Roaring Lions battle to the end in OT loss
Penn State Fayette's C.J. Gaddis (2) is fouled by Central Penn's Daron Johnson (4) in the quarterfinal round of the USCAA National Championships Thursday at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus.
John F. Brothers | Herald-Standard
Penn State Fayette’s Dominick Jackson (3) maneuvers around Central Penn’s Dominique Twiggs (11) during Thursday’s quarterfinal round of the USCAA National Championship at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus. Jackson scored a season-high 22 points in a 110-102 overtime loss.
Penn State Fayette's Dominick Jackson (3) is fouled by Central Penn's Andre Batte (23) during Thursday's quarterfinal game in the USCAA National Chamapionships at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus.
Penn State Fayette's Brandon Cunningham (12) powers between Central Penn's Andre Batte (23) and John Starks, Jr. (5) to score Thursday during the quarterfinal round of the USCAA National Championship Thursday at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus.
Penn State Fayette's Dominick jackson (3) hits a free throw during their game against Central Penn in the quarterfinal round of the USCAA National Championships Thursday at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus.
Penn State Fayette's Luke Williams (1) finds scored in a quarterfinal game against Central Penn during the USCAA National Championships at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus.
Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus men’s basketball coach Mookie John squeezed about everything he could out of his Roaring Lions on Thursday.
Despite having the four tallest players in its rotation foul out, including senior stars Brandon Cunningham and Luke Williams, John’s squad battled until the very end before falling in overtime to deeper, bigger and taller Central Penn College, 110-102, in the USCAA National Championship Basketball Tournament.
Penn State Fayette fell one win short of reaching the Division II men’s Final Four. Instead it will be the Knights (19-8) rolling into today’s semifinals against Johnson & Wales University at 3 p.m. at the same venue, the Main Arena.
Tyree Tucker scored 22 points, including six in overtime, and grabbed 11 rebounds for Central Penn, and Dominique Twiggs had 17 points and 13 boards. Johnny Rhodes added 18 points.
Cunningham only played 21 minutes but still managed to score 17 points, while Williams and Dominick Jackson tied for game-high honors with 22 points apiece for the Roaring Lions (16-12). Jackson’s total was a season-high for him. Brownsville graduate C.J. Gaddis added 19 points.
Tony Bristol only scored two points for Fayette, but those came when the 5-8 Charleroi graduate got the offensive rebound of a missed London Hoxie free throw and, somehow among three taller Knights players, put in the tying basket with 19.3 seconds left in regulation.
The Roaring Lions defense, already missing starters Cunningham, Williams and Spencer Perieff who had each fouled out, forced a long 3-pointer by Rhodes that was off the mark at the buzzer, sending the game into an extra frame tied at 93-93.
“There is no quit in any of our guys,” said John, who got valuable bench minutes from Bristol, Hoxie, who fouled out in overtime after scoring 14 points, and Marvin Sidon. “They fight and fight and fight, and I think that was evident with the way they kept battling in that game.
“There was one point in the game near the end where our average height was probably 5-8.”
Enjoying a tremendous height advantage in the overtime, Central Penn kept its composure, scored the first six points and led the rest of the way.
“I think in overtime that was the only time we were calm the whole game,” Knights coach Dave Baker said. “One we got to overtime I think they said, ‘OK, here we go.’
“This is the farthest our team has every made it.”
The Roaring Lions will wrap up their season in a consolation game at 10 a.m. today in the Maltho against a familiar foe in Penn State Mont Alto. The Lions defeated Fayette in the PSUAC championship game, 68-66, on Feb. 23.
Cunningham drew his third foul on a controversial call with 11:44 remaining in the first half. He appeared to come up with a steal and was off to the races, but was called for a foul on a delayed whistle instead.
“In my view, he had a clean steal and it looked like he was actually the one who got pushed from behind after he was already on his way to the hoop,” John said. “Unfortunately, that was the call that really took us out of our rhythm offensively, and defensively, too.”
From that point on John, for the most part, rotated Cunningham and Bristol on offense and defense.
“When you’ve got an All-American senior who’s in foul trouble you want to keep him in the game as much as possible,” John said.
Fayette still managed to run out to a nine-point lead when a steal by Hoxie led to a basket by Jackson to make it 32-23 with 7:38 left in the first half.
Central Penn pulled within 50-47 at halftime, but the Roaring Lions, despite Cunningham picking up his fourth foul early in the second half, pushed the margin up to 11, 68-57, after a Williams’ 3-pointer with 13:42 left in the game.
The Knights rallied after Cunningham fouled out with 10:56 left and had surged in front when Williams was called for his fourth and fifth fouls 32 seconds apart, the latter coming with 5:13 remaining and Central Penn up 84-80.
The Knights led 90-84 when Fayette fought back with consecutive 3-poiners by Gaddis and Hoxie to tie it with 2:01 left.
Two free throws by Rafeeq Bush, who scored 14 points, put the Knights up by two and they led 93-91 when Hoxie was fouled with 19.8 seconds left. He missed both, but Bristol’s gutsy rebound and hoop tied it and forced overtime.
“That’s what Tony brings to the team,” John said. “He is 110 percent effort and 110 percent heart and a 110 percent hustle. No matter what the situation is on the floor, Tony’s going to give you everything he has.”
In overtime, Alexander Hollis, Rhodes and Tucker each scored to put the Knights up 99-93, and John Starks Jr., who tallied 13 points, made six straight free throws in the final 20 seconds to salt the game away.
Jackson tried to keep the Roaring Lions in it with a basket and an impressive tip-slam, the latter pulling the hosts within 106-100 with 14 seconds left, but it wasn’t enough.
Jackson, who finished with a game-high six assists and four steals, drew praise from John.
“I just texted his dad and said ‘Your son is an absolute warrior,'” John said. “He gives us everything he has. He plays hurt and he and Tony Bristol, just their presence on the court defensively brings a little spark to the team.”
John commended his team, which wasn’t picked to be a contender in preseason polls, after the game.
“These guys all love each other and play for each other. They have a lot to be proud of,” John said. “We didn’t overachieve in our own eyes because we want to win a conference and a national title every year. But I think these guys did overachieve in the eyes of everybody outside of our program.
“For those guys to go out and play the way they did today, it’s humbling to be their coach.”
USCAA Men’s Sum
At Penn State Fayette
Central Penn 110, Penn State Fayette 102
PENN STATE FAYETTE, THE EBERLY CAMPUS (16-12) — Spencer Perieff 2-6 0-0 4, Luke Williams 6-15 7-9 22, C.J. Gaddis 5-9 6-10 19, Dominick Jackson 7-16 8-12 22, Brandon Cunningham 6-12 4-4 17, Marvin Sidon 1-3 0-0 2, London Hoxie 5-12, 2-4 14, Anthony Bristol 1-6 0-0 2, Atrayo Matthews 0-0 0-0 0. 33-79 27-39 102.
CENTRAL PENN (19-8) — John Starks Jr. 2-14 8-8 13, Dominique Twiggs 6-12 5-9 17, Rafeeq Bush 5-8 3-3 14, Tyree Tucker 8-11 6-7 22, Johnny Rhodes 8-15 2-3 18, Keith Wainwright 0-0 1-2 1, Daron Johnson 1-2 0-0 2, Glen Owens 0-0 0-0 0, Bryan Edwards 0-0 0-0 0, Montriel Stokes 1-2 0-0 2, Andre Batte 6-16 3-6 16, Hollis Alexander 2-6 1-2 5. 39-86 29-40 110.
Halftime: Penn State Fayette 50-47. Regulation: 93-93. 3-Point goals: Penn State Fayette 9-20 (Luke Williams 3-6, C.J. Gaddis 3-7, London Hoxie 2-6, Brandon Cunningham 1-3, Spencer Perieff 0-1, Dominick Jackson 0-4, Anthony Bristol 0-2), Central Penn 3-17 (Rafeeq Bush 1-2, Andre Batte 1-5, John Starks Jr. 1-6, Hollis Alexander 0-1, Daron Johnson 0-1, Johnny Rhodes 0-2). Rebounds: Penn State Fayette 55 (Spencer Perieff 10), Central Penn 56 (Dominique Twiggs 13). Assists: Penn State Fayette 16 (Dominick Jackson 6), Central Penn 19 (Rafeeq Bush 4). Total fouls: Penn State Fayette 30, Central Penn 29. Fouled out: Penn State Fayette, Brandon Cunningham, Luke Williams, Spencer Perieff, London Hoxie; Central Penn, Dominique Twiggs.