Battling back: Gators rally past Bulldogs, earn return trip to semifinals
Westley Burchianti
Geibel Catholic鈥檚 Jaydis Kennedy attempts a shot inside as Neighborhood Academy鈥檚 Courtney Wallace (0) defends during Wednesday night鈥檚 WPIAL Class A playoff game at Peters Township鈥檚 AHN Arena. Kennedy scored 26 points in the Gators鈥� 66-64 win. Wallace scored a game-high 31 points for the Bulldogs.
Geibel Catholic鈥檚 Tre White shoots over Neighborhood Academy鈥檚 Naziim Daniels during Wednesday night鈥檚 WPIAL Class A playoff game at Peters Township鈥檚 AHN Arena. White scored 30 points in the Gators鈥� 66-64 victory.
Westley Burchianti
Geibel Catholic coach Don Porter (right) talks to his players during a timeout in聽Wednesday night's WPIAL Class A playoff game against Neighborhood Academy at Peters Township's AHN Arena.
Geibel Catholic's Jeffrey Johnson takes a jump shot against Neighborhood Academy聽during Wednesday night's WPIAL Class A playoff game at Peters Township's AHN Arena. Johnson scored all seven of his points in the fourth quarter as the Gators won, 66-64.
Geibel Catholic's Tre White attempts to dribble past Neighborhood Academy's Naziim Daniels during Wednesday night's WPIAL Class A playoff game at Peters Township's AHN Arena.
MCMURRAY 鈥� It looked murky early for the Gators, but Geibel Catholic saved its best for last and used a 21-12 fourth quarter advantage to advance to the WPIAL Class A semifinals for the second year in a row with a thrilling come-from-behind win over Neighborhood Academy, 66-64, Wednesday night.
The fourth-seeded Gators (17-6) play top-seeded Imani Christian Academy in the semifinals Saturday at a site and time to be determined. Imani Christian (16-6) defeated Rochester, 78-41. The win also secured Geibel a PIAA playoff berth.
鈥淭he game pretty much played out like we said,鈥� said Geibel coach Don Porter. 鈥淲e played them during the season, and they underestimated us.
鈥淚 also told them the playoffs are a different type of atmosphere and would come down to a four-minute game.
鈥淧layoff basketball for high school kids, it can鈥檛 get any better than this.鈥�
Tre White (30) and Jaydis Kennedy (26) combined for 56 points and the duo scored every Geibel point through three quarters.
With visions of playing in the program鈥檚 first WPIAL title game since 1984, the Gators rose to the occasion in the fourth quarter.
Interestingly enough, it was the role players who made plays in the final quarter to put Geibel over the top.
While Kennedy scored seven points and White had four in the quarter, Jeffrey Johnson finished with seven points, Braydon Curry added a basket and Seth Dolan hit a free throw to contribute 10 vital points.
鈥淥ur meat and potatoes of Kennedy, Johnson and White do what they do every night,鈥� said Porter. 鈥淭he difference was our role players who bought in and did whatever we asked them to do.
鈥淭hat was the difference in the game.鈥�
The Gators trailed 52-45 after three quarters but Johnson鈥檚 3-pointer with 6:06 left cut the lead to 56-54. White fed Kennedy for a layup to tie it and Johnson converted a fast-break layup to put Geibel in front, 58-56, with 4:46 left. Dolan鈥檚 free throw and a bucket by Kennedy put the Gators ahead 61-56.
Courtney Wallace stepped up with six straight points to give the Bulldogs the lead back, then answered a basket by Kennedy with a reverse layup to make it 64-63.
The Gators鈥� defense made a stand at that point.
Wallace tried to extend Neighborhood Academy鈥檚 lead but his shot was blocked by Tom Kolencik which led to a basket by White and a 65-64 Gators lead with 1:06 to go.
Kaiden Grady blocked a shot by John Wilkins and then grabbed the rebound of a missed 3-pointer by Shamar Simpson. Neighborhood Academy got the ball back but Jalen Moore missed a 3-pointer and Kolencik came up with another block, this time on Simpson, and the ball went out of bounds with five seconds left.
The Bulldogs threw the ball away on the inbounds play and were also called for a technical foul. Kennedy made one of two from the line, then was fouled again when the Gators inbounded the ball with two seconds left. Kennedy missed the free throw but Wilkins鈥� long heave was well short as time expired.
Neighborhood Academy (18-5) was dialed in from long distance early on with seven 3-pointers in the first half.
The Gators were down by as many as 13 points, 30-17, early in the second quarter, but kept chipping away at the deficit and were within striking distance at halftime, 39-32.
鈥淲e had to stay with them and weather the storm,鈥� said Porter. 鈥淲e went back and forth, and I told them if we get the lead, this game is ours.鈥�
Geibel kept showing glimpses of making a patented run, but the Gators could not get over the hump in the third quarter and trailed 52-45 heading into the final eight minutes.
Wallace led all scorers with 31 points for Neighborhood Academy. Simpson added 15 points, and Wilkins finished with 11.