Overtime doesn’t pay for WHS; Bishop Canevin wins 3-AA title
Wash High’s Anthony Popeck passes to a teammate as Bishop Canevin’s Justin Dix tries for a steal during the Little Prexies’ game against the Crusaders Monday night.
Wash High’s Matt Popeck is fouled by Bishop Canevin’s John Weldon during the first half of Monday night’s game.
Katie Roupe/Observer-Reporter Wash High's head coach Ron Faust instructs his team during a time out in the second half of the game against Bishop Canevin
Katie Roupe/Observer-Reporter Wash High's Nate Swart tries to get around Bishop Canevin's John Weldon during the fourth quarter of Monday night's game.
PITTSBURGH – The hours of working to perfect a game plan to defeat Bishop Canevin took more than 16 minutes to emerge Monday night for Washington High School’s boys basketball team, but it led to a second-half comeback that had the Prexies inches away from moving into a tie for first place in Section 3-AA.
It took four minutes of unorganized basketball and critical mistakes to erase the memory of the dramatic comeback.
Bishop Canevin made 14 of 18 free throws in overtime, when Washington’s offense faltered, clinching a 73-64 win for the Crusaders and at least a share of the Section 3-AA championship on their home court.
The trouble started for the Prexies (10-2, 13-6) before the overtime period even began. Moments before tip-off, Wash High senior point guard Markel Pulliam was given a technical foul after briefly talking to an official.
Bishop Canevin junior guard Mitchell King took advantage by making two free throws, and 14 seconds later junior guard Walter Bonds made a three-pointer from the left wing to give the Crusaders a quick five-point lead.
Wash High responded with back-to-back turnovers and Bishop Canevin (12-0, 15-4) never looked back. King, who had a team-high 19 points, made 10 of 12 free throws in overtime to help the Crusaders clinch their first section championship since 2006.
Pulliam’s three-pointer with just over a minute remaining cut Wash High’s deficit to four points, but BC held on. The Prexies were held to only eight points in overtime after scoring 37 in the final 16 minutes of regulation to erase an 11-point halftime deficit. Pulliam led the effort with 28 points, including 21 after halftime.
“We got beat by a championship team,” Wash High head coach Ron Faust said. “They showed us how champions execute and how they act. We weren’t deserving of being champions because we didn’t execute well when the time came and our attitude at times isn’t good, either.”
Wash High’s problems defending Bishop Canevin’s quick guards continued early in the third quarter as King’s layup gave the Crusaders the 11-point lead, but they couldn’t solve the Prexies’ 3-2 zone defense the rest of the second half.
Bishop Canevin committed four turnovers during Wash High’s 16-4 run to end the third quarter. It was capped by senior forward Nate Swart’s fast-break layup at the buzzer, which gave the Prexies the 43-42 lead heading to the fourth quarter. Swart chipped in 10 points, including eight in the third, for Wash High.
Pulliam and Popeck helped increase the lead to six points midway through the fourth, but the Crusaders made four free throws and Wash High committed three turnovers, including a backcourt violation on an inbounds pass, in less than two minutes. Bishop Canevin tied the score at 56-56 with John Weldon’s layup. Weldon had 15 points and Bonds added 17.
Matt Popeck, who finished with 15 points, took the Prexies’ first shot on their next possession, but it rang off the back of the rim and Isaiah Robinson’s putback atttempt fell short. Bishop Canevin committed a turnover with 1.5 seconds remaining and Wash High was called for traveling on the inbounds pass, but King’s three-pointer fell short to force overtime.
“We were really nervous when they made their run and we were struggling badly against that 3-2 of theirs,” Bishop Canevin head coach Kevin Trost said. “That really gave us a hard time, but our kids were resilient and we made shots when we had to.”
That was the case early, too. The Crusaders were 6 of 14 from three-point range in the first half. On the other end, Wash High’s offense struggled to find its rhythm against Bishop Canevin’s press defense and looked unorganized. With the postseason near, the frustrating part for Faust was Wash High’s inability to execute a game plan that helped the Prexies build a 10-game winning streak.
“Believe it or not, we do practice every day and we do have material that we run,” Faust said tongue-in-cheek. “We have an offense and a defense, and it’s miraculous at times how we can at least be semi successful when we use those things that we practice.
“I know our execution is horrible and we have a week to try to clarify it or it will cost us another playoff game, like it did last year.”