Falcons deal LH setback
It was way too little and way too late, but Connellsville boys basketball coach Nick Bosnic will take this modest two-game winning streak in hopes of building for next season. On the heels of an 84-78 win over playoff-bound Uniontown, the Falcons came back to Uniontown Monday night and beat playoff-bound Laurel Highlands, 64-55. The twin wins to end the season leave Connellsville at 7-17 for the season.
The Mustangs await tonight’s WPIAL Class AAA playoff pairings announcement with a 12-12 record.
“Hey, it’s two in a row and they came against two of our biggest rivals,” Bosnic said. “It feels good to have the kids experience what it takes to win basketball games. We’ve been so close in so many games this year, but we’re just learning now how to get the job done.
“The commitment from these kids to become better has to be made now. They will determine if we are a good team or an average team next season based on what they do in the off-season. We’re capable of being good, but they have to put in the time and effort to make it happen.”
The game was close throughout, which should help the Mustangs in the playoffs. The final nine-point margin was the largest lead of the game and was matched only once, when Connellsville led, 32-23 late in the second quarter.
“No question, it was better than a day of practice,” LH coach Rick Hauger said. “Competition is always good, especially against a bigger, stronger team like Connellsville. That’s probably what we’ll see in the playoffs is a bigger, stronger team, so this game has to be a benefit to us.”
Connellsville’s Johnny Dilworth, who led the Falcons with 21 points and seven rebounds, presented a stiff challenge for LH’s Kaleb Ramsey, who had 14 points and five rebounds before fouling out with 27 seconds remaining.
“I’d have liked to see them play more against each other,” Hauger said, referring to Ramsey’s foul trouble that kept him on the bench for good portions of the middle two quarters. “Connellsville has the size we don’t have. If we’re going to have trouble dealing with things, it will be other teams’ height.”
But senior Nick Thomas kept LH in this Senior Night game with 22 points, including six three-pointers.
“Nick’s been shooting well all year,” Hauger said. “His confidence is high and the results are very good.”
Jarred Burton backed Dilworth’s scoring for Connellsville with 15 and new point guard Mason Leos added 10. Connellsville played without Scotty Hartz and Lance Straughters, who were injured in recent games.
“Mason Leos did a good job on the point for us,” Bosnic said. “He came up big for us in a new position for him.”
In fact, Leos came up big in the fourth quarter, where he scored eight of his 10 points, when the Falcons needed it most.
Connellsville led, 39-31, before the Mustangs rode a 10-2 run to tie the score with 2:20 showing on the third quarter clock. The Mustangs took a 44-43 lead heading into the fourth. Leos scored seven points in an 8-0 Falcons run to open the fourth and put Connellsville ahead, 51-44.
The Falcons padded the lead to 54-46, but LH kept battling. Thomas’ last three-pointer got LH to within four, 59-55, with 1:11 remaining, but Connellsville scored the game’s last five points for the win.