Mar 11, 2007 By Rob Burchianti 5 min read

CANONSBURG – Albert Gallatin wanted to enter one last milestone into the books of what already was a season filled with chapters of accomplishments. The final page didn’t have the happiest ending, though, as the Colonials’ quest for the school’s first state playoff victory fell short in a 66-60 loss to Mount Lebanon at Canon-McMillan High School on Saturday.

Ryan Lang hit six of the Blue Devils’ eight 3-pointers in scoring a game-high 24 points and three of his teammates also hit double figures in the PIAA Class AAAA first-round game.

“One of our goals was to get here,” Albert Gallatin’s Ricky Knox said after the loss. “We wanted to try to reach the state playoffs, and we did. Once you’re here, you want to win, though, and we couldn’t finish that end of it.”

“It was a great run,” said AG coach Dan Andria, whose squad was coming off a 68-63 loss to Bethel Park in a thrilling WPIAL final. “I told the kids after the game that it’ll take a while, but once you step back and see what you guys did this year, it’ll hit you. I mean, this was the greatest season they ever had here.”

Albert Gallatin’s twin towers of 6-foot-8 Jawaan Alston and 6-5 Nate Turner went out with strong performances in their final game. Held to a combined nine points in the first half, due in part to Turner being in foul trouble, the duo poured it on in the second half. Alston scored 17 of his 22 points after intermission and Turner rang up 12 of his 16 points in the final two quarters.

“Nate got a couple early fouls, but he played smart after that,” Andria said.

Both AG big men impressed Mount Lebanon coach Joey David.

“Alston is a tremendous player,” David said of the Buffalo recruit, who had one two-handed dunk and one highlight-reel reverse lay-up from well under the hoop. “Turner did a fantastic job, too. We didn’t have an answer for him in the second half.”

But it was the first half that put the Colonials in a hole.

Andrew Devlin, a 6-8 Virginia football recruit, scored seven of his 16 points in the first period to help the Blue Devils go up 16-9.

Mount Lebanon took its biggest lead midway through the second period when Lang’s runner bounced in to make it 27-14 and the Blue Devils were up 34-23 at halftime.

Albert Gallatin came out swarming after intermission, though. The Colonials tightened up their man-to-man defense and crashed the boards.

Turner hit a free throw and then hit Knox with a long pass for a lay-up to start the third period, but Devlin answered with a three-point play.

Albert Gallatin came right back with a seven-point run to pull within 37-33.

Mount Lebanon maintained its lead a little while longer, but the Colonials kept the pressure on and closed the quarter with an 11-point run to take a 47-43 lead into the fourth period. Aaron Cromwell began the spurt with a 3-pointer, Alston and Marc Marshall both made a pair of free throws, Turner scored off a rebound, and Alston hit a jumper to cap the period’s scoring.

Mount Lebanon scored the first five points of the final frame, however, on a 3-pointer by Lang and two free throws by Ryan Mackin to go up 48-47, and it never trailed again. Its first four field goals of the fourth period were all 3-pointers, including three by Lang.

“They had kids who stepped up and hit shots,” Andria said. “We had our kids who were good shooters taking good shots, and they weren’t going in. That’s the way it goes sometimes.”

Albert Gallatin trailed 57-51 when Turner scored four straight points to cut the gap to 57-55.

The Blue Devils scored the next five points before Alston nailed a 3-pointer from the corner to make it 62-58 with 27.3 seconds left, but a lay-up by Mackin sealed the win for Mount Lebanon.

Mackin wound up with 11 points and Brian Lackner added 10 for the Blue Devils.

“Our kids battled back,” Andria said. “One thing about Albert Gallatin kids is they never quit on me.”

Turner especially. Out all of last season due to a shoulder injury, he finished his career with a flourish in the playoffs.

“I think he redeemed himself,” Andria said.

“It was great to come back and get to the WPIAL championship game after missing last year,” Turner said. “I’ll always remember this season and especially Jawaan. We played together a long time.”

Cromwell followed Alston and Turner in the Colonial scoring column with seven points. Marshall and Knox scored six apiece, and Anthony Stevenson hit a 3-pointer.

Cromwell and Stevenson will be back next year, but Turner, Alston, Knox, Marshall and Jake Magerko, who also played Saturday, are all seniors.

The Blue Devils looked sharp coming off a two-week lay-off, and they prepared for the Colonials by scrimmaging one of the most talented high school teams in the country in Class AA Aliquippa.

“I have to thank Aliquippa,” David said.

“We played really well against them and I think it really prepared us for a team like Albert Gallatin. That helped us a lot.”

Maybe the Aliquippa scrimmage will help Mount Lebanon (18-9) in its next game against the state’s top-ranked team, Schenley.

Andria, Alston and Knox reflected on the Colonials’ season, which ended with a 21-8 record, and the past four years, which included four playoff appearances, a section title, a WPIAL championship game and a berth in the PIAA tournament.

“It was a lot of fun, especially how we did this year,” Knox admitted. “I know one thing … a lot of people know where Albert Gallatin is now.”

“This was just a fantastic group of kids, and the greatest defensive team I ever coached,” Andria said.

“It’s disappointing right now,” Alston said, “but I think everyone will remember us for a long time with all we accomplished here.”