Penn-Trafford pulls away from Hempfield; other boys basketball recaps Tuesday
Written by: Westmoreland Sports Network
January 08, 2020
Tags: Zach Rocco Blake Remaley Christian Zilli Marcus McCarthy Ty Bilinsky Michael Sickenberger Michael Noonan Dante Parsons Cade Cavanaugh Ryan Thomas Logan Summerhill Jake Nadar Jake Johnson Luke Brandner Aidan Bushey Tanner Nicely Gamal Marballie Anton Good Jackson Pruitt Toby Cline Zach Crutchman Christian McGowan Dylan Sebek Brevan Williams
Tom Esposito won his 100th game as Derry Area head coach Tuesday against Yough. (www.westernpasports.com)
Westmoreland County boys basketball section results from Tuesday January 8th 2020:
BOYS
Penn-Trafford 65 Hempfield 57 WATCH BROADCAST
>> Zach Rocco poured in a career-high 34 points as Penn-Trafford downed Hempfield 65-57 in Section 3-6A. It was a close game until a pivotal call went in the Warriors favor two minutes into the fourth quarter. After Blake Remaley fouled Rocco on a take to the basket, Remaley committed a double-technical foul on the play. Remaley was ejected from the game and Rocco connected on 5-of-6 foul shots to extend the lead. P-T also got possession of the ball after the technical fouls and Rocco drained a three-pointer to put Penn-Trafford up 51-40 with 5:59 remaining. The Warriors senior finished 13-for-14 from the foul line. Christian Zilli scored 17 points to lead the Spartans with Marcus McCarthy netting 14.
Fox Chapel 63 Norwin 48
>> Norwin lost its second straight Section 3-6A game, dropping a 63-48 decision on the road to Fox Chapel. The Foxes outscored the Knights in every quarter including 20-14 in the first quarter. Ty Bilinsky's 13 points led Norwin (8-3, 0-3) which hosts Latrobe on Friday.
Connellsville 79 Latrobe 61
>> Latrobe was outscored 22-3 in the first quarter and could never dig out of the enormous hole, losing to Connellsville 79-61 in Section 3-6A action. The Wildcats scored 23 points in the second quarter and 27 points in the fourth but the deficit was too much to overcome. Michael Sickenberger scored a team-high 25 points including seven 3-pointers for Latrobe (3-7, 1-2). Michael Noonan added 16 points. Connellsville's last win over Latrobe was on January 31, 2014.
Gateway 46 Greensburg Salem 42 (OT)
>> Greensburg Salem's Dante Parsons scored his 1,000th career point but the Golden Lions fell in overtime to Gateway 46-42 in Section 1-5A play. The Gators held a 6-2 scoring edge in overtime to secure the win. Parsons finished the night with 13 points to lead Greensburg Salem (2-9, 0-5). Cade Cavanaugh ended with 11 points and Ryan Thomas had 10 for GS.
Franklin Regional 70 Indiana 56
>> Franklin Regional trailed 47-45 after three quarters but exploded for 25 points in the fourth quarter to earn a 70-56 Section 3-5A victory. Logan Summerhill dropped a game-high 31 points for the Panthers (4-8, 2-3). Jake Nadar tallied 10 points for FR.
Mt. Pleasant 55 Freeport 45
>> Mt. Pleasant pulled away in the fourth quarter to capture a 55-45 Section 1-4A win at Freeport. The Vikings held a slim 31-27 lead heading into the final frame but outscored the Yellowjackets 24-18 in the fourth. Jake Johnson put in a game-best 24 points for Mt. Pleasant (6-5, 2-1). Luke Brandner came in with 22 points for the Vikings.
Derry Area 64 Yough 49 WATCH BROADCAST
>> Derry topped Yough in every quarter to win a Section 1-4A match up over Yough 64-49 at home. The Trojans held a 29-23 lead at the halftime break. Aidan Bushey's 27 points paced the Trojans (4-7, 2-1). Tanner Nicely scored 14 points for Derry. Gamal Marballie poured in a career-high 30 points for the Cougars (4-8, 0-3). The victory was the 100th career win for coach Tom Esposito at Derry.
Jeannette 52 Chartiers-Houston 34
>> Jeannette claimed its fifth win in a row defeating Chartiers-Houston 52-34 in a Section 2-2A contest. The Jayhawks scored only 27 points through the first three quarters but came alive in the fourth quarter, tallying 25 points to put the game on ice. The Jayhawks had four players in double figures including Anton Good (13), Jackson Pruitt (11), Toby Cline (10) and Zach Crutchman (10). Jeannette improves to 6-6, 3-1.
Greensburg Central Catholic 65 Propel Andrew Street 42
>> Greensburg Central Catholic stayed unbeaten in Section 3-1A with a 65-42 win over Propel Andrew Street at home. The game was tied at 23-23 at halftime but the Centurions held a 42-19 scoring edge in the second half. Christian McGowan put in 15 points to lead GCC (7-3, 4-0). Dylan Sebek added 13 and Brevan Williams tossed in 10.