Belle Vernon shakes off rust, sets up rematch
Holly Tonini/For the Observer-Reporter
Belle Vernon’s Alonzo Wade, right, works to keep the ball away from Freeport’s Parker Lucas.
Holly Tonini/For the Observer-Reporter
Belle Vernon’s Alonzo Wade drives the ball through Freeport’s Vinny Clark (15) and Parker Lucas.
Holly Tonini/For the Observer-Reporter
Belle Vernon’s Quinton Martin leap and soars for the basket against Freeport in the WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinals Wednesday night.
BELLE VERNON – Belle Vernon rolled to a 62-42 WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinal win over Freeport Wednesday night, and the victory sets up a rematch with Montour in the semifinals.
“I think our fast start really helped us and it put the momentum in our favor,” said Belle Vernon coach Joe Salvino. “I was concerned when you are off (12 days), sometimes you are a little rusty.
“Our defense and transition helped create the lead and I was really pleased with the first two quarters.”
Belle Vernon also clinched a spot in the PIAA playoffs.
Freshman Alonzo Wade paced Belle Vernon (19-3) with a game-high 17 points while grabbing five rebounds. Senior Devin Whitlock stuffed the stat sheet with 15 points, a game-high nine assists, five steals and five rebounds, and sophomore Quinton Martin had 15 points, six rebounds and three blocked shots.
Whitlock now has 1,708 points between Monessen (487) and Belle Vernon (1,221).
The outcome was never in question, and a 15-0 run in the first quarter left no doubt that the Leopards would be advancing for the second straight year over Freeport. Belle Vernon won last year’s contest, 80-49.
“We have been doing a great job at practice of emphasizing pushing the ball and staying aggressive on the press,” said Whitlock. “We were able to get into our transition because of it.”
“I feel we had to come out ready and we knew what we had to do,” said Martin. “We wanted to get a jump on them.”
Up 23-4 after the first quarter and 45-17 at the half, the Leps enacted the Mercy Rule in the third quarter, although the team got sloppy in the second half, much to Salvino’s dismay.
“When you are up by that many points, you aren’t playing as good of defense, not running an offense and going through the motions,” he said. “I don’t like that. We had a long layoff and I wanted to play four full quarters of basketball.”
Vince Clark and Jason Kijowski led Freeport (13-10) with eight points apiece.
Next up for Belle Vernon on Saturday is Montour, a 70-50 winner over Burrell.
In Montour’s 65-48 win over Belle Vernon on Feb. 6, the final score didn’t tell the whole story as Whitlock got hurt in the first quarter and didn’t play in the second half, and Martin was in Las Vegas for a football All-American Game function.
Salvino knows his team has a challenge in front of them.
“They are good and have a nice team,” he said. “They are ranked No. 2 and we are ranked No. 3 and the winner goes to The Pete.
“It may be in our favor because it’s a revenge game and we can go show them we are a good team, too. I don’t want any letdowns.”
Whitlock and Martin are focused.
“We have been waiting for this since we got on the bus after that game,” Whitlock said. “We will be ready.”
“We are extra motivated for this,” said Martin. “They have been talking a lot, and we will see on Saturday who is the better team.”
Salvino now has 699 career wins.
Belle Vernon finished 10-0 at home and in 23-5 on the court over the last three years.
Playing their last game at home were Whitlock, Daniel Gordon, Tyler Kovatch, Logan Cunningham, Holden LaCarte and Joe Klanchar.