Back at the top: Monessen wraps up section title No. 46 with win over Mikes
Rob Burchianti | 缅北禁地/
Monessen鈥檚 Leonag Thomas (4) gathers in an offensive rebound during Tuesday night鈥檚 game at Carmicahels.
Rob Burchianti | 缅北禁地
Monessen鈥檚 Lorenzo Gardner puts up a shot between Carmichaels鈥� Chris Barrish (3) and Mike Stewart (24) during Tuesday night鈥檚 game at Carmichaels. Gardner scored a game-high 23 points in the Greyhounds鈥� 60-47 win.
Carmichaels鈥� Drake Long (left) and Monessen鈥檚 Davontae Ross scramble for a loose ball during Tuesday night鈥檚 game at Carmichaels. (Photo by Rob Burchianti)
Rob Burchianti | 缅北禁地/
Carmichaesl鈥� Chris Barrish hits a 3-pointer against Monessen during Tuesday night鈥檚 game at Carmicahels. Barrish scored 17 points with five 3-pointers but the Greyhounds won, 60-47.
Rob Burchianti | 缅北禁地/
Monessen鈥檚 Kody Kuhns drops in a layup for two of his 16 points during a game at Carmicahels on Feb. 8. The Greyhounds host Jeannette tonight in a WPIAL first-round playoff game.
Monessen coach Dan Bosnic talks to his team during a timeout in Tuesday night's game at Carmichaels.
Rob Burchianti | 缅北禁地/
Monessen鈥檚 Lorenzo Gardner puts in two of his game-high 23 points during a game at Carmichaels on Feb. 8. The Greyhounds play in the WPIAL Class AA quarterfinals tonight against Greensburg Central Catholic at Norwin.
Rob Burchianti | 缅北禁地/
Carmichaels鈥� Drake Long shots over Monessen鈥檚 Kiantae Robinson during Tuesday night鈥檚 game at Carmichaels.
Rob Burchianti | 缅北禁地
Carmichaels coach Ian McCombs makes a point with his players during a timeout in Tuesday night鈥檚 game against Monessen at Carmichaels.
Monessen coach Dan Bosnic talks with Leonaj Thomas (4) as he comes to the bench during Tuesday night's game at Carmichaels.
CARMICHAELS 鈥� Monessen is back at the top.
The Greyhounds came up short the past two years of claiming the boys basketball program鈥檚 46th section championship but got the job at Carmichaels on Tuesday night.
Lorenzo Gardner scored a game-high 23 points as Monessen defeated the Mikes on their Senior Night, 60-47, to wrap up sole possession of first place in Section 4-AA.
鈥淚t was the goal coming into the season,鈥� Greyhounds coach Dan Bosnic said. 鈥淏efore the season Carmichaels and Jefferson-Morgan were expected to compete for a section championship and we were kind of off to the side. Our kids took that personally.
鈥淲e鈥檙e just really proud of them and the effort they put in to get into this position.鈥�
The Greyhounds led most of the way but had to fight off a couple runs by Carmichaels.
Monessen (9-0, 15-4) took a 12-7 lead in the first quarter and pushed the margin up to 15 points at 22-7 midway through the second.
鈥淵ou look at this game and the game we played before against them (a 65-59 loss at Monessne) and two of the big things were turnovers and rebounds,鈥� Carmichaels coach Ian McCombs said. 鈥淎nd, right out of the gate, that was how they got off to a big lead.鈥�
Carmichaels (6-2, 12-4) came roaring back with a 16-4 run highlighted by a pair of 3-pointers from Chris Barrish and one by Tyler Richmond to pull within 26-23 late in the second quarter.
鈥淭he guys needed to settle in a little bit,鈥� McCombs said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a big crowd, big night for them, Senior Night, and obviously there was a lot on the line with the game itself. I think once the nerves got settled a little bit we started making better decisions, we put the pressure on them in the full court and we got back in the game a little bit.鈥�
Gardner made a pair of free throws to make it 28-23 at halftime.
Bosnic felt his team got out of sorts in the latter part of the second quarter.
鈥淎t halftime we just talked about playing with composure,鈥� Bosnic said. 鈥淲e talked about handling whatever came their way in the second half.鈥�
The Greyhounds took control again in the third quarter with its defense and rebounding to push the gap up to 13 but a 3-pointer by Barrish at the buzzer got the Mikes within 44-34 heading into the final frame.
Another 3-pointer by Barrish and three points from Mike Stewart highlighted a seven-point run as Carmichaels whittled the gap to 46-41 with just under four minutes to play.
Monessen wouldn鈥檛 allow the Mikes to get any closer, though, and pulled away from there to wrap up the win.
鈥淭here were times when I thought we were making a move and then they would get an offensive rebound and second-chance points,鈥� McCombs said. 鈥淭hings like that kept the momentum in their favor.鈥�
Kody Kuhns followed Gardner with 16 points for the Greyhounds, who also got six points from Leonaj Thomas and five points from Dante DeFelices.
Barrish led the Mikes with 17 points, including five 3-pointers. Drake Long, Stewart and Richmond added nine points apiece.
鈥淲e knew coming in we wanted to speed them up and get the ball out of Barrish鈥檚 hands and make those other guys play faster than they wanted to,鈥� Bosnic said. 鈥淚 thought our kids did that for the most part.鈥�
Bosnic lauded his team鈥檚 effort on the boards.
鈥淚 thought a big part of this game was the rebounding, especially offensive rebounding,鈥� Bosnic said. 鈥淭hat was a big difference tonight.鈥�
McCombs was disappointed his team, which remains in second place and is headed for the playoffs, couldn鈥檛 keep its section title hopes alive but commended seniors Barrish, Long, Stewart, Dylan Rohrer and Beau Batis.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e a good group who have been playing together for a long time,鈥� McCombs said. 鈥淵ou see that at times, where they seem to know what each other is thinking and what they鈥檙e going to do.
鈥淗opefully, we can finish off their senior year on a high note.鈥�