Crosstown clash: Red Raiders survive Mustangs鈥� upset bid, 70-63
The WPIAL playoffs don鈥檛 begin until next week but Uniontown鈥檚 boys basketball team got an early taste of what the postseason might be like in its game against crosstown rival Laurel Highlands Tuesday night.
The Red Raiders fended off a determined, gutsy effort by the Mustangs, scoring the final six points of the game for a 70-63 victory to survive LH鈥檚 upset bid.
Uniontown improved to 13-0 in Section 1-5A and 18-3 overall. Laurel Highlands fell to 2-11 in the section and 5-15 overall.
鈥淲e needed a game like this,鈥� said Uniontown鈥檚 Notorious Grooms, who hit two fast-break layups in the final seconds to seal the win and finished with 14 points. 鈥淚 feel like this is how it鈥檚 going to be in the playoffs and I think this game will help build us up for that. I appreciate how hard they played and gave us a battle.鈥�
Calvin Winfrey III led the Red Raiders with 23 points before fouling out and Kelan Milsom tallied 14, including four clutch free throws in the fourth quarter. Isaac Ellsworth and Cam Dugan added nine points apiece for Uniontown, which upped its overall record in its storied rivalry with the Mustangs to 72-51.
Uniontown coach Rob Kezmarsky noted another won-loss record he felt was very impressive.
鈥淚n our last four years, with Calvin and Tori, we鈥檙e a combined 64-14 (74 percent),鈥� Kezmarsky pointed out. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if they get enough credit for the kind of careers they鈥檝e had here.鈥�
Kezmarsky also increased his own overall record in section play to 215-71 for a 75 percent winning percentage.
Antwan Black scored a game-high 24 points, including four 3-pointers to lead Laurel Highlands, which also got 17 points and three 3-pointers from Aiden Black. Tyrone Burton added seven points.
鈥淚 give credit to Laurel Highlands and Coach (John) Smith and the way they played,鈥� Kezmarsky said. 鈥淎ntwan Black played as good as we鈥檝e seen him play all year, the way he shot the ball. I thought he played a great game. And Aiden, too. LH was ready to play.
鈥淭his game was a great help for us. The way we handled the ball at the end and Kelan Milsom made foul shots 鈥� that鈥檚 playoff basketball right there.鈥�
Smith lauded his team鈥檚 performance in defeat.
鈥淚鈥檝e been preaching to them all year that I believe we can play with anybody,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e had some really close games this year, two against Gateway, Latrobe, McKeesport 鈥� we鈥檝e been in just about every game.
鈥淚 thought we played four good quarters of basketball tonight. We came out, defended well, shared the ball, and communicated. I couldn鈥檛 be more proud of them and I told them that in the locker room.鈥�
Uniontown built an early six-point lead before settling for a 19-17 advantage after one quarter. There were four lead changes in the second quarter that ended with the Red Raiders ahead 36-22.
The Mustangs got consecutive baskets from Burton to take a 41-40 lead in the third quarter. Winfrey drove in for a layup to put Uniontown back in front, Antwan Black countered with a fast-break layup to put LH ahead again, but Winfrey swished an NBA-range 3-pointer to put the Red Raiders ahead, 45-43, and they would never trail again.
Uniontown bumped its lead up to eight before ending the third quarter with a 53-46 advantage.
Isaac Ellsworth鈥檚 long 3-pointer, the sharpshooter鈥檚 only trey of the game, put the Red Raiders ahead, 60-52, but Antwan Black scored the next five points, including a 3-pointer of his own, to pull the Mustangs within three at 60-57. After Milsom made two free throws with 3:49 remaining, Aiden Black鈥檚 3-pointer sliced the margin to two at 62-60.
鈥淭hey hit some big shots to keep them in the game,鈥� Grooms said. 鈥淚 think the crowd helped them a lot, kept their momentum going.鈥�
Winfrey scored on a drive to put his team up four, but he fouled out with 1:30 left. He said he was confident fellow senior and 1,000-point scorer Grooms wouldn鈥檛 let him down in his absence.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 only the second time I鈥檝e fouled out in my high school career,鈥� Winfrey pointed out. 鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 worried though. I got a great teammate. My brother鈥檚 never going to fail me.鈥�
Aiden Black made one of two foul shots to get LH within three. Milsom was fouled with 52 seconds left and calmly hit both free throws for a 66-61 lead.
鈥淚 was a little worried when Calvin fouled out,鈥� Kezmarsky admitted. 鈥淚 mean, how many times has he been out all year, except when we鈥檙e up big? But I knew I still had Tori out there, and Isaac helped with him in handling the ball at the end. I thought we did a pretty good job of that.鈥�
Red Raiders senior Ayden Kiefer made two key plays in the final seconds to help his team clinch the win.
After Antwan Black missed a 3-pointer Kiefer grabbed the ball during a scramble and tossed a long pass to Grooms for a layup to make it 68-61 with 33 seconds left. After another Mustang miss, Kiefer grabbed the rebound and tossed the ball as he was falling to the floor to Cam Dugan, who threw a long pass to Grooms again for the game-clinching layup with 13 seconds left.
鈥淭hat was his best game,鈥� Kezmarsky said of Kiefer. 鈥淗e hustled, he fought, he rebounded. What I see in him, what he brings to the team 鈥� if he doesn鈥檛 make those plays it might have been a different outcome. He and Kelan also made some big plays for us at key times.鈥�
Smith commended Antwan Black and Aiden Black.
鈥淭hey both had great games,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淎ntwan has been shooting the ball a lot better and Aiden has been maturing on the court as well, being that floor general, getting downhill, knocking down open shots, making good decisions with the ball.
鈥淭hen, I thought they both played phenomenal defense. The whole team played good defense. I thought everybody that was in the game for us contributed and gave us everything they had. It was a great game.鈥�
Smith said he鈥檚 pulling for the Red Raiders in the postseason.
鈥淯niontown is a great team and I wish Robby and those guys nothing but the best in the playoffs,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淚 know all his boys, his staff, they鈥檙e good people. I鈥檇 like to see them go far.鈥�