Plaque secured: Leopards clinch at least share of section title with win over Red Raiders
Rob Burchianti | 缅北禁地
Belle Vernon鈥檚 Quinton Martin grabs an offensive rebound and scores against Uniontown during Tuesday night鈥檚 game at Belle Vernon. Martin had 20 points and 17 rebounds in the Leopards鈥� 72-55 win.
Belle Vernon's Devin Whitlock brings the ball up court on a fast break against Uniontown during Tuesday night's game at Belle Vernon. Whitlock had 14 assists as well as nine points and four steals in the Leopards' 72-55 win.
Uniontown's Notroious Grooms (11) makes a driving layup during Tuesday night's game at Belle Vernon. Grooms scored 14 points but the Leopards won, 72-55.
Belle Vernon's Daniel Gordon follows through with a jump shot as the official signals a 3-point attempt during Tuesday night's game against Uniontown at Belle Vernon. Gordon made three 3-pointers, including this one, in scoring a game-high 23 points in the Leopards' 72-55 win.
Uniontown's Calvin Winfrey III hits a shot from the baseline as Belle Vernon's Daniel Gordon defends during Tuesday night's game at Belle Vernon.
Belle Vernon's Quinton Martin defends Uniontown's Notorious Grooms (10) during Tuesday night's game at Belle Vernon.
Belle Vernon coach Joe Salvino watches the action during Tuesday night's game against Uniontown at Belle Vernon.
Uniontown's Bakari Wallace puts in a shot while driving to the basket during Tuesday night's game at Belle Vernon. Wallace scored 12 points but the Leopards won, 72-55.
Belle Vernon's Tyler Kovatch scores against Uniontown during Tuesday night's game at Belle Vernon.
Uniontown's Calvin Winfrey III prepares to make a 3-pointer as Belle Vernon's Tyler Kovatch defends during Tuesday night's game at Belle Vernon.
Belle Vernon's Quinton Martin knocks the ball away from Uniontown's Christian Perkins during Tuesday night's game at Belle Vernon.
Uniontown's Tanner Uphold attempts a shot in the lane as Belle Vernon's Tyler Kovatch defends during Tuesday night's game at Belle Vernon.
Uniontown's Calvin Winfrey III leaps high in the air while defending Belle Vernon's Devin Whitlock during Tuesday night's game at Belle Vernon.
Uniontown's Tevian Richardson puts up a shot during Tuesday night's game at Belle Vernon.
Belle Vernon's Devin Whitlock attempts a 3-point shot against Uniontown during Tuesday night's game at Belle Vernon.
Uniontown's Bakari Wallace works for a shot in the lane while surrounded by Belle Vernon players during Tuesday night's game at Belle Vernon.
Belle Vernon's Devin Whitlock unleashes a long pass during Tuesday night's game against Uniontown at Belle Vernon.
Uniontown coach Rob Kezmarsky watches as his Red Raiders play at Belle Vernon on Tuesday night.
ROSTRAVER TWP. 鈥� Belle Vernon was ready from the start this time.
The Leopards, who faced an early 10-point deficit before surging to victory in their first meeting with Uniontown this season, controlled the rematch from the opening tip in defeating the visiting Red Raiders, 72-55, on Tuesday night.
Daniel Gordon scored a game-high 23 points with three 3-pointers, five assists and four steals, and Quinton Martin turned in a solid double-double with 20 points and 17 rebounds for Belle Vernon (10-0, 16-2). Devin Whitlock added nine points, 12 assists and four steals.
The Leopards jumped out to a 22-10 advantage in the opening quarter and led 41-25 at halftime and 59-37 after three.
鈥淲e talked about that, that we wanted to start fast and not have to fight from behind,鈥� Belle Vernon coach Joe Salvino said. 鈥淟ast time we went up there and started sluggish and they took advantage. They鈥檙e a team you can鈥檛 take lightly at any point.鈥�
The win clinches at least a share of the Section 3-AAAA title, which is something the Leopards (10-0, 16-2) did not accomplish last year through no fault of their own.
鈥淓ven though we were the No. 1 seed last year, the WPIAL didn鈥檛 give us a section championship because they said we didn鈥檛 play enough section games,鈥� Salvino pointed out.
Belle Vernon finished 9-0 in the section a season ago but, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, didn鈥檛 get a chance to play its rematches against Mount Pleasant, Southmoreland and South Park, three teams it beat by a combined 88 points in the first meetings. The Leopards had defeated second-place Elizabeth Forward (8-2) twice but the Warriors were still, mathematically at least, alive for the section crown when the regular season ended.
鈥淎nd it was the other teams instead of us that had to cancel games,鈥� Salvino said. 鈥淪o I told them we should be playing with a little chip on our shoulder because of that reason. We want that section championship, especially because we鈥檝e got a lot of seniors.鈥�
Belle Vernon, which fell in the WPIAL semifinals last year, will have two chances to claim sole possession of first place with section games remaining at South Park next Tuesday and at home against Elizabeth Forward on Feb. 11.
Uniontown coach Rob Kezmarsky could sense the Leopards鈥� determination.
鈥淏elle Vernon played like they wanted to clinch the section and be one of the top seeds,鈥� Kezmarsky said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been in that situation and the kids are aware of it. Sometimes that鈥檚 the toughest game to win.
鈥淲e played hard and we tried to battle but they took it to a different notch tonight.鈥�
Notorious Grooms scored 14 points to lead the Red Raiders (7-2, 10-7) who fell into a second-place tie with EF. Bakari Wallace followed with 12 points, Calvin Winfrey III added 11 points and Tevian Richardson chipped in with seven points off the bench.
鈥淭evian鈥檚 been doing an outstanding job for us,鈥� Kezmarsky said. 鈥淗e was playing 100 miles an hour and I thought he really did a good job of handling the ball tonight, too. That was a big game for him, and, hopefully, we can springboard that into the last couple games. He played really well.
鈥淥verall, we didn鈥檛 shoot as well as we had the last couple games. We missed a lot of layups in transition but you give Belle Vernon some credit for that. Martin and them make you alter your shots. They鈥檙e a complete team. Everyone talks about Martin and Whitlock but they don鈥檛 talk about Gordon and some of their other guys who play their roles really well. Those seniors have been playing for a long time.鈥�
Uniontown has played a highly ranked team in three of its last four games (Class 5A No. 1 Laurel Highlands, Class 4A Montour and Belle Vernon).
鈥淭hese are great games for us to get experience as we head into the playoffs,鈥� said Kezmarsky as the Red Raiders have already clinched a spot in the postseason for a WPIAL-record 71st time.
鈥淥ur goal right now is try to finish in second behind Belle Vernon. We have three section games left and one is at EF and that鈥檚 going to be really tough because they want to finish in second place, too.鈥�
The Leopards bounced back from a 68-64 loss to Class A power Bishop Canevin on Sunday in the PBC Classic at Montour.
鈥淚 was disappointed in we didn鈥檛 handle the ball very well,鈥� Salvino said of the loss to the Crusaders. 鈥淲e had a nine-point lead with about a minute or so to go before halftime and we turned the ball over three times and they scored off all three of those. Then we had a couple other turnovers we shouldn鈥檛 have had in the fourth quarter. That cost us the game.
鈥淓very opportunity you have with the basketball you have to get an attempt to score.鈥�
Salvino wasn鈥檛 completely satisfied with his team鈥檚 ball handling against the Red Raiders despite the win.
鈥淎gain, turnovers. We only had one turnover in the first quarter but we had seven in the second,鈥� Salvino said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e rebounding fine and we鈥檙e doing a lot of other things good but we鈥檝e got to start taking care of the ball.鈥�
Salvino sees a bright future for Red Raiders, who Belle Vernon defeated 77-56 at Uniontown on Jan. 7.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e a nice team and they鈥檙e a team coming up because they are young and they鈥檙e very athletic,鈥� Salvino said.
Kezmarky admitted he wouldn鈥檛 mind seeing a third game between the two this season.
鈥淗opefully, we get to play them one more time,鈥� Kezmarsky said, 鈥渂ecause that means we鈥檙e doing pretty well in the playoffs.鈥�