Avella’s strong finish dooms Maples, 69-53
Rob Burchianti | Herald-Standard
Rob Burchianti | Herald-Standard
Mapletown’s Landan Stevenson drives in for a layup after coming up with a steal during Wednesday night’s game at Avella. Stevenson scored 10 points but the Eagles won, 69-53.
Rob Burchianti | Herald-Standard
Rob Burchianti | Herald-Standard
Mapletown’s Max Vanata grabs a rebound in Wednesday night’s game at Avella. Vanata led the Maples with 15 points but the Eagles won, 69-53.
Rob Burchianti | Herald-Standard
Mapletown’s Lance Stevenson shots a 3-pointer during Wednesday night’s game at Avella.
Rob Burchianti | Herald-Standard
Mapletown coach Chad Stevenson gives instructions to his players during a game at Avella on Feb. 17. The Maples, whose season came to an end with a WPIAL playoff loss at Leechburg Tuesday night, have steadily improved in Stevenson’s three years there.
Rob Burchianti | Herald-Standard
Mapletown’s Landan Stevenson shoots a 3-pointer during Wednesday night’s game at Avella. Stevenson scored 10 points but the Eagles won, 69-53.
Mapletown's Cohen Stout scores inside during Wednesday night's game at Avella. Stout scored 10 points but the Eagles won, 69-53.
Mapletown’s Landan Stevenson drives the baseline and puts up a shot as Avella’s Tanner Terensky (1) and Donovan Avolio (0) defend during Wednesday night’s game at Avella. Stevenson scored 10 points but the Eagles won, 69-53. (Photo by Rob Burchianti)
Mapletown coach Chad Stevenson talks to his players during a timeout in Wednesday night's game at Avella.
Mapletown's Lance Stevenson releases a foul shot as his brother Landan Stevenson (1) and Avella brothers Westley Burchianti (3) and Colton Burchianti (25) look on during Wednesday night's game at Avella.
Rob Burchianti | Herald-Standard
Mapletown’s Dom Cumpston brings the ball up court during Wednesday night’s game at Avella.
A group of players, including Mapletown's Max Vanata (5) and Avella's Westley Burchianti (right), battle for a rebound in Wednesday night's game at Avella.
Rob Burchianti | Herald-Standard
Mapletown’s Cohen Stout (23) takes a jump shot during Wednesday night’s game at Avella. Stout scored 10 points but the Maples lost, 69-53.
AVELLA — Avella switched defenses then shifted into high gear.
The Eagles out-scored visiting Mapletown 40-20 over the final nine minutes to pull away for a 69-53 victory in a Section 2-A boys basketball battle on Feb. 17.
The win prevented the Maples (3-5, 4-6) from overtaking the Eagles (5-4, 6-9) for third place in the section.
Gabe Lis poured in a game-high 26 points and was one of four Avella players in double figures. Brandon Samol followed with 16 points, Tanner Terensky tallied 14 points and Donovan Avolio added 10 points. Westley Burchianti scored the Eagles’ other three points.
Mapletown held a 33-29 lead late in the third quarter after a free throw by Landan Stevenson when Avella assistant coach Mike Macik, subbing for head coach Mike Maltony, changed defenses.
“We switched to man-to-man,” Macik said. “We didn’t have any energy. Coach Mike (Maltony) tells them all the time, you’ve got to have energy. Switching to man got us going, got our feet under us, got us pushing the ball and got us putting up points.”
The change quickly turned the tide as the Eagles went on a 13-2 run that included six points from Lis, a 3-pointer by Avolio and put-back baskets by Terensky and Burchianti.
Stevenson, the Maples’ leading scorer and best defender, fouled out during the run.
“That definitely hurt,” Mapletown coach Chad Stevenson said. “I think he was doing a pretty good job of guarding one of their best players, Lis. He didn’t shut him down but he was at least keeping him under control. When he went out it was a different tone.”
With their four-point lead dissolving into a 42-35 deficit, the Maples tried to fight back. Cohen Stout’s three-point play pulled the visitors within four and Max Vanata’s 3-pointer soon after whittled the gap to three.
The Eagles answered with a seven-point burst that included four points by Samol to go up by 10.
Vanata tried to keep the Maples within range by swishing two more 3-pointers, the second one cutting the lead to six, but Samol’s 3-pointer and a bucket by Lis made it 58-47 and Avella pulled away from there.
The Eagles ended up with a 33-20 advantage in the fourth quarter.
“We have a tendency to not finish games,” coach Stevenson said. “We come out and play a good three quarters but don’t seal the deal. We’ve got to grow up and figure out how to play four quarters.”
Macik marveled at his team’s late explosion.
“Thirty-three points in a quarter, I don’t think we’ve done that before,” Macik said. “Our guys stepped up.
“They went box-and-one a little bit on Gabe. But we’re not a one-man team. We had four guys in double figures today. That’s made a big difference and is one of the reasons we’ve won five of our last six.”
Vanata scored 11 of his team-high 15 points in the fourth quarter. Landan Stevenson and Stout both had 10 points for Mapletown, Lance Stevenson tallied nine points and Dom Cumpston added seven. Braden McIntire accounted for the Maples’ other two points.
The Maples have lost six of their last seven after a 3-0 start that tripled the amount of wins they had in the last two seasons combined.
“We were playing pretty well but we hit a really tough patch where we’re playing teams like Bishop Canevin, Carmichaels, Geibel twice, and those are really good teams,” coach Stevenson said. “Plus we’ve been dealing with some injuries. Lance has been hurt, A.J. (Vanata) is hurt. We’ve played a lot of games in two weeks and we’ve got another one (West Greene) tomorrow.”
Stevenson commended the Eagles.
“They’ve got some good players,” he said. “They move the ball well and play good together, which is something we’ve got to do better.”
Mapletown took an early 9-6 lead before Lis scored two late baskets to put the hosts ahead 10-9 at the end of one quarter.
The Maples, sparked by seven points from Lance Stevenson and six by Landan Stevenson, rode an 18-11 edge in the second quarter to a 27-21 halftime advantage.
Mapletown took its biggest lead when Landan Stevenson scored early in the third period to make it 29-21.
“We know we have the ability to come back,” Macik said. “We were down 10-0 against Burgettstown, we were down 12-2 against West Greene, we got down in this game. We won each of those games. They finished strong tonight.
“I was quite happy for our players, and for Coach Mike.”