Mustangs hit stride in second half to pull away from Colonials
Albert Gallatin boys basketball coach Dan Andria could have called a season’s worth of timeouts in the third quarter Friday night, but there was nothing the veteran coach or his Colonials could do to slow down the offensive juggernaut thrown at them in the second half. Laurel Highlands broke open a tie game by nearly doubling its score with 33 points to finish the first half of the Section 2-AAAA schedule with a convincing 91-64 victory at home.
The Mustangs (7-8) finish the first half with a 4-2 section record. Though Albert Gallatin has been in most of the section contests, the Colonials (2-13) drop to 0-6 in the section.
The game was a series of runs in the first half with Laurel Highlands leading by as many as seven points late in the first quarter and early in the second quarter before Albert Gallatin countered. Trailing 27-20, the Colonials ran off eight unanswered points for the lead halfway through the second quarter.
The lead changed hands three times in the final four minutes until the two teams settled into a 36-36 tie at halftime.
Laurel Highlands coach Mark John might want to bottle whatever he told his team at halftime because the Mustangs stepped up their game in the third quarter, especially the pressure exerted on the Albert Gallatin backcourt.
“We came out in the third quarter like we were possessed. It’s a tribute to our kids,” John said. “It was a combination of things. We put more pressure on the ball. We did a better job of defensive box-outs.
“Albert Gallatin got out of their structure. The kids get the credit.”
The Colonials’ final lead of the game was in the first moments of the second half when Jared Lint hit a 3-pointer for a 39-36 advantage. Albert Gallatin could only muster four points in the next six minutes while the Mustangs went on a rampage, scoring 28 in the same period. Laurel Highlands outscored the Colonials, 33-13, for a 20-point lead after three quarters.
The offensive assault was led by pressure up front, and Corey Nesser and Brian John made the most of the turnovers. John scored 12 of his 14 points while Nesser added 10 of his game-high 22 to lead the run. Nesser also dished out seven assists.
The run left Andria with a hopeless feeling. The veteran coach used three timeouts, but nothing worked to stem the gathering momentum of the home team.
“Laurel Highlands stepped up the pressure in the second half. We got out of what we wanted to do. We carried out our game plan in the first half. There’s nothing you can do when it snowballs. The kids got flustered,” Andria said.
The quarter break didn’t slow down Laurel Highlands. The Mustangs kept up the pressure by opening the quarter with a 12-2 run and a 30-point lead that they held for most of the final six minutes.
“If we lose, we go to a logjam at 3-3,” John said of the importance of the win. “Confidence is the most important thing. Success breeds success.”
Paul Briczinski had a strong game underneath with 17 points and seven rebounds. Kenny Riddell was also in double figures with 10.
Though they couldn’t stem the tide, Andria was pleased with his young squad.
“We started two sophomores and a freshman. You learn to live with what you have,” Andria said. “We knew we were an average team, but I see improvement in the kids. They’re great to work with.
“We’ve been in almost every game. We’ve been right there. It’s good for the kids to feel this pressure. The big word is consistency. “
Senior point guard Chris Moore led Albert Gallatin with 18 points. Lint finished with 15. Lauded by Andria for his play, T.J. Hall scored 10 points for the Colonials.