South Xtra: Here’s a cure for ‘blahs’
The end of the holiday season can be a depressing time.
Outdoor lights are taken down, Christmas trees are stripped of ornaments and taken outside, and presents that don’t fit are taken back.
But the end of holiday season is the unofficial beginning of the basketball season.
Yes, high school teams have been going after each other since the beginning of last month. But hoops had to share the spotlight with the PIAA football playoffs, panic-shopping sprees to the mall and holiday parties.
Now that December is in the rearview mirror we can give basketball our full attention for the next three months.
One of the good things about January is there are a couple of Saturdays and at least one Sunday that are, well, made for basketball lovers. two of those are Coaches vs. Cancer events.
The first is Jan. 21 at Geneva College’s Metheny Fieldhouse. The second is Jan. 28 at Seton Hill University’s McKenna Center. The Pittsburgh Basketball Club is holding its Basketball Classic at Robert Morris University’s Sewall Center Jan. 22.
There will be six games played at all of the events and one ticket is good for all of the games.
Allen Deep is director for the games at Geneva College and Seton Hill. Proceeds from both of those will go to the regional American Cancer Society and the action begins both days at 12:30 p.m.
The feature contest at Geneva College in Beaver Falls has new Castle meeting Montour at 8 p.m. in a battle of the Post-Gazette’s top two ranked boys Class AAA squads. Both were undefeated entering this week.
At Seton Hill, the feature game will have Greensburg Salem going against Greensburg Central Catholic. that one is also at 8 p.m.
“The coaches like playing in a one-game event like this at a college site,” said Deep, who would like to have a similar event at a college site south of Pittsburgh in the future. “They like the college atmosphere. It helps them get ready for the playoffs. It’s great for the fans who want to see some of the best teams go at it.”
When asked if there was a slam-dunk contest or 3-point shooting competition along with the games Deep just laughed. “Nothing like that, this is pure basketball,” he said.
The main game at the Pittsburgh Basketball Club Classic at the Sewall Center Jan. 22 has Chartiers Valley taking on Montour at 5 p.m. The 12:30 p.m. contest that day has Aliquippa meeting Upper St. Clair with Sto-Rox tangling with South Fayette at 3:30 p.m.
Learning curve
It is the fourth week of the basketball season and what have we learned?
• We’ve learned that Monessen’s 9-0 record is more impressive than it looks … if that’s possible. two of the Greyhounds victories came against Class AAAA teams — Norwin and Franklin Regional — and three others came against Class AAA schools in Blackhawk, Trinity and Ringgold. Monessen competes in Class AA but is Class A in size. They are 3-0 and lead the Section 3-AA standings.
• We’ve learned that Connellsville is 7-1 because of its defense. The Falcons are the best defensive team in Class AAAA in the WPIAL, allowing opponents just 43.1 points per game.
• We’ve learned that court size doesn’t matter. new Castle, which has one of the bigger floors in the WPIAL, is averaging 77.9 points per game and is 9-0 overall. Vincentian, which has one of the smallest gyms around, is averaging 76.3.
• We’ve learned that no team in girls Section 1-AAA has a winning record. We’re not sure what that means but found it interesting.
• We’ve learned that the Oakland Catholic girls are undefeated because of their defense. The Eagles are 9-0 and allowing opponents an average of just 33.2 points per game. Oakland Catholic has held five teams to 30 points or fewer.
• We’ve learned that Vincentian Academy students are not used to watching their basketball teams lose. The boys team is 7-1 after Tuesday night while the girls team is 9-0.
still rolling
Chester is the defending PIAA Class AAAA boys champion and had won 33 consecutive games entering this week. The Clippers, 8-0 this season and ranked no. 8 in the country in the MaxPrep’s Xcellent 25, have not lost since Dec. 30, 2010.
One of Chester’s top players is Rondae Jefferson, a 6-foot-7 junior point guard — Remember when centers who were 6-7 were considered big? — who is averaging 8.4 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4 assists a game.
The last school to win consecutive PIAA championships at the Class AAAA boys level was Billy Owens-led Carlisle, which won four in a row from 1985-88.
first published on January 5, 2012 at 12:00 am
