Hairston sparks Falcons’ win over Colonials
YORK RUN – Something struck Dan Andria’s fancy on his way into the Albert Gallatin gymnasium Friday night. He caught a whiff of the first big-game atmosphere since coaching the Colonials to the playoffs in 1997. Though visiting and defending section champion Connellsville soundly defeated Albert Gallatin, 75-58, in the Section 2-AAAA boys’ basketball game, Andria walked out of the gym with the satisfaction that his players are now exposed to that atmosphere.
“Exactly,” Andria said. “We are a better team now than when this game started. You could never feel good about a loss, but I am real proud of these kids.”
Even during the game, Albert Gallatin (6-3, 1-2) seemed as good as the opposition. But with six minutes left in the fourth quarter, Connellsville’s James Hairston made a quiet 25 points seem a lot more louder when he dropped 15 more points on the Colonials to finish with a game-high 40 points.
“Call it a quiet 40 points if you can,” Andria said, “Hairston just took over.”
It was no coincidence that Connellsville head coach Nick Bosnic said the same thing.
“James Hairston took over the game,” Bosnic said. “But he had a tough game. He was working hard for every point. (Albert Gallatin) is a young team and you can see improvement. The little things just went our way.”
Hairston, who scored four points in the first quarter, 11 in the second and 10 in the third blew up in the fourth by extending the Falcons’ lead from five to 13 points in a four-minute stretch.
With Connellsville up 47-42, Hairston nailed a jumper, which was followed up by a lay-up on the Falcons’ ensuing possession. Then when teammate Kevin Bell missed a foul shot to convert a three-point play, Hairston snagged the rebound and finished the put back giving Connellsville a 55-44 lead.
He wasn’t done. Hairston put Connellsville up by 10 points with 3:38 left in the game with a jump shot. Finally, he supplied the nail in the coffin by sinking his third three-pointer of the game putting Connellsville up 63-50 with under two minutes remaining.
Bell was the only other Falcon to score in double figures as he tallied 15 markers, which including two three-pointers.
“We came out of the locker room at halftime knowing we had to keep attacking,” Bosnic said. “That’s what happened. We drove to the hoop and we got some easy shots.”
Connellsville led 26-18 at the half, but after Albert Gallatin cut the lead to one point, it was clear that Falcons needed to open the game up, which they did by capitalized on several fast-break scoring sequences.
“They took charge with the press,” Andria said. “The press opened the court up for them to score.”
The teams went back and forth scoring in the final four minutes of the third quarter.
After Hairston nailed a three-pointer, Albert Gallatin’s Zach Voithofer scored on the other end, as they became involved in the game’s most pivotal play.
Hairston drove the lane on a fast break and scored while drawing an intentional foul from Voithofer, and Connellsville suddenly had a five-point lead that Albert Gallatin could never overcome.
Perhaps that was just one of the little things that Bosnic mentioned, but what was also crucial to Albert Gallatin was guard Jared Lint leaving the game early in the second half with foul trouble.
“When we lost Lint, that was a killer,” Andria said. “We had several mismatches at positions. Connellsville plays man-to-man as well as any team I’ve seen. They take you out of everything you are trying to do and turn everything into a one-on-one game by using the pick and roll.”
Lint scored 12 points despite the foul trouble. Two other Colonials scored in double figures including Jawaan Alston with 14 points and Craig Hriblan with 13. Alston, who according to Andria played his best of the season so far, scored six straight points for Albert Gallatin in the third quarter.
Alston, one of many promising players for the Colonials, is a freshman and was in the third grade the last time Albert Gallatin played in the big games with the big crowds that Andria talked about before the game.
“You could just feel it,” Andria said, “That’s what it’s all about. I think we’re going to have a lot more big games to come.
“You could just feel it. This was a measuring stick for us with the best team in the section coming in. You don’t feel good about a loss, but I’m proud of these kids.”