Rematch is a mismatch as PT rolls to title
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Peters Township’s Jack Dunbar lines up two of his team-leading 25 points, putting the Indians up 47-30 over visiting Bethel Park. The win locked in the Class 5A Section 1 championship for Peters Township.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Peters Township's Jack Dunbar works past Bethel Park's Nick Brown for a late score to add to the Indians' domination of the Blackwawks at AHN Aren.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
The Peters Township bench erupts as the final seconds of the game tick away and the Indians clinch the Class 5A Section 1 championship by beating Bethel Park.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Brendan McCullough leaps over Bethel Park's Nick Brown for two of his nine points.
Mark Marietta
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Peters Township’s Brendan McCullough floats past Behtel Park defenders on the way to a fourth-quarter score.
McMURRAY – In what was the most-anticipated boys basketball game at Peters Township in several years, the host Indians gave their fans a night to remember Friday at a throbbing AHN Arena.
Using a deep lineup, the Indians earned the season sweep over rival Bethel Park with an emphatic 72-45 win and earned the Section 1 title in Class 5A, their first such championship since 2009.
Jack Dunbar led all scorers and paced Peters Township (9-1, 18-3) with 25 points. Brendan McCullough chipped in with 13.
Shawn Davis led the Black Hawks (7-2, 12-7) with 15 points. Michael Mathias added 12 for Bethel Park.
Peters Township took the first matchup at Bethel Park 75-67 last month. Round 2, before a packed house, figured to be as close if not closer. It was not to be the case.
The Indians threw an early haymaker when they closed the opening quarter on a 19-2 run. McCullough led the charge with seven first-quarter points while Cam Mills contributed two three-pointers in the onslaught.
“We got them (Bethel Park) playing our way and our pace tonight,” Peters Township coach Joe Urmann added. “We were ready to play tonight and didn’t take our foot off the gas.”
Peters Township’s defense was instrumental in getting the Indians off and running as they forced seven first-quarter turnovers. This was not lost on Urmann as he made dictating the terms of play a point of emphasis all week in practice.
“That’s how we’ve played all year,” Urmann noted. “Getting out, spreading the floor on offense and forcing mistakes on defense.”
The Indians pushed their lead to 39-17 at halftime and never looked back.
Bethel Park worked to get back in the game and was able to slice the Indians lead to 45-30 with 3:40 remaining in the third thanks to a Benjamin Guffey bucket in transition. But the hosts wouldn’t budge as they closed the quarter with an 11-4 run that re-established control to the tune of a 56-34 lead at the end of the frame.
A Davis three-pointer nudged Bethel Park to within 57-40 at the 5:30 mark of the fourth. But again, the Indians responded with a 7-0 run highlighted by baskets by Dunbar and Mickey Vaccarello to push the lead to 64-40 with a little more than four minutes remaining in the contest and all but sealed the Indians first section title in 14 seasons.
“He’s been getting better all season long,” Urmann said in reference to Vaccarello’s play. “He had a real nice drive there that helped put us back in control.”
Not lost on Urmann was the Indians ability to control the boards all night long as Peters Township outrebounded the Black Hawks, 27-19.
“I told Jack (Dunbar) he needed to come up big on the glass for us tonight and he did,” Urmann said. “He’s an above the rim rebounder and that showed up as well.”
Dunbar added getting on the glass was a key element to the outcome of the game
“Coach told me before the game I needed to hit the boards,” Dunbar noted. “I was like, OK Coach, I got you.”
Dunbar said he and his teammates unshakeable belief in themselves propelled them to a season the likes of which has rarely been seen around Peters Township in terms of the boys basketball program.
“It means everything. There’s a lot of people that didn’t think we could do it,” he added. “We just went out and proved everyone wrong and got it done. After dropping that first section game, then winning nine straight, it was sweet.”
In all, 10 different players found the scoresheet for the Indians, a fact that was a point of pride for Urmann.
“We’ve done an amazing job of sharing the ball all year and that showed tonight as well, proud of my guys,” he added.