Nusser’s 37 lead Leopards to 80-71 road win
Ed Thompson
The Rams鈥� Demetrius Butler tries to go up for a layup through Belle Vernon鈥檚 Cam Nusser (5) and Thomas Hepple (22) late in the fourth quarter in Friday鈥檚 Section 3-AAAA game at Ringgold High School.
Ed Thompson
Belle Vernon鈥檚 Cam Nussser scores two of his career-high 37 points on layup around the outstretched arm of Ringgold鈥檚 Luke Wyvratt (24) late in the fourth quarter of Friday鈥檚 Section 3-AAAA game at Ringgold. The Leopards defeated the Rams, 80-71.
Ed Thompson
Ringgold鈥檚 Chris Peccon saves the ball to teammate Luke Wyvratt (24) as he jumps out of bounds that the Rams converted into a field goal during Friday鈥檚 Section 3-AAAA game against Belle Vernon at Ringgold.
CARROLL TWP. 鈥� Cam Nusser scored a career-high 37 points and set two school records as he propelled Belle Vernon to an 80-71 win at Ringgold in Section 3-AAAA action Friday night.
The senior, who set school records with five 3-pointers in the first quarter and nine in the game, said he 鈥渇elt on鈥� early.
鈥淚 am glad we got the win and was happy to make plays early with the hot hand,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he rim felt big and the shots kept coming and flowing.鈥�
Nusser鈥檚 37 points topped his previous career-high of 36 last season, which also took place against Ringgold.
Belle Vernon coach Joe Salvino said Nusser鈥檚 hot start took a loud and vociferous Ringgold crowd out of the game early.
鈥淚t was tremendous for him to be able to do that and any time someone can shoot like he did in the first half, it brings a lot of intensity on the defensive end,鈥� said Salvino. 鈥淲hen you beat a team like Ringgold three times, it is a positive.
鈥淲e have to keep it going because we want a good seed in the playoffs.鈥�
Ringgold coach Phil Pergola said Nusser鈥檚 shots weren鈥檛 normal threes.
鈥淗e was hitting them from deep, 24, 25 feet out,鈥� Pergola said. 鈥淲e were playing from behind all night because of him.
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 want to get behind on them.鈥�
Not to be outdone, Ringgold鈥檚 Luke Wyvratt finished with 33 points and 11 rebounds.
鈥淟uke scored too many points on us in the first half,鈥� Salvino said. 鈥淲e extended up defensively in the second half.鈥�
Nusser scored 17 points in the first quarter as he made 5-of-6 attempts from behind the arc. Belle Vernon (15-5, 7-2) opened the game on a 10-0 run and took an 18-4 lead before Ringgold (11-8, 4-6) settled in.
Belle Vernon led 27-18 after one quarter, but Ringgold battled back in the second.
The Rams closed the Belle Vernon lead to five points with under a minute to go before the intermission, but Nusser hit his seventh and eighth 3-pointers in the final 25 seconds of the half, with the last coming from 30 feet out.
Nusser finished with 26 points in the first half, while Wyvratt had 24.
Ringgold trailed by as many as 15 in the second half, but thanks to its defense holding Belle Vernon without a point for almost four minutes to start the fourth quarter, it cut the Belle Vernon lead to six twice within the closing minutes but could get no closer.
Belle Vernon (30-of-66) and Ringgold (28-of-61) both shot 46 percent from the floor. The Leopards, however, made 10-of-24 3-point attempts, while Ringgold hit 5-of-12.
Mitch Pohlot finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds for Belle Vernon, while Devin Whitlock had 10 points and Hunter Ruokonen had 10 rebounds.
Chris Peccon hit four 3-pointers for Ringgold and joined Wyvratt in double figures with 19 points.
Both teams return to section play Tuesday as Belle Vernon hosts Elizabeth Forward, while Ringgold heads to South Park.