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Trojans roll to 64-33 win over visiting J-M

By Adam Brewer, For The Greene County Messenger 5 min read
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John F. Brothers | Herald-Standard

California’s Ben Wilson (1) powers up a layup to add two to the Trojans’ score during Friday’s Section 3-A action against Jefferson-Morgan at California Area High School.

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California's Dylan Hammitt (24) pressures Jefferson-Morgan's Gage Clark (11) as he drives to the hoop during Friday's Section 3-A contest at California Area High School.

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John F. Brothers | Herald-Standard

Jefferson-Morgan’s D.L. Garrett (22) tries to shoot the ball over the California defense during Friday’s Section 3-A game against the Trojans at California Area High School.

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Jefferson-Morgan's Josh Clites (12) attempts a three-pointer during Friday's Section 3-A contest against California at California Area High School.

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California's Michael Zemany (10) and Jefferson-Morgan's Josh Clites (12) battle for a loose rebound under the Trojans' hoop during Section 3-A action Friday at California Area High School.

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California's Dylan Hammitt (24) draws a foul as he attempts to shoot between Jefferson-Morgan's Diari Davis (50) and Casey Wilson (21) Friday during Section 3-A play at California Area High School.

COAL CENTER — After Jefferson-Morgan scored the first basket of the second quarter, California tallied 15 straight points and rolled to a 64-33 triumph Friday night to open Section 3-A play in the Herald-Standard Boys Game of the Week.

The Trojans (3-1, 1-0) rebounded from a 71-34 non-section loss to Brownsville on Wednesday with a strong, defensive effort and a consistent offense with strong interior passing.

“Every time you get a section win it’s a big win, especially at home,” Cal coach Bruno Pappasergi said. “In the pregame, we stress to them the importance of winning your section games at home and we couldn’t afford to give one away.

“I think the kids were a little upset after the Brownsville game and came out with fire. They wanted to make a statement. We came out in the press and forced some turnovers. We didn’t want to play a half-court game because Jefferson has some shooters. We like it fast and chaotic.”

Cal was led by three players in double figures. John DeFranco tallied a game-high 14 points, followed by 12 points apiece from Kass Taylor and Ben Wilson.

“It’s big for us to start the section with a win,” Taylor said. “We knew the importance of being 1-0 early on and it helps with our confidence going forward. We ran our offense tonight. It’s all about making the right pass and getting open looks.”

The visitors’ youthfulness and inconsistent offense showed up in spots in the section opener, as the Rockets (0-4, 0-1) are still searching for their first win of the 2015-16 campaign.

“We played pretty good defense tonight, but our offense wasn’t there,” J-M coach Dennis Garrett said. “We had a lot of turnovers and forced some things against their press. Sometimes we didn’t hit the open guy with the pass or just shot the ball too early in the possession. You can play the best defense, but you have to score to go along with it.”

DL Garrett scored 10 points for J-M, while Gage Clark and Diara Davis chipped in with nine points each.

Cal opened up the contest with an 8-2 run and Taylor had six points in the early spree.

Garrett nailed a 3-pointer for J-M and then another basket after a free throw by Cal to cut the deficit to 9-7 before DeFranco collected the opening quarter’s final basket for an 11-7 lead.

The Rockets’ Casey Wilson got an early bucket for the visitors in the second quarter, but the Trojans responded with 15 consecutive points to break the game open.

“We were getting better looks in that second quarter and the offense was running smoother,” DeFranco said. “When the looks are there, we are going to make those shots. My shot hasn’t been there for me this season, but I’m going to continue to shoot if I’m open.”

The game-deciding run for Cal was started by an old-fashioned three-point play by Dylan Hammitt and ended with back-to-back lay-ups by Dru Miller.

With the Trojans leading 31-10 in the late stages of the second quarter, the Rockets grabbed seven quick points by way of an old-fashioned three-point play by Wilson and two inside hoops by Davis.

“We played hard and hustled,” coach Garrett said. “You can make the case that this was our best game of the year so far and we just have to continue to build off of it. A win would definitely help us out with our confidence, but we are going to continue to work.”

Leading 31-17 at halftime, Cal started the third quarter with an 11-1 rally and stretched its lead to 45-20 after a trey from DeFranco. The Trojans held a 47-28 lead at the end of three.

“Our defense is fun to play in,” DeFranco said. “It’s always about being aggressive and taking some risks. We jumped some passes and got our transition game going tonight. When you get those fast-break points it helps with your shot.”

Cal officially put the game away with 12 straight points to open the fourth quarter, while limiting J-M to five points in the final eight minutes of action.

“We want to speed things up and set the tempo on defense,” Taylor said. “It came down to rebounding, too, because they have a couple of big guys that can rebound. I had to box out and also focus on getting my hands in some passing lanes.”

Both squads return to section action on Tuesday, as Cal ventures out to Avella and J-M welcomes in Monessen.

“We clicked at times tonight with our offense,” Pappasergi said. “It’s a work in progress and we had some lulls on offense. We have a lot of young kids with limited varsity minutes, so it’s going to take time to jell as a unit. Our offense is complicated and very difficult to defend. We are always moving on the court and we are looking for those back cuts to the basket.”

Section 3-A

Jefferson-Morgan     7-10-11-5 — 33

California              11-20-16-17 — 64

Jefferson-Morgan: DL Garrett 10, Gage Clark 9, Diara Davis 9. California: John DeFranco 14, Kass Taylor 12, Ben Wilson 12. Records: Jefferson-Morgan (0-4, 0-1), California (3-1, 1-0).

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