Rams win first section game of the season
Ringgold's Ryan Anthony Pampena (24) tries to get around West Mifflin's Josh Brown (22) during Friday's Section 1-AAAAA game at Ringgold High School.
Darnell Graham
Ringgold’s Ryan Varley (15) and West Mifflin’s Jared Ogrosky (11) collide as they each try to take control of the ball in Friday’s Section 1-AAAAA game at Ringgold High School.
Ringgold's Dakota Browning (34) goes for the layup despite the defensive effort from West Mifflin's Deyton Hill (1) in Section 1-AAAAA action Friday at Ringgold High School.
CARROLL TWP. — Ringgold picked up its first Section 1-AAAAA win of the season Friday night over West Mifflin, 60-50.
“It is a big win coming off of three straight losses and it was important to not go 0-2 to start section play,” Ringgold coach Phil Pergola said. “This was a team effort and a team win.”
Dakota Browning (22), Anthony Pampena (16), and Jake Mayer (13) combined for 51 points to lead the Rams (3-4, 1-1).
“Dakota and Anthony are our senior leaders and they have to score for us,” Pergola said. “And tonight, that was Jake (Mayer) who stepped up with them.”
The first quarter was sloppy from the start as each team had six turnovers.
“We had some early chances to get up on them and when we did in the third quarter, we became tentative,” Pergola said. “We didn’t know how to play smart while at the same time take the right shot, but it is helping us learn how to win.”
Browning and Pampena each scored seven points in the first quarter to pace Ringgold and the Rams led 17-13 heading into the second quarter.
Pampena (six) and Browning (four) carried Ringgold in the second quarter as well as they combined for 10 of Ringgold’s 13 points in the period, including a buzzer-beating three-pointer by Pampena to give the Rams a 30-20 lead heading into the locker room.
In the first half, West Mifflin (1-5, 0-1) hit five 3-pointers and only had a pair of two-point baskets.
Ringgold went on a 6-0 run to start the second half, but all of a sudden the Rams could not buy a basket.
West Mifflin went on a 13-0 run to close the quarter and trim the Ringgold lead to 38-35 heading into the fourth quarter.
After West Mifflin’s Brody Bellante scored to cut the score to 38-37 on the first possession of the fourth quarter, Ringgold went on a 6-0 run to extend the lead out to 44-37.
West Mifflin went on a 6-2 run to trim Ringgold’s lead to 46-43 with 2:43 to play, but the Rams went on a 10-0 run over the next two minutes to ice the game.
Browning had eight points in the third quarter, and he finished the game with 12 rebounds.
Ringgold, who came into the game averaging 21 turnovers per game, had 19 while West Mifflin had 13, with only three coming in the second half.
Darnell Carey and Deyton Hill each had 10 points for West Mifflin.
Ringgold returns to action in the Charleroi Holiday Tournament on Tuesday when it plays Belle Vernon at 7 p.m.
Section 1-AAAAA
West Mifflin 13-7-15-15 — 50
Ringgold 17-13-8-22 — 60
Ringgold: Dakota Browning 22, Anthony Pampena 16, Jake Meyer 13. West Mifflin: Darnell Carey 10, Deyton Hill 10. Records: Ringgold (3-4, 1-1), West Mifflin (1-5, 0-1).