Basket at buzzer ends Monessen’s title hopes
Monessen head coach Joe Salvino offers instruction during the WPIAL Class A semifinals at Chartiers Valley High School Tuesday.
Monessen’s Jaron Youngblood, left, reacts after the Greyhounds lost to North Catholic in the WPIAL Class A semifinals at Chartiers Valley High School Tuesday.
Monessen’s Lavalle Rush tries to get a shot off as North Catholic’s Eric Taylor defends during the WPIAL Class A semifinal at Charties Valley High School Tuesday.
HEIDELBERG – When Kenny Fukon left his team’s huddle with 5.6 seconds remaining in overtime and the score tied Tuesday night, all the Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic junior was supposed to do was set a solid screen for a teammate.
Fukon did much more than set a pick.
When North Catholic’s designed inbounds play broke down, Fukon found himself with the basketball, frantically dribbling up the left sideline and angling from the wing toward the basket. Fukon, a lefty, pulled up on the baseline and made a one-handed 10-foot jumper as time expired to give North Catholic a stunning 79-77 victory over top-seeded Monessen in the WPIAL Class A boys basketball semifinals at Chartiers Valley High School.
“I was supposed to set a pick for Zach (Offi) so he could go deep and we could throw a football pass to him,” Fukon said of his assignment on the inbounds play from the North Catholic backcourt.
“That didn’t work, so I tried to get open. When I was dribbling, I took a peek at the scoreboard on the wall in front of me. I knew how much time I had left.”
Fukon’s shot ended a wildly entertaining game that Monessen’s coaches, players and fans are sure to replay in their minds many times between now and the start of the PIAA tournament March 4. Both teams seemed to have the game in hand during the fourth quarter and overtime but let it slip away.
Monessen (21-4), which had its 15-game winning streak end, led 35-28 at halftime but went cold from the field after the third quarter. The Greyhounds stayed in the game by making 26 of 31 free throws and led 77-74 with 33 seconds remaining in overtime.
“There were a number of things that caused us to lose the game,” Monessen coach Joe Salvino said. “We turned the ball over with the lead, and we didn’t attack their zone defense the way we should have.”
Monessen, which was averaging more than 90 points per game, made only three of 19 shots from three-point range. One of the makes was banked in by Justice Rice as time expired in the first half. Another was banked in by Lavalle Rush and gave Monessen a 44-41 lead in the third quarter.
“My big concern was that we wouldn’t shoot well from the outside,” Salvino said. “When a team plays a zone defense and you’re not shooting well, then you can’t make them come out and challenge you on the perimeter.”
North Catholic (17-8), which will play Sewickley Academy (23-2) in the championship game Friday night at Petersen Events Center, led 67-66 with 30 seconds left in regulation and had possession of the basketball but couldn’t lock up the win. The Trojans also led 72-67 early in overtime, then gave up eight consecutive points.
The Trojans made it tough on themselves by converting only nine of 20 free throws. They got back in the game in the second half behind the play of 6-4 center Eric Taylor, who had game highs of 29 points and 17 rebounds.
“A big guy as athletic as that is always going to be tough to stop,” Salvino said.
Taylor scored 21 points after halftime, none bigger than a game-tying three-pointer from the top of the key with 17 seconds left in overtime.
“I don’t remember him ever making a three,” North Catholic coach Dave Long said. “I let him shoot one of those every game and in every practice. He saved the make for a big one. I told him afterward, ‘Aren’t you happy I gave you all that practice shooting three-pointers?'”
Monessen then turned the ball over with 5.6 seconds left, setting the stage for Fukon’s game-winner.
Monessen got to overtime when its full-court press forced a key turnover with North Catholic leading 67-66. The Greyhounds’ little-used Alan Duncan stepped in front of a crosscourt pass in the NC backcourt and was fouled with 28 seconds left. Duncan made one of two free throws – his only point of the game – to tie the score.
A layup and three-pointer by Offi staked North Catholic to a 72-67 lead early in overtime, but Monessen rallied by getting to the free-throw line. Dwight Moore, who led Monessen with 28 points, converted six free throws, and Rice and Jaron Youngblood one each, to give the Greyhounds a 77-74 lead.
Taylor’s three tied the score and Fukon won it for the Trojans.
Jaden Altomore scored 23 points for Monessen, including 19 in the first half. Rush and Rice each had 12. The Greyhounds made only three field goals in the final 12 minutes but converted 16 of 20 free throws during that stretch.
Fukon had 15 points and Offi 13 for North Catholic.
Though disappointed his team will not play for a WPIAL championship repeat, Salvino found a silver lining in the defeat.
“The season is not over. We’re not going to pack it in,” he said. “We have to prepare for the state tournament. Our two state championship teams didn’t win the WPIAL. We’ll see what happens this time.”