Mt. Lebanon, USC focused on improving in boys’ basketball
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Hayden Mitchell splits the Upper St. Clair defenders and dishes off the basketball. During Mt. Lebanon’s 56-46 victory, the senior tossed in 14 points.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Jake Hoffman battles Tanner Gensler for possession of the basketball during section action.
As they embark on second-half action in Section 2, 6A boys’ basketball, Mt. Lebanon (13-2, 5-0) and Upper St. Clair (14-1, 4-1) have more than Feb. 5 on their minds.
While that date sets up the rematch between the two rivals, who battled tenaciously on Jan. 15 before the Blue Devils handed the Panthers their first loss, 56-46, there are many potential pitfalls standing in their way.
When asked his thoughts after the victory propelled Lebo to the top of the standings in the section, Joe David said he was anxious to get back in the gym and practice. Getting better was the objective of the 13-2 Blue Devils.
“I know that other teams are out their improving,” he said.
USC coach Danny Holzer agreed.
“I love where we are except I wish we had one more win instead of being 4-1 but there are five big games left because we are all in the mix. So we can’t think about next time because it’s going to be one big battle after another from here on out. So we have to focus on what we need to get better at.”
Perimeter shooting is something the Panthers will be working on while the Blue Devils continue to tweak other aspects of their game because they shoot the ball well. At least against USC they did. They converted 56 percent of their field goal attempts (18 of 32) and they were 8 of 17 from beyond the arc (47 percent).
“They shoot better than we do,” Holzer admitted. “They share the ball well and they are well drilled and it shows. They all can handle the ball and pass it. That’s a pretty good combination.”
While Hayden Mitchell and Blaine Gartley combined for 28 points, scoring 14 apiece, Sean Loughran led with 16. Mike Palmer and Jake Hoffman finished with six points each.
“It’s a special group,” David said. “It’s just a bunch of guys that are playing for the name on the front of their chest. It is a pleasure to coach a group of guys that have that attitude.”
Mitchell attributed that factor to Lebo’s success.
“We are just playing for each other and for our school,” said the senior. “It’s never about how many points each person has. It’s always been that way for our team.”
Mitchell says it will continue to be. The Blue Devils will not rest on their laurels of having beaten their arch rival on their home court.
“It was a huge win and a great atmosphere. It was so awesome to play in an environment like this against a team that had been undefeated and ranked in the state but we are just looking to keep doing what we are doing and keep escalating as the section play goes along,” Mitchell said.
The Panthers, likewise, are thrilled particularly after they bounced back from the loss to Lebo and upended Allderdice, 58-51. The Dragons (11-3) are five-time City League champions and were listed ahead of the Panthers in the state rankings.
Though Tanner Gensler topped out with 20 points against Lebo,, USC’s scoring leader was held to five markers against the Dragons. Senior Chris Pantelis, however, picked up the slack. He exploded for 28 points. He buried five of USC’s nine, 3-point field goals.
While the two-game swing in a two-day span proved an emotional roller coaster for the Panthers, they must maintain an even keel throughout the remainder of league play, which features trips to Peters Township (Jan. 22) and Canon-McMillan (Jan. 29) as well as home encounters with Baldwin (Jan. 25) and Bethel Park (Feb. 1) before the rematch at Lebo.
“There are still a lot of games left, games against section opponents that are very good teams. We are going to have to play really well to win,” Holzer said.
Canon-McMillan (9-5, 3-2) proved that point as the Big Macs moved within a game of the Panthers when they upended Peters Township, 66-44.
The Big Macs, who raced to a 24-5 first-quarter lead, also featured a balanced attack with four players in double figures: Luke Palmer (17), Tom Samosky (14), Ethan Beachy (13) and Drew Engel (10).
Dax Plosinka (13) and Colin Cote (11) led the Indians.
Meanwhile, Bethel Park (8-6, 05) finished the first half of section action in last place after a 73-67 loss to Baldwin. Tommy DiRienzo (10), Alex Mullen (18) and Ryan Meis (12) paced the Hawks.