Blue Jays Top Cougars ...
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THE CHOPS
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Blue Jays Top Cougars ...
Blue Jays rally to top Cougars...
Timely long-range shooting along with effective pressure defense helped the Conemaugh Valley boys basketball team erase a late third-quarter deficit and maintain momentum down the stretch on the way to a 76-67 WestPAC victory over visiting North Star Friday night.
The Blue Jays (14-3) trailed 50-47 with just under two minutes remaining in the third before 3-pointers by Dan Pollino and Robert Gunby keyed a 10-2 run that closed out the quarter and put Conemaugh Valley ahead to stay.
"They came prepared to play, but we took control at the end of the third quarter," said Blue Jays coach Garry Lupek. "It came down to a situation where our press was able to force turnovers and we were able to convert them when we needed."
Josh Lupek scored a game-high 27 points for Conemaugh Valley, and he also pulled down 18 rebounds and blocked five shots.
Gunby added 23 points for the Jays, who remained unbeaten atop the WestPAC North section standings.
"They were too physical for us to play man-to-man, and then they hit some big shots against our zone," said North Star coach Kevin Nicklow. "Our guys hustled and never quit, but it was tough to defend a horse inside like Lupek along with their outside shooters."
Josh Ryan led the Cougars (9-7) with 21 points, while Nick Mignogna added 16 and Jon Shank 14 for North Star.
The Cougars went on a 10-3 first-quarter run to go on top 20-13 on Dave Kavar's layup before a 3-pointer by Rory Marshall pulled Valley within four heading into the second.
The second quarter featured five lead changes, with the last two coming in the final minute.
A conventional 3-point play by Mignogna was followed by a Shank layup that put the Cougars ahead 36-35 with 40 seconds remaining, but Vince Turner answered by hitting both ends of a one-and-one to give the Blue Jays a one-point halftime advantage.
During the early part of the third quarter, the lead changed hands several times again. Ryan's 3-pointer tied the game at 41, and after Lupek's putback regained a two-point lead for the Jays, consecutive buckets by Ryan and John Hornick put the Cougars back on top.
A pair of missed one-and-ones by the Jays helped the Cougars pull within eight in the final minute.
"THE CHOPS".
Timely long-range shooting along with effective pressure defense helped the Conemaugh Valley boys basketball team erase a late third-quarter deficit and maintain momentum down the stretch on the way to a 76-67 WestPAC victory over visiting North Star Friday night.
The Blue Jays (14-3) trailed 50-47 with just under two minutes remaining in the third before 3-pointers by Dan Pollino and Robert Gunby keyed a 10-2 run that closed out the quarter and put Conemaugh Valley ahead to stay.
"They came prepared to play, but we took control at the end of the third quarter," said Blue Jays coach Garry Lupek. "It came down to a situation where our press was able to force turnovers and we were able to convert them when we needed."
Josh Lupek scored a game-high 27 points for Conemaugh Valley, and he also pulled down 18 rebounds and blocked five shots.
Gunby added 23 points for the Jays, who remained unbeaten atop the WestPAC North section standings.
"They were too physical for us to play man-to-man, and then they hit some big shots against our zone," said North Star coach Kevin Nicklow. "Our guys hustled and never quit, but it was tough to defend a horse inside like Lupek along with their outside shooters."
Josh Ryan led the Cougars (9-7) with 21 points, while Nick Mignogna added 16 and Jon Shank 14 for North Star.
The Cougars went on a 10-3 first-quarter run to go on top 20-13 on Dave Kavar's layup before a 3-pointer by Rory Marshall pulled Valley within four heading into the second.
The second quarter featured five lead changes, with the last two coming in the final minute.
A conventional 3-point play by Mignogna was followed by a Shank layup that put the Cougars ahead 36-35 with 40 seconds remaining, but Vince Turner answered by hitting both ends of a one-and-one to give the Blue Jays a one-point halftime advantage.
During the early part of the third quarter, the lead changed hands several times again. Ryan's 3-pointer tied the game at 41, and after Lupek's putback regained a two-point lead for the Jays, consecutive buckets by Ryan and John Hornick put the Cougars back on top.
A pair of missed one-and-ones by the Jays helped the Cougars pull within eight in the final minute.
"THE CHOPS".