Fort Cherry cornered by Aliquippa
By Joe Tuscano
For the Observer-Reporter
newsrooom@observer-reporter.com
GIBSONIA – It was a game that would have made Dean Smith proud.
Aliquippa, giving its best impression of the former North Carolina legendary coach’s trademark, used the four-corners offense that Smith made so effective to take a 65-53 victory from Fort Cherry Tuesday at Pine-Richland High School in the PIAA boys basketball semifinals.
The Quips (24-5) will head to Hershey to play in their fifth PIAA Class 2A championship game Friday at the Giant Center. Aliquippa has come away with one state title in that time.
“We have used the four-corners before but not this year because we really haven’t had to,” said Aliquippa head coach Nick Lackovich. “Fort Cherry brought it on. They dictated how we attacked.”
What made the four-corners so effective is that it used up precious game time while keeping the basketball away from Fort Cherry (23-7).
“They’ve done that to us before,” said Fort Cherry head coach Eugene Briggs. “They want us to go out and chase them and you can’t really do that because there would be nothing but layups for them.”
Briggs felt the second quarter, when the Quips outscored Fort Cherry, 23-10, was the turning point in the game.
“It was in the second quarter when they started mugging us and they didn’t call anything,” Briggs said. “They really got physical with us, started double-teaming us. They got us off track a little bit.”
Fort Cherry was trying to equal the accomplishments of the school’s 1961 team, which won the PIAA title. The Rangers also were trying to tie the school record of 26 wins in a season.
“I felt confident until the last minute,” Briggs said. “We just needed a three to jump start us and they did a good job of taking that away from us.”
Fort Cherry had only four three-point field goals.
Aliquippa led by 11 points, 43-32, midway through the third quarter but Fort Cherry went on an 11-5 run to come within 48-43. But a quick start to the fourth quarter by Aliquippa, which outscored Fort Cherry, 7-4, put the game away with 2:12 to play.
Derek Erett, a 5-10 senior guard, led the Rangers with 18 points. Shane Cornali chipped in with 16.
Cam Lindsay led Alliquippa with 18 points. Marquez Council and Quentin Goode each scored 12.
“It’s funny because whenever you guys mention Cam, we see that every day,” said Lackovich. “It’s not like he’s lucky.”
The first half was a rock’em-sock’em 16 minutes of basketball.
Fort Cherry used its fast break to take a 15-9 lead at the end of the first quarter. Errett had nine of the 15, hitting three baskets and one three-pointer.
Aliquippa, which did not score a point in the first 4:10 of the game, finally started hitting from outside, opening a 13-3 lead to go ahead 22-18 with 3:51 remaining in the half.
A three-pointer by Josh Pratt gave Alliquippa its biggest lead, 30-20.