GAME OF THE WEEK — ‘Hounds pound Saltsburg, 74-34
Evan Sanders
Monessen’s Justice Rice (center) puts up a shot through the defense of Saltsburg’s Frank Plowman (right) and Deshawn Wofford (left), and draws a foul, in the first half of Monessen’s match-up against Saltsburg at Norwin. Monessen went on to defeat Saltsburg with a final score of 74-34.
Evan Sanders
Monessen’s Jaden Altomore (right) drives to the basket past Saltsburg’s Dan Shirley (left) in the second half of Monessen’s game against Saltsburg held at Norwin. Monessen beat Saltsburg, 74-34.
Evan Sanders
Monessen’s Vaughn Taylor (center) pulls a rebound away from Saltsburg’s Frank Plowman (left) and Dan Shirley (right) in the first half of Monessen’s game against Saltburg at Norwin. Monessen went on to post a 74-34 win.
NORTH HUNTINGDON — Monessen left no doubt who the top Class A public school boys basketball team is this year in the PIAA with its 74-34 pasting of District 6 champion Saltsburg Saturday afternoon.
With the win, the Greyhounds advance to the PIAA Western Final for the seventh time under coach Joe Salvino.
As is the norm for the Greyhounds, they applied full-court pressure and harassed the Trojans into 29 turnovers.
“The guys buy into our defensive philosophy and it showed today,” said Salvino, who earned the 626th win of his career. “We came out with more intensity than we did on Thursday and never gave them the chance to get comfortable.
“We converted turnovers into transition points.”
Saltsburg hit 13 three-pointers against Johnsonburg in the second round but was limited to a pair by Monessen, and Nick Porter, who averaged 21 points per game coming in and had 35 Thursday, only had 13 with 11 coming after halftime.
Jaden Altomore and Justice Rice are both well north of 1,000-career points and, like they have all season, the duo carried Monessen (22-7) offensively as Altomore finished with 26 points and Rice had 21.
“I have known since they were freshmen that they were special players,” Salvino said of the duo. “They got us going.”
Altomore added nine rebounds and three steals while Rice had seven steals, five rebounds and four assists.
“We wanted to come out more focused than we did on Thursday and it was easier because we didn’t have as long of a layoff,” said Altomore. “We wanted to put them away immediately.”
“We came out with energy and we fed off of our fans and the Saltsburg fans,’ Rice said. “Their fans were into the game and we wanted to take them out of it right way.”
Monessen (21-7) jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead 56 seconds into the game, but just like its second round win over District 5 champion Shanksville-Stonycreek, Monessen found itself in foul trouble early.
The Greyhounds committed four fouls in the first two minutes of the game, but it did not slow down their aggressive pressure as Saltsburg (26-2) turned the ball over 10 times in the first quarter.
“We subbed and the other guys did a good job of keeping the intensity up,” said Salvino. “We got into a little bit of foul trouble there, but guys came in and did their role.”
Up 11-7 with 2:24 to go in the first quarter, Monessen closed the quarter on an 8-0 run to take a 19-7 lead into the second quarter.
Monessen extended its run to 17-0 and lead to 28-7 by the time Dan Shirley scored for Saltsburg with 4:23 to go in the half.
The Greyhounds followed with a 9-0 run to put the game well out of reach, and they led 39-16 at the half.
Monessen forced 10 more turnovers in the second quarter.
The Greyhounds opened the second half on an 8-2 run, but Lyndon Henderson was ejected with 4:58 to play in the quarter and must now sit the PIAA Class A Western Final Monday.
On the play, Henderson pushed a Saltsburg player to the ground and was called for a flagrant foul.
“We will have to have other guys step up,” Salvino said and mentioned four. “Jaron (Youngblood), Vaughn (Taylor), Cory (Fleming), and Marc (Gibson) will have to be ready to do a little more.
“For instance, Marc scored a key basket in the second quarter and those are the type of plays that we will need.”
Youngblood had seven rebounds, Taylor had five, and Fleming had four.
Thanks to outscoring the Trojans 19-10 in the third quarter, Monessen led 58-26 after three quarters and when Fleming scored off of an offensive rebound with 4:52 to play, the Mercy Rule was enacted.
Monessen awaits the winner of Saturday night’s game between Elk County Catholic (26-0 heading into last night) and Kennedy Catholic (23-2).
“They are both really good,” Salvino said. “We will have to play really well.”
The game will be Monday night at a time and place to be determined and announced Sunday.