Wash High hits stride in 4th as Trinity runs out of gas
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Washington's Brandon Patterson (24) and Tayshawn Levy (4) hem in Trinity's Connor Roberts as he works for an outlet pass in the fourth quarter.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Having driven past Trinity’s Kyle Fetchko, Washington’s Davoun Fuse slams home two of the 12 points he scored in the Prexies victory over the Hillers Tuesday night.
Mark Marietta/ For the Observer-Reporter
Washington’s Tayshawn Levy shoots as Trinity’s Andrew Durig closes in durign the second half Tuesday night.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Washington's Desean Anderson drives the baseline as Trinity's Gio Cipoletti defends.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Trinity's Owen Wayman tries to stop Washington's Davoun Fuse as he drives in the first half.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Washington's Davoun Fuse, left, and Tayshawn Levy, right, outreach Trinity's Gio Cippoletti (25) and Andrew Durig (4) for a rebound.
Washington boys basketball coach Ron Faust knows he has a talented squad that will trot out on the hardwood this season. It is just a matter of how that talent molds into a team that is his concern.
The Prexies fell Monday evening in a hard-fought contest at Belle Vernon as they struggled to beat the Leopards’ zone defense. Trinity tried a similar approach last night at Wash High Gymnasium and for about two-and-a-half quarters, the strategy worked as the Prexies struggled to get shots to fall.
But Washington kept pressing and finding cracks in the zone, and the result was a solid 54-40 win over the Hillers that evened the Prexies’ early season ledger at 1-1 while Trinity fell to 1-2.
“I would say if I was watching this game as a fan, I would say at halftime Trinity would win,” Faust noted. “For about two quarters plus, they outplayed us, they ran their sets very well. We were able to turn it on there in the third and into the fourth quarter.”
Tayshawn Levy led all scorers with 16 points, nine of which came in the fourth quarter when he was able to get to the basket and score close in with layups and putbacks. Ruben Gordon flashed his athleticism with 15 points while Davoun Fuse added 13 for the Prexies.
Kyle Fetcho paced the Hillers with 11 points.
The Hillers appeared poised to take control early in the fourth quarter when Jacob Dunkle came off the bench to score two quick buckets inside that pulled the Hillers to within one at 39-38. But a tough Levy basket plus one ignited a 13-0 run in which the Prexies never looked back.
“I’d say it was then that our talent took over and won it for us,” Faust noted. “We haven’t really had enough opportunities yet to practice situational basketball. The good thing is that is very early in the season.”
Trinity coach Tim Tessmer said he was pleased with his team’s effort, but added they simply hit a wall as the game progressed into the fourth quarter.
“I think we were just out of gas there,” he added. “(Dunkle) with him its just a matter of him getting it. He’ll be dominating some games here at some point.”
The Prexies raced out early with an 11-1 run in the first quarter, but two Fetcho three-pointers helped pull the Hillers to within 15-10 at the end of the frame.
Fuse got the crowd excited early in the second quarter when he took an errant Trinity pass, raced down the floor and threw down a one-handed jam to extend the Prexies lead to seven. An Owen Wayman corner jumper sliced the Prexies’ lead to 17-15 midway through the quarter, but a Gordon lay-up and foul shot pushed the hosts lead to five late in the half.
Washington carried a 22-15 lead into the break, but had to fend off the Hillers in the third as a Fetcho three and two Andrew Durig baskets pulled the Hillers out of a 10 point deficit while a Dunkle lay-up at the buzzer brought Trinity closer at 37-34 at the end of the third.
But four consecutive Trinity turnovers to start the fourth along with the play of Levy helped close the contest out.
“It’s one of the better Wash High teams I’ve seen,” Tessmer said. “They’re very long and close out on defense quite well.”