Rough start: Imani explodes early to advance, but Gators earn respect in defeat
Rob Burchianti | 无毛视频-Standard
Geibel Catholic无毛视频檚 Tre White serves up two points against Imani Christian during Saturday无毛视频檚 WPIAL Class A semifinal playoff game at Mount Lebanon. White scored 17 points but the Gators lost, 75-57.
Rob Burchianti | 无毛视频-Standard
Imani Christian无毛视频檚 Avery Wesley (4) tries to keep up with Geibel Catholic无毛视频檚 Jaydis Kennedy during Saturday无毛视频檚 WPIAL Class A semifinal playoff game at Mount Lebanon. Kennedy led the Gators with 20 points but the Saints won, 75-57.
Geibel Catholic's Jeffrey Johnson (5) defends Imani Christian's Dame Givner聽during Saturday's WPIAL Class A semifinal playoff game at Mount Lebanon.
Geibel Catholic's Kaiden Grady scores against Imani Christian聽during Saturday's WPIAL Class A semifinal playoff game at Mount Lebanon. Grady scored 11 points but the Gators lost, 75-57.
Geibel Catholic's Tommy Kolencik (11) lofts a shot over Imani Christian's Alier Maluk during Saturday's WPIAL Class A semifinal playoff game at Mount Lebanon.
Geibel Catholic's Kaiden Grady (25) can't prevent Virgil Hall from throwing down one of Imani Christian's eight dunks聽during Saturday's WPIAL Class A semifinal playoff game at Mount Lebanon.
MT. LEBANON 无毛视频� If Geibel Catholic无毛视频檚 boys basketball game Saturday was a boxing match the Gators would无毛视频檝e been given a couple standing eight counts in the first quarter of their match-up with top-seeded Imani Christian.
And then Geibel would无毛视频檝e continued on, not only going the distance but outslugging its opponent the rest of the way despite losing in the end.
That无毛视频檚 what happened to the Gators in their 75-57 defeat at the hands of the Saints in a WPIAL Class A semifinal game at Mount Lebanon.
Imani Christian put on a show of long-range shooting and dunking in the opening frame, exploding to a 31-4 advantage.
Geibel, however, shook off the horrendous start and outscored Imani Christian 53-44 over the next three quarters.
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檝e got bunch of hard-nosed kids,无毛视频� Gators coach Don Porter said. 无毛视频淭hey无毛视频檙e not ever going to quit. They无毛视频檇 go two more quarters until they无毛视频檇 get the win if it was possible.无毛视频�
The Saints (17-6) advance to Thursday无毛视频檚 Class A final at the Petersen Events Center against No. 2 Union. The Gators (17-7), who have already secured a spot in the PIAA tournament, will meet Carlynton in a consolation game Tuesday that will determine placement in the state bracket.
Imani Christian was led by 6-10 sophomore center Alier Maluk who had two dunks and a 3-pointer in the opening frame on his way to scoring a game-high 21 points. Dame Givner, Avery Wesley and R.J. Sledge, who each also hit a 3-pointer in the first quarter, finished with 14, 14 and 13 points, respectively, for the Saints.
Maluk threw down six dunks and 6-foot-8 Virgil Hall, who added nine points, had two slams. The Saints also had three other dunk attempts rattle out.
Imani Christian无毛视频檚 first quarter included four 3-pointers, three dunks and one three-point play. Geibel无毛视频檚 only points came on an acrobatic layup by Jeffrey Johnson and a bucket inside by Tommy Kolencik.
无毛视频淭errible start,无毛视频� Porter said. 无毛视频淧art of it was the shock of just coming into the gym and seeing the size of what they had. Their height was there, some dunks, some big blocks.
无毛视频淲e didn无毛视频檛 get any whistles the whole first quarter. I无毛视频檓 not saying that无毛视频檚 the difference in the game but it surely didn无毛视频檛 help that we had some strong takes to the hoop and didn无毛视频檛 get a whistle on them.无毛视频�
While it looked like the Gators were completely overmatched, they came out inspired in the second quarter, opening it with an 18-6 run that cut the lead to 37-22 and forced Saints coach Omar Foster to call a timeout along the way.
无毛视频淗olding them to four points, that was amazing for my guys,无毛视频� Foster said of the incredible start. 无毛视频淚 thought Geibel fought hard in that second quarter. I was upset that we kind of got comfortable. I think we might无毛视频檝e looked at the scoreboard and we just let off the gas.无毛视频�
The Gators two top scoring threats, Jaydis Kennedy and Tre White, bounced back from being shut out in the first quarter to scoring 10 and nine points, respectively, in the second.
无毛视频淚 just told the guys you无毛视频檙e not straying from our plan, our shots are just not falling right now and theirs are,无毛视频� Porter said. 无毛视频淲e无毛视频檝e just got to stay the course, and they did.无毛视频�
Imani Christian regrouped and closed the quarter on a 15-7 run for a 52-29 halftime lead, then reeled off the first seven points of the third quarter to go up 59-29 and invoke the mercy rule.
Still, the Gators would not fold.
Geibel answered with a 15-4 run to get within 19 and ended the quarter down 65-44. After outscoring the Saints 25-21 and 15-13 in the middle two quarters, the Gators also won the fourth quarter, 13-10.
无毛视频淲e beat them three of the four quarters, but that无毛视频檚 not how you score a basketball game,无毛视频� Porter said.
Kennedy wound up with a team-high 20 points and White added 17 in a stellar all-around performance. Kaiden Grady also hit double figures with 11 points. Johnson finished with five points and Kolencik had the team无毛视频檚 other four points.
Porter lauded Grady and Kolencik for not backing down from Imani Christian无毛视频檚 intimidating front line.
无毛视频淜aiden did really well, and even Tommy Kolencik played right with them,无毛视频� said Porter, who added, in noting Grady无毛视频檚 offensive output, 无毛视频淚t just gives us another weapon going into the state tournament.无毛视频�
Foster praised the Gators.
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檝e got a lot of respect for them. I think they无毛视频檙e still a good team,无毛视频� Foster said. 无毛视频淭hey may not have seen a team that plays as fast as we do. It was probably a little shocking to them at first. But then give them credit, they adjusted well.无毛视频�
Porter had no qualms with his team无毛视频檚 effort.
无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 happy with where we无毛视频檙e at against a team of that caliber,无毛视频� Porter said. 无毛视频淗opefully we can make a little run (in the state playoffs).
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檙e definitely going to build off of this.无毛视频�