Connellsville advances to semifinals
PLUM – Connellsville won’t win any beauty pageants but this ugly duckling’s grinning like Miss Universe after beating Mt. Lebanon, 53-49, in the WPIAL Class AAAA quarterfinals Saturday. Connellsville (24-2) overcame another poor shooting performance and an early 11-point deficit with the use of a relentless full-court defensive attack that wore Mt. Lebanon (19-7) down by the fourth quarter.
“They had to work the whole game just bringing the ball up the court,” said Connellsville coach Nick Bosnic, who has his Falcons in the WPIAL semifinals. They’ll play Penn Hills (22-4) on, Bosnic believes, Wednesday.
“It feels great,” he said. “I wasn’t sure this team had what it took until about the middle of the season, when the defense proved to me it could get down and play man-to-man up and down the court. It takes a good team to handle that.”
The Connellsville defense has kept two opponents under 50 points in the playoffs so far but the Falcons couldn’t pull away from Mt. Lebanon until the final seconds last night.
James Hairston’s two free throws with 43.9 seconds remaining gave Connellsville a 3-point lead – its largest to that point – and Hairston then ripped down a rebound 18 seconds later before going to the line to clinch the win with two more free throws. Hairston’s final two points were also from the line with 3.1 seconds left and he finished with a game-high 29 points. He also led Connellsville with 12 rebounds.
“He didn’t have his best game but I told you he would come back strong,” Bosnic said. “At times, early, he didn’t get the ball to roll his way but he’s relentless on his attack.”
Hairston made only one of his first four shots and his teammates missed their first 10 shots as Connellsville fell behind 18-7 in the first quarter. It appeared as if Connellsville’s poor game last Tuesday against Norwin was no mirage until its defense became a factor.
Connellsville turned up the pressure in the second quarter – limiting Mt. Lebanon to five points – and Hairston took advantage offensively. He made six of his final eight shots of the first half to send the Falcons into the locker room with a two-point lead.
The game remained tight throughout the second half. There were five ties and 10 lead changes until Kevin Bell made perhaps the play of the game to put Connellsville up for good with 1:35 left.
With the score tied at the 2:54 mark, Connellsville ran 1:19 off the clock before Bell found an opening and drove to the basket. He was fouled by Mt. Lebanon’s best defensive player, Bill Babe, who fouled out. Bell made one free throw for a 47-46 lead. Hairston’s six free throws down the stretch preserved that lead.
“James made his shots when we needed them,” Bosnic said. “But we’re not making our free throws and I don’t know how we can keep winning if it continues.”
Connellsville was 14 for 22 from the line last night. In two playoff games, the Falcons are 23 for 42, or 55 percent from the foul line. From the field, Connellsville was 18 for 53 last night and 35 for 111 in the playoffs, or 32 percent.
“Our defense is saving us,” Bosnic said. “You could see in the first game against Norwin that they couldn’t run anything. Defense has allowed us to stay in games even when we’re not playing our best.
“We’re going to put a game together offensively, and the defense will be there.
“To tell you the truth, I think we’ll keep on going. Anything can happen, especially when you have a James Hairston. Anything.”