Hot-shooting Bulldogs fend off Mikes in tourney final
Rob Burchianti | 缅北禁地
Beth-Center鈥檚 JJ Green defends against Carmichaels鈥� Matt Barrish during the King Coal Lions Christmas Tournament boys championship game at Carmichaels Area High School in December.
Members of the King Coal Lions Chrsitmas Tournament all-tournament team pose with their awards and 2018 Bituminous Coal Queen Holly Lesko of Albert Gallatin at Carmichaels Area High School on Friday night. Pictured are (from left) Beth-Center's JJ Green and Andrew Bower, Lesko, B-C's Easton McDaniel (MVP) and Carmichaels' Dylan Wilson and Matt Barrish. Geibel Catholic's Cole Kendall and Mapletown's Ryan Tuttle were also chosen for the all-tournament team.
Beth-Center's Easton McDaniel scored inside against Carmichaels during the King Coal Lions Christmas Tournament boys championship game at Carmichaels Area High School last year. McDaniel, the tournament MVP, scored 22 points in the Bulldogs' 63-53 victory.
Beth-Center's team poses with the championship trophy, the roving trophy and 2018 Bituminous Coal Queen Holly Lesko of Albert Gallatin after defeating Carmichaels in the King Coal Lions Christmas Tournament boys championship game, 63-53, on Friday night at Carmichaels Area High School.
Carmichaels' Dylan Wilson scores against Beth-Center聽during last year's King Coal Lions Christmas Tournament.
Beth-Center coach Bill Greco directs his team against Carmichaels during the King Coal Lions Christmas Tournament boys championship game at Carmichaels Area High School last year.
Beth-Center's JJ Green (2) collides with Carmichaels' Matt Barrish while driving the basket聽during the King Coal Lions Christmas Tournament boys championship game at Carmichaels Area High School on Friday night. Green scored 16 points in the Bulldogs' 63-53 victory.
CARMICHAELS 鈥� Hot-shooting Beth-Center defeated Carmichaels in the King Coal Lions Christmas Tournament boys basketball championship game for the fourth time in the last five years last Friday night.
The Bulldogs built a 19-point lead in the first half and then held off a second-half comeback by the Mikes to earn a 63-53 victory in front of a big crowd at Carmichaels Area High School.
Boys tournament MVP Easton McDaniel scored a game-high 22 points, including Beth-Center鈥檚 final seven to help coach Bill Greco鈥檚 team hold off Carmichaels in the fourth period and avenge last year鈥檚 loss in the tournament final.
鈥淚 told these guys this is going to be a packed house, their girls team just won the championship, and we answered the bell,鈥� Greco said. 鈥淚鈥檓 a happy guy right now.鈥�
JJ Green scored 12 of his 16 points in the first half to help B-C take control early on and Andrew Bower added 11 points.
The Bulldogs鈥� offense was sizzling from the start when it exploded to a 20-5 lead.
鈥淲hen our guys are shooting the ball like that, we鈥檙e going to be tough to beat,鈥� Greco said. 鈥淚 said before the season if I can get 50 points a game between these three guys (McDaniel, Green and Bower), the way we play defense, we鈥檒l have a successful season. And the last couple games these guys have really been hitting on all cylinders, hitting their shots and playing some tremendous half-court defense.鈥�
Beth-Center鈥檚 defense made it tough for the Mikes (5-3) to get a clean look early on and the lead swelled to 19 before the Bulldogs (4-4) settled on a 37-23 halftime advantage.
鈥淭hat was unbelievable the way they shot the ball in the first half,鈥� Carmichaels coach Don Williams said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what their percentage was but it had to be about 70-75 percent from the floor. If they shoot the ball that well, they鈥檙e going to win a lot of games.鈥�
The Mikes fought back in the third period as two 3-pointers by Dylan Wilson, who led the hosts with 16 points, and one apiece by freshmen Chris Barrish and Drake Long helped cut the lead to 49-41 heading into the final frame.
鈥淲hen we were up big at halftime, I told these guys that was the easy 16 minutes,鈥� Greco said. 鈥淣ow the tough 16 minutes is coming now. They鈥檙e going to throw everything they have at you. Carmichaels did. They didn鈥檛 give up.鈥�
The Mikes sliced the lead down to six twice in the fourth period. Wilson sank a pair of free throws to make it 51-45 with 5:31 remaining before McDaniel, who scored half of his points in the final frame, countered with a basket.
Wilson鈥檚 fast-break layup cut it to six again, 53-47, but Green swished a pair of foul shots and McDaniel drilled a 3-pointer to push the lead back up to 11 and Carmichaels could get no closer than nine the rest of the way.
鈥淲e鈥檙e a very unselfish team,鈥� Greco said. 鈥淲hoever has the hot hand, we look to get it to them. If they cool off someone else steps up. Tonight, everybody was hitting their shots.鈥�
Williams was pleased to see his team regroup and make a charge in the second half.
鈥淲e battled back but you can鈥檛 dig yourself such a big hole that you can鈥檛 climb out of,鈥� Williams said.
The Mikes got balanced scoring behind Wilson as Al Cree, Chris Barrish 鈥� who both fouled out 鈥� and Matt Barrish each scored 10 points.
Wilson, Matt Barrish, McDaniel, Green and Bower were all named to the all-tournament team along with Mapletown鈥檚 Ryan Tuttle and Geibel Catholic鈥檚 Kendall Cole.
鈥淚t feels good to end the year on a good win like that,鈥� Bower said.
Greco hopes his team can maintain its current form in the second half of the season.
鈥淚f we can continue the momentum that we鈥檝e established with these guys 鈥� everybody鈥檚 figured out their rolls, we鈥檙e getting some good contributions off the bench 鈥� I think we鈥檙e going to be a tough out once we start section play again,鈥� Greco said.
Williams lauded the event, despite his team coming up short.
鈥淚t鈥檚 exciting and the community comes out and we get a good many spectators here,鈥� Williams said. 鈥淚 think people enjoy it and the kids enjoy playing in it.鈥�
In the first round of the tournament last Thursday, Carmichaels pulled away in the middle two quarters for a 76-50 victory against Mapletown.
The Mikes held a slim 10-9 lead after the first quarter, but pulled away for a 39-17 halftime lead. The host squad added to the lead, carrying a 59-33 advantage into the fourth quarter.
Garrett Ponick led Carmichaels with a game-high 18 points. Matt Barrish finished with 16 and Cree added 14.
Tuttle scored 17 points for the Maples.
Beth-Center rallied in the second half to defeat Geibel, 66-57, in its first-round game.
In last Friday鈥檚 consolation game, Geibel Catholic scored 48 points in the middle two quarters on its way to a 69-47 victory over Mapletown.
The Gators (5-3) led 16-13 after the first quarter and extended their lead to 38-26 at halftime. Geibel put the game away in the third quarter, outscoring the Maples (0-8), 26-5.
Mapletown held the advantage in the final eight minutes, 16-5.
Kendall and Enzo Fetsko shared scoring honors for the Gators with 20 points apiece. Ryan Anderson added 13.
Chuck Lash scored 11 and Lance Stevenson finished with 10 for Mapletown.
Bituminous Coal Queen Holly Lesko of Albert Gallatin attended Friday鈥檚 games and helped present awards and trophies. Lee Watson was the master of ceremonies of the event.