Imani Christian too much for West Greene
Luke Campbell/ Observer-Reporter
West Greene’s Chase Blake rises above Imani Christian’s Jacquez Myers for a shot in the first half of Saturday’s WPIAL Class A first-round game at Peters Township High School.
Luke Campbell/Observer-Reporter
West Greene’s Austin Crouse protects the ball while being defended by Jacquez Myers of Imani Christian in a WPIAL Class A first-round game at Peters Township High School.
Luke Campbell/Observer-Reporter
West Greene’s Chase Blake fends off Imani’s Aiden Betsill in a WPIAL Class A first-round playoff game Saturday afternoon at Peters Township High School.
McMURRAY – Jim Romanus knew being an offensively challenged team would be a problem.
It’s been that way all year for the West Greene boys basketball team.
Why would it change?
The shooting woes and lack of offensive firepower were present again Saturday afternoon. Trailing from start to finish, No. 11-seeded West Greene couldn’t make shots to keep up with athletic and sixth-seeded Imani Christian in a 67-41 loss in the first round of the WPIAL Class A playoffs at Peters Township High School.
“We’ve done it all year,” Romanus, the Pioneers’ coach, said. “Twice we’ve scored in the 60s. We are just an offensively challenged team. That’s a problem because you have to make shots when you get to the playoffs. We just don’t have offensive punch at all.”
The second-lowest scoring team in all of Class A at 46 points per game – the lowest being winless Propel Montour – West Greene (8-13) was bounced in the opening round for the fifth consecutive season.
The Pioneers lost to St. Joseph in the first round last season. They fell to Imani Christian in 2018 and lost to Eden Christian and Vincentian Academy the two years prior to that.
“We’ve made the playoffs five straight years, which is a school record,” Romanus said. “We have played five private schools. I do wish we could overcome this and beat a team.”
The Pioneers got off to a slow start. They failed to score until more than halfway though the first quarter and fell behind 10-0.
Imani Christian (15-8) got the early lead and never was threatened. Jacquez Myers kept the Saints’ lead at a safe distance throughout the first half, making back-to-back baseline three-pointers after West Greene showed life late in the first quarter.
Myers, who scored all 11 of his points in the first half, then turned it over the rest of his teammates to carry the load.
With Imani leading 31-19 at halftime, Malik Shannon rattled in a straightaway line-drive three-pointer with 5:33 left in the third quarter to continue to a 10-4 run that extended the Saints’ lead to 18 points.
Imani made seven threes to the Pioneers’ one, which didn’t come until 6:08 was left in regulation.
“Sometimes in basketball it’s day to day,” Imani coach Omar Foster said. “Sometimes we shoot the ball really well. Sometimes we don’t. I thought we shot the ball pretty good today.”
Shannon and Aiden Betsill were the other two Saints in double figures. Shannon had 15 and Betsill scored 14. Elijah Arrington and Senique Jenkins each finished with nine to balance the offense.
The only punch on offense for West Greene came from Ben Jackson, who scored a game-high 21 points, including 11 from the frequently visited foul line. Austin Crouse added nine points for the Pioneers, who used seven defenders this week in practice to try and mimic the Saints’ defensive pressure.
“When opportunities existed today we didn’t take advantage of them,” Romanus said. “In a game like this, you have to be opportunistic in your offensive approach. We really had some mental lapses. We can’t afford stuff like that because we’re not overly blessed with talent. We have to play fundamentally sound, and I thought we made some just ridiculous blunders.”