Prexies rally late to edge Gators
CONNELLSVILLE – One of the hardest lessons basketball coaches have to drill into their players is being patient. Being patient on offense and killing the clock when you have a slim lead, trying to work the ball closer for a better shot at the basket, meanwhile keeping your opponent outside, not giving them more than one try at scoring themselves.
Not being patient hurt Geibel Catholic in the final minutes of the game, and the Gators were edged by visiting Washington, 68-64.
With 5:39 to go, Geibel (9-6) held a 59-53 lead, then Washington (9-6) began to move. Corey Dorsey drove for a layup, Ramone Barnes picked off a Geibel pass and went for a layin, making it a 3-point play when he was fouled, pulling the Presidents within one, 59-58.
Kellen Holmes scored from the circle to put Geibel back up by three, 61-58, and Travis Welc hit one of two on the line for a 62-58 edge. Ken Evans got a long 3-pointer at 2:37, moving Washington back within one, 62-61, then Holmes got two of four on the line for a three-point lead, 64-61. With 1:29 to go, Rashad Davison drove the baseline for a layin, and the Prexies were within one, 64-63.
Geibel drew a foul whistle at :58, which put Washington into the 1-and-1, and Dale Calloway hit his first try for a 64-64 tie. He missed the second, but Washington rebounded and called time at :53.7. When play resumed, the Prexies worked the clock down to :29, missed a shot, but controlled the rebound, and as they worked around, Evans was fouled at :13. He hit both tries for a 66-64 lead.
Geibel got the ball down court and Welc drove in for a layup, but was whistled for steps and the tying score was nullified. Geibel called time at :03 and tried to get the closing long shot, but in the process, Davison was fouled, and made both ends for the final 68-64 score.
Geibel coach Ken Misiak called the game “a real good test for us against a good Double-A team, but we just got too impatient at the end. We made two very critical turnovers when we didn’t have to. Our players have to learn that when you are up three or four near the end you don’t play into the hands of your opponent.
“We also gave them too many shots off the boards. They missed and got the rebounds too many times. I thought we did well on defense until late in the game when they got a three and a two and moved within one point. Their Number 23 (Calloway) hurt us with his penetration, he broke down our defense.”
Washington coach Ron Faust said the game “was the kind we need to keep us sharp for our section games, it was sort of a playoff tempo. It was a good game overall, and we knew coming over here that Geibel is a hard working team and would be a big test for us.
“Geibel led much of the second half, but I think the momentum started to swing back our way in the fourth when they were up by five but couldn’t run away from us. We have to play a running game for we have no height. Defensively, we were able to work our players in and out. Our last two free throws were scored by a sophomore (Davison). This was a good test for us, and it’s not going to get any easier for we play Duquesne on Tuesday and Monessen on Thursday.”
Until early in the third quarter, when Geibel went up by six (43-37), that was the biggest margin by either to that point. There were ties at 2, 12, 19, 22, 30, and the last one at 64 just before Washington made its winning move, and there were 11 lead changes.
Jerome Barnes led the Washington offense and shared game high honors with 16, Calloway had 15, Evans 11, and Davison 10. Jordan White paced Geibel with 16, Robert Ramsey had 12, Holmes 11, and Zack Leonard 10.
Geibel will be on the road Friday, playing at Frazier.