Mar 17, 2019 4 min read

Monessen will get the second opportunity it wanted tonight.

The Greyhounds hope to turn the tables on Vincentian Academy, the team that defeated them in the WPIAL semifinals, when the two clash in the PIAA semifinals at Mt. Lebanon High School.

“We wouldn’t want it to be with anybody else but them,” Monessen senior Dishon Howell said.

Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. with the winner advancing to Thursday’s state championship game at the Giant Center in Hershey at 2 p.m.

“Our players are happy to have another opportunity at Vincentian,” Monessen coach Dan Bosnic said. “We have focused on what we need to do differently from the first game to be successful on (tonight).”

The first meeting on Feb. 25 at Peters Township High School featured big momentum swings. The Royals (19-8) led by 10 at halftime, the Greyhounds (18-9) surged to a one-point lead after three periods and Vincentian pulled away down the stretch for a 61-49 win.

Alex Griggs, a 6-0 sophomore guard, led the Royals with 18 points, 6-6 sophomore forward Angelo Reeves followed with 14 and 5-8 junior guard Nate Cullo added 12.

Monessen was paced by 5-7 freshman guard Devin Whitlock with 14 points, with 6-2 forward Howell contributing 12 points and 6-2 sophomore forward DaWayne Howell chipping in with eight.

Bosnic feels his team must do a better job on the boards in the rematch.

“Rebounding is going to be very important,” he said. “We have to win this area of the game.”

Monessen followed up its loss to Vincentian with PIAA wins over District 10 champion Jamestown, 75-54, District 6 runner-up Bishop Carroll, 63-62, and WPIAL champion Nazareth Prep, 50-46.

The Royals lost to the Saints in the district final, 69-62. Since then they’ve knocked off District 6 third-place team St. Joseph’s Catholic Academy, 97-65, District 9 champion Elk County Catholic, 63-57, and Cornell, the fourth-place WPIAL team, 69-59.

The Greyhounds’ defense was stifling in the win over Nazareth Prep and has improved throughout the postseason. It will have to sustain that trend if it wants to reach Hershey, according to Bosnic.

“We have to continue to play great defense,” he said. “Vincentian has a talented roster. We will have to stay in front of them and challenge every shot. Like every game, we want them to earn everything they get.”

Ethan Embleton, a 6-6 junior forward, led the Royals in their win over Cornell with 18 points, and was followed by Reeves (16), Griggs (13) and 5-10 freshman guard Matt McDonough (13).

In addition to playing stellar man-to-man defense, Whitlock has been Monessen’s leading scorer in all five of its playoff games.

He tallied 15 in Friday’s win over the Saints. Dishon Howell, DaWayne Howell and 6-4 senior center Elijahwa Payne each scored eight points with 6-3 junior forward Marquell Smith and 6-2 senior forward Darnell Howell adding six and five points, respectively.

The Greyhounds came out on top in a slow-paced game against Nazareth Prep. Even so, that’s not the style they prefer to play.

“Offensively, we will continue to try to push the pace of the game,” Bosnic said. “No matter what defense they show us, our players realize that we need to continue to play unselfish basketball and get the shot we want every possession.”

Bosnic varies his starting lineup but the last two games it has included Whitlock, Dishon Howell, Payne, Smith and Darnel Howell. DaWayne Howell, 6-2 junior forward Taylon Lowe and 5-3 freshman guard Antwon Tucker have been the top players off the bench but 5-8 junior guard Jalen Brice and 5-10 junior guard Dylan Bradshaw have seen action in the postseason as well.

Vincentian will be trying to avoid a second team successfully taking revenge on it in a rematch. The Royals defeated Nazareth Prep twice during the regular season only to watch the Saints lift the WPIAL trophy after their third meeting.

The Greyhounds’ loss to Vincentian still pains Payne.

“I want to play Vincentian, hopefully they win,” Payne said before the outcome of the other PIAA quarterfinal game was known Friday night. “I’m kind of disappointed because we could’ve got a ring in the WPIALs.”

The Greyhounds will be assured of some type of PIAA hardware – whether it be a championship or runner-up trophy – if they can get past the Royals this time.