Uniontown closes old gym in style
They closed down old AJ Everhart Memorial Gymnasium Tuesday night with a game worthy of inclusion in a time capsule. Although it didn’t look good for a while, the Uniontown Red Raiders stormed back from an 11-point third quarter deficit to defeat Forest Hills, 62-60, in a PIAA Class AAA preliminary game at the local high school.
Afterwards, Uniontown coach Rob Kezmarsky credited his team’s man-to-man defense with turning the tables on the visiting Rangers.
“All year long people said Uniontown doesn’t play man-to-man. It was our man-to-man pressure and trap that won it,” Kezmarsky said.
Uniontown (18-7) jumped out to a 6-0 lead on a pair of free throws by Marcus Thomas and two more free throws by Semori Wilson around Wilson’s jumper. Tanner Thomas kept Forest Hills close with six first quarter points as the Red Raiders led 11-8 after eight minutes.
Forest Hills (20-7) took its first lead on a 9-5 run to start the second quarter, and the teams traded leads until a Kerik Morris basket left Uniontown on top, 20-19, at halftime.
The Rangers ran off the first six points of the third quarter on four points from Tanner Thomas and two points by Cody Moss to lead, 25-20.
The margin grew to 36-25 before Uniontown turned up the pressure and closed the period on a 9-2 run led by four points from Thomas, two by Daryl Ricks, and Dave Brooks’ 3-point play that ended the quarter with the Rangers still leading, 38-34.
Ricks opened the final period with a basket, Chris Hall scored twice, and Ricks scored on a put-back for a 42-38 lead. The teams traded baskets until Wilson sank two free throws and Brooks added a basket for a 50-44 lead.
Luke Gallaher, the state’s leading scorer in 2010, scored 10 of the last 14 points for the Rangers, but Uniontown sank 12 of 16 free throws down the stretch to maintain a 62-56 lead before baskets by Gallaher and Moss ended the scoring with the Red Raiders winning by two.
Wilson scored 16 points to lead the Red Raiders, while Ricks and Brooks each scored 12 and Thomas added 11. Forest Hills was the led by Thomas and Gallaher, with 18 points each.
Ricks and Wilson each said the gym-closing victory meant a lot to themselves and the team. “It feels good,” Ricks said. He said he was worried “a little bit” when the Red Raiders’ deficit reached 11 points in the second half.
“I feel real good,” Wilson added. “We made history. We’re the last (Uniontown) team to play in this gym.”
While the high school court will remain in the same general area, upcoming renovations will change the configuration significantly.
Kezmarsky said Uniontown’s free throw shooting was vital down the stretch. “I told the kids we lost a lot of close games last year (at the foul line). We played without one starter (Nick Hall) and everybody stepped up.
“This was by far the best crowd since I’ve been coaching here. Our fans are very supportive, but they have high expectations. For the last game in the Uniontown gym, this was a great way to end it.”
Uniontown advances to a first-round state playoff game on Friday at 8 p.m. against District 10 champion Franklin (21-4) at Slippery Rock University’s Morrow Field House.