GAME OF THE WEEK: Leopards defeat visiting Ringgold for key section win, 77-66
Darnell Graham
Belle Vernon无毛视频檚 Devin Whitlock (4) lays the ball off the glass as Ringgold无毛视频檚 Jordan Mayer closes in during Friday无毛视频檚 Section 3-AAAA game at Belle Vernon.
Darnell Graham
Ringgold无毛视频檚 Luke Wyvratt (24) scores over the outstretched arm of Belle Vernon无毛视频檚 Devin Whitlock (4) during Friday无毛视频檚 Section 3-AAAA game at Belle Vernon High School.
Darnell Graham
Belle Vernon无毛视频檚 Hunter Ruokonen (1) gets a step on Ringgold无毛视频檚 Demetris Butler during Friday无毛视频檚 Section 3-AAAA game at Belle Vernon.
ROSTRAVER TWP. 无毛视频斅� In an important game between two of the better teams in Section 3-AAAA, Belle Vernon defeated Ringgold, 77-66, on Friday night in front of a packed, energized crowd.
Both teams entered the 无毛视频-Standard Game of the Week game fighting for position to maintain contact with section-leading Uniontown.
无毛视频淲e didn无毛视频檛 do anything different to prepare for tonight无毛视频檚 game,无毛视频� said Belle Vernon head coach Joe Salvino. 无毛视频淚 worry about our team playing our game, and I don无毛视频檛 want to worry about having to play the other team无毛视频檚 game.无毛视频�
Salvino, in his 36th year of coaching, is in his second year at Belle Vernon. Meanwhile, Ringgold head coach Phil Pergola is in his 50th year as a head coach, and between the two coaches, they have amassed an impressive 1,293 wins and have won WPIAL and state titles.
无毛视频淢e and Phil go back a long time,无毛视频� said Salvino. 无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 a great guy, a great coach, and I have the utmost respect for him.无毛视频�
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檙e okay. We called this the week from hell because we had Uniontown, then TJ, and Belle Vernon,无毛视频� said Pergola.
The excitement and the intensity of the crowd really hit home to Pergola.
无毛视频淭he atmosphere was tremendous. The excitement of the crowd reminded me of the 70s, 80s, and the 90s. Lately, you don无毛视频檛 see crowds like this at a game,无毛视频� said Pergola.
After Ringgold无毛视频檚 Demetrius Butler tied the game at 13-13, the Leopards went on a 5-2 run in the last 1:30 for a 18-15 lead heading into the second quarter.
Ringgold无毛视频檚 Luke Wyvratt got hot early and contributed 10 points for the Rams in the second quarter.
Ringgold controlled most of the quarter, going on a 19-4 run for a 38-27 lead at the half. Wyvratt无毛视频檚 basket with 4:30 left in the second quarter tied the game and Peccon无毛视频檚 beautiful 3-pointer gave the Rams the lead.
With his team down by 11 points at the half, Salvino said, 无毛视频淚 told the team at halftime that we weren无毛视频檛 playing very good, and during the second quarter, it was like we weren无毛视频檛 playing at all. We have to play four quarters of basketball.无毛视频�
Salvino无毛视频檚 words must have resonated with his team because the Leopards entered the second half on fire with a 14-3 run and tied the game 41-41 with 5:25 left in the third quarter.
Belle Vernon managed a very brief 20-second lead, but Ringgold regained the lead on a Butler field goal, a lead they would maintain until the fourth quarter. Belle Vernon held a 28-20 advantage in the third quarter.
The lead changed hands 10 times, but the Leopards delivered the final blow thanks to Devin Whitlock无毛视频檚 basket with 6:10 left in the fourth quarter.
The crowd was brought to its feet with thunderous applause with Mitch Pohlot无毛视频檚 dunk just seconds later. Belle Vernon fed off the adrenaline and never looked back, going on an epic 18-6 run to end the game.
无毛视频淭his was the third game in a row where we played very well for three quarter and fall in the fourth,无毛视频� said Pergola.
The Rams were without senior Benjamin Lawrence, out with an injury.
无毛视频淗e doesn无毛视频檛 give us a whole lot on offense, but defensively, he clogs that middle up,无毛视频� said Pergola. 无毛视频淗e definitely would无毛视频檝e helped us tonight had he been on the floor.无毛视频�
Wyvratt (19), Butler (17), Chris Peccon (15), and Nate Pajak (13) all scoring double digits for the Rams.
Whitlock scored a game-high 23 points. Pohlot added 16.
无毛视频淚t was a good comeback win,无毛视频� said Salvino. 无毛视频淚 keep telling them to play good defense because good things can happen, so we created some turnovers and got some transition points and look what happened.无毛视频�
Both teams resume sectional play on Tuesday with Belle Vernon traveling to Elizabeth Forward and Ringgold returning home to host South Park.
Section 3-AAAA
Ringgold聽 聽 聽 聽15-23-20-8 无毛视频� 66
Belle Vernon 18-9-28-22 无毛视频� 77
Ringgold: Luke Wyvratt 19, Demetrius Butler 17, Chris Peccon 15, Nate Pajak 13. Belle Vernon: Devin Whitlock 23, Mitch Pohlot 16. Records: Ringgold (2-2, 7-5), Belle Vernon (3-1, 9-4).