GAME OF THE WEEK: Red Raiders suffer heartbreaking loss to Cougars
Jonathan Guth | 缅北禁地
Uniontown鈥檚 Billy DeShields leaves his feet before attempting a pass against the defense of Blackhawk鈥檚 Ryan Heckathorn in Saturday鈥檚 playoff game in the WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinals at Canon-McMillan High School. DeShields, a senior, scored a team-high 15 points, but the Red Raiders lost in overtime to the Cougars, 69-63.
Jonathan Guth | 缅北禁地
Uniontown鈥檚 Ray Robinson drives to the basket as Blackhawk鈥檚 Ryan Heckathorn defends in Saturday鈥檚 WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinal playoff game at Canon-McMilllan High School.
Jonathan Guth | 缅北禁地
Uniontown鈥檚 Bryant Grady is guarded by Blackhawk鈥檚 James Darno in Saturday鈥檚 playoff game at Canon-McMillan High School.
Jonathan Guth | 缅北禁地
Uniontown鈥檚 Jahmere Richardson takes a jump shot as Blackhawk鈥檚 Ryan McClymonds gets a hand up in Saturday鈥檚 playoff game in the WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinals at Canon-McMillan High School.
Jonathan Guth | 缅北禁地
Uniontown鈥檚 Keondre DeShields takes a runner as Blackhawk鈥檚 Ryan Heckathorn puts a hand up during Saturday鈥檚 playoff game in the WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinals at Canon-McMillan High School.
Jonathan Guth | 缅北禁地
Uniontown鈥檚 Billy DeShields and Blackhawk鈥檚 Marco Borello watch to see if DeShields鈥� jump shot goes in during Saturday鈥檚 playoff game in the WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinals at Canon-McMillan High School.
Jonathan Guth | 缅北禁地
Uniontown鈥檚 Billy DeShields lobs a pass into Bryant Grady, who is being guarded by Blackhawk鈥檚 James Darno, during Saturday鈥檚 playoff game in the WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinals at Canon-McMillan High School. The Cougars鈥� Marco Borello watches DeShields.
CANONSBURG 鈥� Uniontown overcame a slow start and appeared to be on the brink of the WPIAL Class 4A semifinals, but Blackhawk rallied from four down in the last 30 seconds of regulation to force overtime and upset the Red Raiders, 69-63, on Saturday at Canon-McMillan High School.
Uniontown (20-3) had a 54-50 lead and the ball, but the Cougars (13-10) forced a turnover and Ryan Heckarthorn cut the deficit to two on a layup.
The Red Raiders鈥� Ray Robinson made 1 of 2 at the foul line for a three-point advantage with 19.8 seconds remaining, but Heckarthorn made a three-pointer with three seconds left to send the game into overtime.
鈥淭he kid (Heckarthorn) made a tough shot with a hand in his face,鈥� Uniontown coach Rob Kezmarsky said. 鈥淥ur kids played hard, and you have to make foul shots and things like that to advance, but it doesn鈥檛 change what kind of character and how good of kids we have. They are wonderful kids, and I just wish we could have been playing Wednesday night, but it didn鈥檛 work out that way.鈥�
Blackhawk opened the overtime session on an 8-0 run before Isaiah Melvin made a three-pointer with 52.7 seconds remaining to cut the deficit to five. The Cougars closed the game out at the foul line, as Heckathorn made 3 of 4 down the stretch.
Blackhawk plays top-seeded Highlands (20-3) on Wednesday in the semifinals. The site and time have not been determined.
Uniontown can still qualify for the state tournament, but the Cougars would have to win the District 7 title, as the PIAA takes five teams from the WPIAL in Class 4A.
Blackhawk used another 8-0 run to take a 12-4 lead with 3:55 remaining in the first quarter. Kezmarsky took a timeout and Red Raiders outscored the Cougars, 9-6, the rest of the period to trail, 18-13, heading into the second.
Uniontown cut the deficit to one several times in the second quarter, and had an 8-7 edge in the frame for a 25-21 Blackhawk advantage at halftime.
The Red Raiders took their first lead since the game was 4-2 when Melvin made a three-pointer for a 26-25 advantage early in the third after Bryant Grady scored inside. Jahmere Richardson鈥檚 layup in transition extended Uniontown鈥檚 lead to 28-25 with 6:11 left in the third and Cougars coach Brooks Roorback took a timeout.
鈥淥ur kids came out strong in the second half, but they (Blackhawk) are a good team that shoots the ball well and runs a good-pattern offense,鈥� Kezmarsky said. 鈥淭hey are a senior-orientated team, too. We had them, but it didn鈥檛 go our way, but that鈥檚 sports. 缅北禁地 is not always the fairy tale where everyone rides off into the sunset.鈥�
The Red Raiders pushed their advantage to 45-37 on a putback by Billy DeShields, but James Darno answered with a putback of his own to cut the deficit to 45-39 after three. Blackhawk had a 16-10 advantage in the fourth quarter.
Uniontown鈥檚 senior starting five of DeShields, Grady, Melvin, Richardson and Robinson may have played their final high school game, but Kezmarsky is proud of the group that won back-to-back section titles, qualified for the quarterfinals three times and won two playoff games in their careers.
鈥淭hings didn鈥檛 go our way down the stretch, but no matter what, it doesn鈥檛 change what these kids have given to the program for three years,鈥� Kezmarsky said. 鈥淲e thank each one of them.鈥�
DeShields scored a team-high 15 points on six field goals, and was 3 of 6 from the line. He is fifth on the program鈥檚 all-time scoring list with 1,317 points.
Grady added 13 on six field goals, and was 1 of 2 at the line. Richardson and Robinson scored 12 points apiece, with Richardson connecting on five field goals and two free throws and Robinson making four field goals (1 three-pointer) and was 3 of 4 at the line.
Melvin had nine points on two three-pointers, and was 3 for 4 at the line.
Heckathorn led the game in scoring with 17 points on five field goals (1 three-pointer) and made all six of his foul shots in overtime. Marco Bello added 14 for the Cougars and Darno 12.
Blackhawk鈥檚 Tyler Fedisin (13) and Ryan McClymonds (11) were in double figures.