8.2 points.

Gribble has been earning a master’s degree in data intelligence, the graduate student worked three internships focusing on accounting and inventory.

At Pitt, Gribble played in 52 games and scored 371 points. When she left the program, she ranked 10th in career 3-pointers made with 96. She tied a school record with seven 3s in a game.

She led the Panthers in scoring four times as a freshman.