Penn Cambria catches fire late to fend off Yough
Penn Cambria found its shooting touch at just the right time to finally shake off upset-minded Yough, 61-53, in a PIAA Class AAA first-round boys basketball playoff game at Mount Aloysius College on Saturday afternoon.
Duquense football recruit Garrett Harrold scored a game-high 24 points and Easton Semelsberger added 18 points on six 3-pointers as the District 6 champion Panthers (22-5) advanced into Wednesday second round where they will face Steel Valley.
The Cougars led throughout most of the first three quarters. Yough was up 13-11, 28-25 and 45-40 at the breaks and pushed the margin up to nine, 49-40, after Terek Crosby scored consecutive baskets early in the fourth quarter.
Penn Cambria suddenly got hot from the 3-point line and began its comeback, outscoring the Cougars 21-4 the rest of the way. The Panthers made 11 of 30 shots from beyond the arc for the game.
鈥淥ur zone was working OK for awhile there,鈥� Yough coach Jim Nesser said. 鈥淚t got us a nine-point lead. Then all of a sudden they hit one (3-pointer), we played man and they kept hitting them. I thought most of them were contested.
鈥淲hen they had to they did, they shot the heck out of it. We knew they could shoot. (Semelsberger) had six 3s. He was the difference in the game. Plus there were a couple hustle plays that we didn鈥檛 make. Give them credit. They made the shots at the end. We didn鈥檛 get it done.鈥�
Juniors Crosby and Austin Matthews led the Cougars with 20 and 15 points, respectively. Senior Tyler Travillion added 13 points.
Although the loss was a tough pill to swallow, Nesser felt his team鈥檚 section title and extended playoff run will benefit the Cougars next season.
鈥淚 think the future is good and the experience playing in big games like this will help them,鈥� Nesser said. 鈥淣o doubt about it.鈥�
Girls basketball
Otto-Eldred 57, Monessen 30 鈥� The District 9 champion Terrors held Monessen to one point in the first quarter and gradually pulled away from there to win the PIAA Class A first-round playoff game.
Otto-Eldred (24-2) led the Lady Greyhounds (17-7) 10-1 after the first quarter, 27-12 at halftime and 38-19 after three frames.
Katie Sheeler matched Monessen鈥檚 total herself with a game-high 30 points for the Terrors who also got 17 points from Anna Merry.
Na鈥橨aziah Carter paced the Lady Greyhounds with 11 points.