Pace’s double-double leads Farmers Insurance
CALIFORNIA — Farmers Insurance got back to winning ways Wednesday in boys action of the J. Budd Grebb Memorial Basketball League with an 80-60 win over defending champion Northwood Realty, although the final score was not indicative of the first 25 minutes of action.
“We got out to an early lead in the first half and let them back into it,” said Farmers Insurance coach Dana Zajicek. “But we turned up the defense in the second half and scored a lot of points in transition.”
Northwood Realty coach Paul Stanley said his team fought early, but as the game got away from them in the second half, it appeared as his team’s effort did too.
“We made a run in the first half to get back into the game and I was happy with our effort at that point,” he said. “But in the second half, it just seemed as if our collective energy disappeared as we got farther behind.”
Farmers Insurance (2-1) jumped out to an early lead and seemed to have control of the game, but Northwood Realty’s Griffin LaCarte (Belle Vernon) ignited a run late in the half to tie the game at 33-33 at the half.
LaCarte, who entered the game averaging 25 points per game, scored 16 of his game-high 19 points in the first half.
Northwood took a three-point lead, its biggest of the game, early in the second half as Eliajahwa Payne (Monessen) hit one of two free throws to make the score 40-37.
Dru Miller (California) hit a 3-pointer to tie the score, and Payne countered with a bucket to give Northwood Realty (2-1) a 42-40 lead.
The floodgates opened right after for Farmers Insurance and it went on a 27-1 run to erase any doubt as to who would walk away with the win.
Philip Pace (Brownsville) had a double-double for Farmers Insurance with 15 points and 15 rebounds, while Ronnie Paith (Washington) led the way with 16 points and Jalen Brown (Freeport) added 13 points.
Andrew Bower (Beth-Center) joined LaCarte in double figures for Northwood Realty with 14 points.
Union Cleaners (2-1) downed Bee Graphix (0-3), 84-57, behind another double-double by Joe Sabolek (Belle Vernon).
The rising senior, who came into the game averaging 21 points and 18 rebounds per game, had 27 points, 20 rebounds and five blocks to pace Union Cleaners.
“Joe is the best player in the league right now,” said Walt Costello, the head coach of Union Cleaners. “I tell the guys to play to their strength, and Joe is doing a great job of that.”
“We are continuing to see signs of improvement,” Bee Graphix head coach Dan Miller said of himself and assistant coach Bob Kennedy, the head coach at Bentworth. “You can see improvement in the players in wins and in losses.”
Reginald Grooms (Uniontown) added 16 points, Bentworth’s Stephen Harner had 13, and Ringgold’s Jake Mayer finished with 11.
Joe Green (Beth-Center) paced Bee Graphix with 24 points.
The scheduled nightcap between Campy’s Pizza (2-0) and California Dairy Queen (0-2) was rained out and will be made up at a later date.