Abrupt ending: Uniontown falls to Meadville in game cut short by melee
MEADVILLE 鈥� Uniontown had courageously battled back from an 18-point deficit and still had hopes of pulling out a victory midway through the fourth quarter at Meadville Friday night.
Then the game, and the Red Raiders鈥� season, came to an abrupt end in the most unlikely fashion.
Meadville got 23 points from Jack Burchard and 21 from Lucas Lutheran in a 63-55 win over Uniontown in a PIAA Class 5A first round playoff game that was called by the officiating crew with 3:12 still on the clock after fighting in the stands led to an on-court melee that was escalated by fans running on the court.
The District 10 champion Bulldogs (17-8) advance to Tuesday鈥檚 second round, although they may not be with their full complement of players due to the happenings at the end of Friday鈥檚 game which are sure to be reviewed by the PIAA.
The Red Raiders finish their season at 22-5.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just unfortunate it had to end that way,鈥� Uniontown coach Rob Kezmarsky said. 鈥淭o not be able to finish the game, that鈥檚 tough on our players. We were in foul trouble and into our bench but they wanted to play it out and see what would鈥檝e happened. They wanted that chance.鈥�
The Red Raiders trailed by 18, 49-31, early in the third quarter but Kelan Milsom鈥檚 bucket off a rebound followed by another offensive board that resulted in a three-point play began a Uniontown comeback. Isaac Ellsworth ended the quarter with a pair of free throws that got the Red Raiders to within 58-49 heading into the fourth quarter.
鈥淲e battled back but we got in foul trouble,鈥� Kezmarsky said. 鈥淚 knew our guys would never quit no matter how much they got down. They showed a lot of heart.鈥�
Uniontown held the Bulldogs scoreless for the first half of the final frame while getting three points from Calvin Winfrey III and then a clutch 3-pointer by Notorious Grooms with 4:12 left to pull the Red Raiders within three at 58-55.
Kamarii Pope answered for Meadville with a 3-pointer, then after Uniontown missed a shot at the other end, Pope converted a layup to push the margin up to eight.
Winfrey fouled out on a charge call with 3:19 left but seven seconds later Milsom poked the ball free from Burchard, Ellsworth gathered it in and was fouled as he passed the ball to Milsom. After the whistle was blown Milsom seemingly innocently went down and dropped in a layup. Lutheran signaled for a technical foul and the officials inexplicably then called one on Milsom, his fifth.
鈥淭hey said that he dunked the ball,鈥� Kezmarsky said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 tough he had to foul out on that play. Isaac鈥檚 at the foul line and if he makes them both it鈥檚 back to a two-possession game with over three minutes left, and I think our pressure was starting to get to them.鈥�
As Ellsworth went to the foul line, there was a confrontation between players near Meadville鈥檚 bench that the officials defused, but soon after a fight broke out in the stands behind the Bulldogs bench and then a melee involving players from both teams ensued and several fans ran on the court and got involved.
Eventually the officiating crew got together and decided to end the game with 3:12 remaining, awarding Meadville the 63-55 victory.
鈥淲e had a couple timeouts left and the game was turning,鈥� Kezmarsky said. 鈥淲e got better and better as it went on.鈥�
Milsom was heroic in defeat, scoring a team-high 17 points with a pair of 3-pointers.
鈥淜elan had a great game,鈥� Kezmarsky said.
Ellsworth and Winfrey followed with 13 points apiece and Grooms added 10 points.
Meadville hit five 3-pointers in the first quarter in opening up a 12-point lead until Grooms banked in a spectacular shot just inside halfcourt at the buzzer to make it 25-16.
The Bulldogs increased their advantage up to 45-27 on a 3-pointer by Lutheran late in the second quarter but an Ellsworth 3-pointer made it 45-30 at halftime.
鈥淲e scouted them and knew what good shooters they were,鈥� Kezmarsky said. 鈥淲e thought we matched up with their shooters but they still shot the ball very well. They鈥檙e a good basketball team. They beat Erie McDowell which is a very good basketball program.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not easy to play a state game on the road. It鈥檚 tough to win in somebody else鈥檚 gym.鈥�
It was the final game for Uniontown 1,000-point scorers Grooms and Winfrey, as well as starters Milsom and Ayden Kiefer.
Grooms ends his career as the Red Raiders鈥� second-leading all-time scorer with 1,684, falling just 37 points short of Terrence Vaughns鈥� program record 1,721. Winfrey broke the school single-game scoring mark with 47 points in a WPIAL consolation win over Penn-Trafford on Feb. 24.
鈥淭his was a special group,鈥� Kezmarsky said. 鈥淟ast year we lost Jamire Braxton and K鈥橝drian McLee and also Jeremiah Hager to graduation. To lose those three players and also move up in classification and have the year we鈥檝e had, I think it鈥檚 amazing. A lot of times we were playing a lineup with a 6-1 center.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e really hurting right now but in a couple weeks when they look back I think they鈥檒l realize how much they鈥檝e given to Uniontown basketball over the past three to four years. Three section championships, a state Western final, a WPIAL final four, so many great moments. They leave a great legacy.鈥�