Feb 14, 2015 3 min read

BRIDGEVILLE – A lack of depth and experience can be overcome during the regular season, especially when a basketball team has two prolific scorers to compensate.

Despite losing three starters from last season, Chartiers-Houston reached the WPIAL Class AA playoffs behind senior Alec Ferrari and sophomore AJ Myers. The Bucs used a seven-man rotation throughout the season and were able to sneak into the playoffs.

Having success against a strong, deep opponent was another story when the Bucs faced Avonworth Saturday afternoon.

The Antelopes used their size and speed to overpower Chartiers-Houston on their way to a 67-46 win in a preliminary round game at Chartiers Valley High School.

Avonworth (13-10) advances to the first round to face second-seeded Lincoln Park. The Bucs’ season ends with a 12-11 record.

“Avonworth is such a balanced team,” Chartiers-Houston head coach Eugene Briggs said. “Most of our defensive efforts this year focused on taking one great player away, but they are so deep that they can get around the trap or press with quick passes.”

The Antelopes showed off their quickness early with 15-2 run behind sophomore forward Jamal Hughley, who scored a team-high 19 points. His one-handed dunk less than five minutes into the game seized the momentum and his play on the defensive end ensured Avonworth would never let go.

Ferrari, who led the Bucs with 20 points, scored the Bucs’ only points of the first quarter and they trailed 15-4 after eight minutes.

The second quarter was more of the same as Hughley scored seven of the Lopes’ first nine points. The Antelopes used a box-an-one defense on Ferrari to force Myers or another C-H player to make a shot, but the Bucs could not take advantage.

Avonworth limited second chances by dominating the boards, holding a 20-10 advantage in the first half and the score reflected as much as the Antelopes led 31-15 at halftime.

Though Ferrari scored 20 points, he was limited to four field goals. Myers finished with 15 points.

“We wanted to slow Alec down,” Avonworth head coach Dan Bradley said. “He’s a good player so we wanted to make their other guys beat us. Alec got his points, but it was a slow, hard 20 for him.”

The Bucs improved in the second half with freshman Cam Hanley contributing at both ends of the floor, but Avonworth’s offense was unstoppable. The Antelopes found forward Chris O’Malley down low for easy points and continued to make jump shots from around the key.

Kyle Crilley had 11 points for the Antelopes and Joshua Drwal added 12, including seven in the third quarter.

After Chartiers-Houston improved dramatically over the past five weeks, the Bucs struggled in their biggest game of the season. Though reaching the postseason is an accomplishment, Briggs was not pleased with the ending.

“I’m very disappointed because we were starting to come into our own,” Briggs said. “We regressed three weeks in one day. We started out too slow and they are so good that they won’t let you come back because they move the ball so well.”