GAME OF THE WEEK: Leopards defeat visiting Ringgold for key section win, 77-66
Darnell Graham
Belle Vernon鈥檚 Devin Whitlock (4) lays the ball off the glass as Ringgold鈥檚 Jordan Mayer closes in during Friday鈥檚 Section 3-AAAA game at Belle Vernon.
Darnell Graham
Ringgold鈥檚 Luke Wyvratt (24) scores over the outstretched arm of Belle Vernon鈥檚 Devin Whitlock (4) during Friday鈥檚 Section 3-AAAA game at Belle Vernon High School.
Darnell Graham
Belle Vernon鈥檚 Hunter Ruokonen (1) gets a step on Ringgold鈥檚 Demetris Butler during Friday鈥檚 Section 3-AAAA game at Belle Vernon.
ROSTRAVER TWP. 鈥斅� In an important game between two of the better teams in Section 3-AAAA, Belle Vernon defeated Ringgold, 77-66, on Friday night in front of a packed, energized crowd.
Both teams entered the 缅北禁地 Game of the Week game fighting for position to maintain contact with section-leading Uniontown.
鈥淲e didn鈥檛 do anything different to prepare for tonight鈥檚 game,鈥� said Belle Vernon head coach Joe Salvino. 鈥淚 worry about our team playing our game, and I don鈥檛 want to worry about having to play the other team鈥檚 game.鈥�
Salvino, in his 36th year of coaching, is in his second year at Belle Vernon. Meanwhile, Ringgold head coach Phil Pergola is in his 50th year as a head coach, and between the two coaches, they have amassed an impressive 1,293 wins and have won WPIAL and state titles.
鈥淢e and Phil go back a long time,鈥� said Salvino. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a great guy, a great coach, and I have the utmost respect for him.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檙e okay. We called this the week from hell because we had Uniontown, then TJ, and Belle Vernon,鈥� said Pergola.
The excitement and the intensity of the crowd really hit home to Pergola.
鈥淭he atmosphere was tremendous. The excitement of the crowd reminded me of the 70s, 80s, and the 90s. Lately, you don鈥檛 see crowds like this at a game,鈥� said Pergola.
After Ringgold鈥檚 Demetrius Butler tied the game at 13-13, the Leopards went on a 5-2 run in the last 1:30 for a 18-15 lead heading into the second quarter.
Ringgold鈥檚 Luke Wyvratt got hot early and contributed 10 points for the Rams in the second quarter.
Ringgold controlled most of the quarter, going on a 19-4 run for a 38-27 lead at the half. Wyvratt鈥檚 basket with 4:30 left in the second quarter tied the game and Peccon鈥檚 beautiful 3-pointer gave the Rams the lead.
With his team down by 11 points at the half, Salvino said, 鈥淚 told the team at halftime that we weren鈥檛 playing very good, and during the second quarter, it was like we weren鈥檛 playing at all. We have to play four quarters of basketball.鈥�
Salvino鈥檚 words must have resonated with his team because the Leopards entered the second half on fire with a 14-3 run and tied the game 41-41 with 5:25 left in the third quarter.
Belle Vernon managed a very brief 20-second lead, but Ringgold regained the lead on a Butler field goal, a lead they would maintain until the fourth quarter. Belle Vernon held a 28-20 advantage in the third quarter.
The lead changed hands 10 times, but the Leopards delivered the final blow thanks to Devin Whitlock鈥檚 basket with 6:10 left in the fourth quarter.
The crowd was brought to its feet with thunderous applause with Mitch Pohlot鈥檚 dunk just seconds later. Belle Vernon fed off the adrenaline and never looked back, going on an epic 18-6 run to end the game.
鈥淭his was the third game in a row where we played very well for three quarter and fall in the fourth,鈥� said Pergola.
The Rams were without senior Benjamin Lawrence, out with an injury.
鈥淗e doesn鈥檛 give us a whole lot on offense, but defensively, he clogs that middle up,鈥� said Pergola. 鈥淗e definitely would鈥檝e helped us tonight had he been on the floor.鈥�
Wyvratt (19), Butler (17), Chris Peccon (15), and Nate Pajak (13) all scoring double digits for the Rams.
Whitlock scored a game-high 23 points. Pohlot added 16.
鈥淚t was a good comeback win,鈥� said Salvino. 鈥淚 keep telling them to play good defense because good things can happen, so we created some turnovers and got some transition points and look what happened.鈥�
Both teams resume sectional play on Tuesday with Belle Vernon traveling to Elizabeth Forward and Ringgold returning home to host South Park.
Section 3-AAAA
Ringgold聽 聽 聽 聽15-23-20-8 鈥� 66
Belle Vernon 18-9-28-22 鈥� 77
Ringgold: Luke Wyvratt 19, Demetrius Butler 17, Chris Peccon 15, Nate Pajak 13. Belle Vernon: Devin Whitlock 23, Mitch Pohlot 16. Records: Ringgold (2-2, 7-5), Belle Vernon (3-1, 9-4).