PT’s balancing act nets spot in semifinals
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Jack Dunbar (45) of Peters Township splits the South Fayette defenders Gavin Ororz (left) and Elijah Hill (15) on his way to a basket. Dunbar sparked the Indians to a section title, WPIAL runner-up finish and two PIAA playoff wins.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Peters Township’s Brendan McCullough (2) soars to the basket during a game against South Fayette. Both the Indians and Lions begin play in the PIAA Class 5A playoffs tonight.
Brendan McCullough (2) puts up a basket during Peters Township's 68-60 win against South Fayette. McCullough tossed in 17 points in the victory.
Nate Miller
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Nate Miller (3) makes his move against Dylan Head while South Fayette head coach David Mislan signals in the background. Miller helped Peters Township to a 68-60 win against the Lions.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Peters Township’s Jack Dunbar flips in a basket against South Fayette. Dunbar, a 6-2 junior, averaged 20 points per game during the regular season and sparked the Indians to a 24-win season.
BETHEL PARK – As it has been written in this space previously, playoff basketball games are often better when they involve neighborhood rivals.
That was again on full display Wednesday night at Bethel Park High School when the Class 5A top-seeded Peters Township Indians did battle with neighboring South Fayette in a quarterfinal matchup that was won by Peters Township, 68-60.
The Indians (21-4) offered a more balanced scoring attack as they rode four double-digit scorers into the semifinals. Jack Dunbar paced Peters Township with 21 points while Brendan McCullough notched 17. Mickey Vaccarello and Nate Miller chipped in with 12 and 10 points, respectively.
“We try to have a balanced scoring attack every night,” Peters Township coach Joe Urmann said. “Some guys are more apt to put in than others. We do try to get the ball in certain guys hands at times. But we rely on balance and guys making plays unselfishly.”
Six different Indians found the scoresheet Wednesday evening as their depth was evident even as South Fayette (14-10) stayed within striking distance much of the game.
Elijah Hill was a one-man wrecking crew for the Lions as he pumped in 27 points in defeat.
“His poise is what impresses me, more than his physicality,” Urmann said in reference to Hill’s play. “He just doesn’t get flustered and finishes around the rim.”
Michael Plasko added 13 points for the Lions, who fell to the Indians early in the regular season in a non-conference matchup, 71-70, on Dec. 20.
Vaccarello helped push the Indians to a nine-point lead early in the third with a nifty low-post basket. Urmann praised Vaccarello and teammate Cam Mills for working to limit some of the damage Hill was inflicting throughout the game.
“He was a tough cover for sure but they did a nice job,” Urmann added. “Mickey is only a sophomore, but he is so strong and a sneaky good athlete.”
Nico Lamonde pulled the Indians to within 45-40 with 2:35 left in the third. But Dunbar extended the lead out to 51-42 when he drilled a three and was subsequently fouled. He finished the four-point play to give momentum back to the Indians.
McCullough then went to work in the fourth with nine points. The first two of the frame came courtesy of a driving layup that gave Peters Township a 59-48 lead with 5:35 left. Vaccarello and McCullough scored within seconds of one another to balloon the Indians’ lead to 65-54 with 1:35 remaining.
But the Lions refused to go away and made a final push that was culminated by a Noah Knox pull-up jumper to cut the Indians’ lead to 65-60 at the 57 second mark of the fourth. McCullough turned out the lights on the Lions with three-free throws that gave Peters Township the final margin of victory.
Lions coach Dave Mislan said his group battled but just could not get over the hump.
“They played better than we did, coached better than we did, they did everything better than we did,” Mislan noted. “We did everything we could to slow them down. Their guards are just so good and physically strong. They executed down the stretch. But again, I’m proud of our guys.”
Dunbar began the game on fire as he drained his first four shots from the field, two of which were from behind the three-point arc. He finished the quarter with 10 points as the Indians took a 22-13 lead into the second.
Hill went to work inside for the Lions as he bullied his way in the paint for 11 second-quarter points. A Plasko reverse lay-up pulled South Fayette within six points at 34-28 as the teams headed off into their respective locker rooms at the half.
“I didn’t like that they had 34 at the half, but they shot it so well, I just thought it would come back to us,” Mislan noted.
Peters Township shot a sizzling 62 percent from the field for the game. While South Fayette shot a nearly as good 56 percent.