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Geibel blows 20-point lead, but hangs on for slim Section 2-A win over Avella

By Jim Downey 3 min read

CONNELLSVILLE TWP. – Geibel Catholic’s Ken Misiak has seen a lot in his six decades as a head basketball coach, so when he ran off a litany of how to lose a 20-point second-half lead, one stands up and listens. “You name it we did it. Missed free throws, bad shots, throwing the ball away, anything bad to let the other team back in the game, we did it,” said an impassioned Misiak. “If this was our bad game in the second half (of the season), I hope it was this.”

Despite it all, the Gators managed to hang on Friday night for a 61-58 Section 2-A win over an inspired Avella squad on a night that the passion should have rested with the home squad as the school recognized and remembered the late Andrew Broadwater with presentations and kind words to the Broadwater family.

“If anything should have motivated them, it was this night here,” said Misiak.

The first half of the third quarter is a key time in the game, and the Gators came out running as they extended their lead to 20, 51-31, on Mitch Erdely’s field goal midway in the quarter.

“The way we came out, not playing hard at the start of the third quarter, hurt,” said Avella coach Joe Johnson. “We outhustled them at the end of the game. We didn’t have enough gas left in the tank to pull it through.”

Avella sliced into the lead, but Geibel still lead by 15 going into the final eight minutes. Lee Thieroff’s old-fashioned 3-point play with 3:15 remaining cut Geibel’s lead to single digits, 57-50, for the first time since late in the second quarter and Avella inched closer on Derek Dhayer’s field goal soon after.

Geibel’s Josh Herman’s 3-point play stemmed the tide for a possession, but Avella kept coming with a field goal and two free throws by Nate Klem to make it 60-56 with 1:34 to go.

The Gators were woeful from the foul line down the stretch, making only 1-of-6 attempts in the final 90 seconds. Shea Georgetti’s lay-up with nine seconds left made it 60-58, but Mike Speelman made 1-of-2 attempts to force a difficult 3-pointer at the buzzer that rimmed out.

“If that shot goes in, there’s no guarantee we would’ve won that game,” said Johnson. “The game is 32 minutes and we played 28 great minutes.”

About the only thing either team was able to do with any sustained success in the first half was to foul, with both teams in the double bonus early in the second quarter. Geibel went 9-of-15 in the first 16 minutes with the Eagles making 8-of-17 chances at the line.

Avella never led in the game, but every time Geibel would pull away the Eagles rallied. A 19-10 Geibel lead after the first quarter was narrowed to 21-17 at 6:45 of the second quarter.

The Gators pushed out to an 8-point lead, 25-17, three minutes into the quarter, only to have the Eagles rally to within two points, 29-27, three minutes later. Geibel finished with a 10-0 flourish for a 39-27 halftime lead.

Geibel (8-4) stayed a game behind Carmichaels in the section at 6-1. Maczko scored a team-high 18 points, including eight in the first quarter, and grabbed seven rebounds before fouling out at the 4:18 mark of the fourth quarter. Erdley scored 11 with five steals while Mario Fragello led the offense with six assists.

Dhayer led Avella (2-5, 3-11) with a game-high 22 points with Cole Heckman adding 10.

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