Trojans ride Tonkavitch to first-round win in PIAA tourney
JOHNSTOWN – It took Shane Tonkavitch six minutes to score his first point Friday night. He scored his last with 7.5 seconds to play. In between, Tonkavitch’s mojo would have made Austin Powers proud.
The California senior point guard, with a little help from his dad, tied a career-high with 29 points as the Trojans won their first-ever state playoff game, nipping Southern Fulton, 60-58, in PIAA first-round Class A action at the University of Pitt-Johnstown’s Sports Center.
Tonkavitch nailed three treys, the biggest capping a 10-3 California run that gave the Trojans a 58-56 lead with 1:32 to play. Two minutes earlier, Tonkavitch started the surge with a nifty three-point play in which he drove the baseline and somehow managed to lay the ball in despite being whacked by the Indians’ Danny True.
The second quarter belonged to Tonkavitch as well, as he scored 10 points in a span of 2:48, helping the Trojans turn a six-point lead into a 15-point edge.
About the only feat Tonkavitch didn’t pull off was outrunning a speeding locomotive.
“I haven’t been shooting that well and my dad helped me with what I was doing wrong,” Tonkavitch said. “I made a small adjustment. Last week, I was shooting either to the right or left and my elbow was flaring out. But I listened to my dad and I guess it turned out pretty good for us.”
Indeed. Despite seeing leading scorer Rick Cope held to four points, starting guard Ryan Robinson foul out and a double-digit lead evaporate into a five-point deficit with 3:44 to play, California (20-6) advanced to the second round, where it will meet District 9 champion Clarion Tuesday.
Trailing 10-8, the Trojans closed the first quarter with a 9-2 run capped when Dan DeMoss drilled a three-pointer with 2.5 seconds remaining. California then expanded a 20-16 lead into a 34-19 advantage with 2:30 left in the first half.
Southern Fulton (21-7) began to creep back into the game, however, scoring seven of the quarter’s final nine points to pull within 36-26 at halftime. The Indians turned up the defensive pressure and cut the gap to five points by the end of three quarters, before beginning the final period with a 12-2 run which gave them a 53-48 lead.
“I’m kind of used to it by now,” laughed California coach Steve Luko. “It seems like we always have a mental lapse at one point in the game. We kind of got caught up in things tonight. We just have to be a little more patient with our offense when we get a big lead. As a coach it drives you nuts, but I have to give our kids credit. They held their composure when they lost the lead. It would have been easy for them to quit, but they didn’t.”
DeMoss added 14 points and a game-high 13 rebounds. The 6-foot-4 junior center helped California win the battle of the boards, 40-23. While Cope was held to four points, he did manage 10 rebounds, and Robinson tossed in seven points, all in the first half, before fouling out with to 2:38 to play.
After Eric Traux hit one of two free throws to give Southern Fulton a 53-48 lead, Tonkavitch’s masterful three-point play cut the gap to 53-51. Robinson then had a lay-up roll off the rim, but Cope was there to tip the shot in to tie the game with 2:57 to play.
Two Will Schriver free throws put the Indians back in front, 55-53, 13 seconds later, but California’s Rob Galis answered with a pair of freebies of his own with 2:30 remaining. Traux then gave Southern Fulton its last lead, 56-55, after he was fouled by DeMoss.
On the Trojans’ ensuing possession, Cope missed a short jumper, but the Indians’ Timmy Keebaugh tipped the rebound attempt out of bounds. Tonkavitch then rolled off a screen, took a pass and knocked down his final three three-pointer to give California a 58-56 lead.
Southern Fulton called timeout to set up a play, but Cope blocked a shot by Arik Mills. True then came up short on a jumper and Galis pulled down the board and was fouled. He missed the front end of a one-and-one and Southern Fulton called timeout with 55.5 seconds left.
California’s Thom Russell then came up with a big play, poking away a pass and gathering the ball in before drawing a foul with 27.3 seconds to play. Russell, however, missed both free throws and the Indians grabbed the rebound and called another timeout with 19.6 seconds remaining.
Keebaugh came up long on a three-point attempt, and DeMoss pulled down the rebound and was fouled. He managed to hit the second of two shots to give the Trojans a 59-56 lead with 11.5 seconds to play.
On the inbounds pass, Cope nearly stole the ball, but instead was whistled for fouling Will Whiteside. Whiteside made both free throws to make it 59-58 with 8.8 seconds remaining, but Tonkavitch was then fouled on the inbounds pass. He sank the first of two free throws, making it 60-58, and after Schriver rebounded the miss, Whiteside’s last-second three-point attempt from the top of the key came up about a foot and a half short.
“Four years ago, we told Mr. (Don) Martin we would get here,” Tonkavitch said, referring to the former Trojans’ coach. “When Ryan fouled out, he told me to take the game on my shoulders. I tried to do that. I tried to keep all of our guys’ heads in the game. We haven’t been playing that well the past few games, but we have tried to play like every game is our last game.”
Whiteside led the Indians with 18 points, followed by True’s 12 and Schriver’s 11.
“I think he (Whiteside) was obviously fouled on the (last) play, but officials are right not to make that call,” said Southern Fulton coach Kent Hendershot. “We battled back and overcame a huge deficit, but California battled back as well.”