Fearless Blue Devils prepared to make playoff run
Healthy line-up heading into Norwin clash
A cry went up in AHN Arena as Liam Sheely grabbed his left shoulder during fourth-quarter action in Mt. Lebanon’s 68-58 victory against Peters Township in a non-section boys’ basketball game played Feb. 10. A junior, Sheely rushed towards Joe David for relief. There Lebo’s floor boss, who also doubles as a physical therapist, worked feverishly on his star until a medical physician seated in the gymnasium came to the rescue.
Sheely’s shoulder snapped back into its socket and the Blue Devils breathed a sigh of relief because they will enter the WPIAL playoffs with their leading scorer.
The Blue Devils (15-7) host Norwin (10-11) at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 17 in the first round of the Class 5A tournament. The winner advances to face No. 3 seed Imani Christian in the quarterfinals scheduled for Feb. 20 at a site and time to be determined.
Sheely, who broke his right forearm at the start of the season, was one of three players scoring in double figures in Lebo’s victory against Peters Township, finishing with 17 tallies before his exit due to the injury. Since his return to the starting lineup, Sheely has averaged nearly 19 points per game. The Blue Devils in turn have won nine of their last 12 games.
“No doubt about it, Liam does make a difference,” David said.
So too do Sam Deibert and Carter Gould, not to mention Ryan Kokot, Jacob Faber and Santino Fiumara as well as Zachary Milanak and Dane Barber. Deibert (16) and Gould (21) finished in double digits in the win against the Indians.
“I am proud of the fact that when Sam fouled out and Liam went out of the game, we played five guards and they actually looked pretty good out there. Lots of speed out there,” said David.
David noted that playing a non-section game on the day when the playoff pairings are announced is “hard” because the players are thinking about their first-round opponent. He has scheduled and not scheduled a game between when the regular season ends and the playoffs commence with mixed reviews.
“It’s a glorified scrimmage,” he said of the tune-up contests.
“We loved playing (Peters Township) because they are a good program and we have never won there (in the AHN arena),” David added. “So it’s good preparation
“Basically, we are just trying to get them to compete and avoid a long layoff. It keeps us in a routine.”
The Blue Devils head into the playoffs with a win instead of a loss. They dropped their final section battle on Feb. 7 at Upper St. Clair, 41-31. The Panthers won the Section 2 title with a 13-1 record while the Blue Devils finished fourth with a 9-5 slate.
USC (20-2), which is the defending champion, is the No. 1 seed in the Class 6A tournament while New Castle is ranked second. Lebo is seeded No. 6.
“USC is the best team out there right now,” David had said. “In the playoffs though, it’s fear none; respect all.”
The Blue Devils have plenty of regard for their first-round playoff opponent even though Norwin finished 6-8 in the section. The Knights split decisions in league action with Lebo, winning an overtime match, 51-49, on Jan. 3 and dropping an 84-60 contest on Jan. 28.
“They beat us without Liam in overtime and we got them at our place. So it will be a good tiebreaker,” David said.
“I’m happy the game will be at our place but it’s playoff basketball. Everybody is good.”
David noted Norwin has “some very nice players” but his focus remains on his club.
“We are just trying to become the best version of ourselves. Get better each day,” he said. “We are going to have to play well in order to win in this tournament.”
The semifinal games for Class 6A boys is scheduled for Monday, February. 24. The championships are set for 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28 at the Petersen Events Center.
In the Class 5A tournament, Peters Township received the No. 6 seed after finishing tied with South Fayette for second in Section 3 with a 9-3 record. The Indians will host Penn Hills at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 18 at the AHN arena.
Meanwhile, South Fayette received the No. 7 seed, finishing with an identical overall record (15-7) at the Indians. The Lions will host No. 10 Mars in a first-round playoff game at 7 p.m. Feb. 18.
The Class 5A quarterfinals are set for Feb. 21 at sites and times to be determined. The semifinals follow on Feb. 25 and the championships are set for 7 p.m. March 1 at Petersen Events Center.