`Big Reds fall in AA finals`

By Brad Isles
Herald Sports Writer

GROVE CITY _ What's wrong with a little variety? Nothing from the Saegertown boys basketball team's standpoint.

The Panthers' 64-53 victory over West Middlesex Saturday at Grove City College clinched the District 10 Class A title for the French ’ Creek Valley Conference. Until Saegertown's (23-4) win, the FCVC was on the verge of being shut out in 1997.

In Class AAAA, Erie Prep from the Erie Metro Conference won its D-10 final. Class AAA General McLane won for the Erie County League. And Greenville, in Class AA, captured the MCAC's only boys title of '97.

The Big Reds (17-10) were looking for their first district title since 1980, and their fourth overall.

Saegertown will now play the WPIAL's No. 5 team in the first round of the PIAA playoffs, while West Middlesex gets to take on the WPIAL's No. 3 team.

Steve Bowers led the way for West Middlesex, scoring 29 points and grabbing eight rebounds. His 3-pointer with 1:52 remaining in the third quarter not only gave the Big Reds a 32-29 lead, it pushed him past the 1,000-career point plateau. He now has 1,017.

But instead of West Middlesex building upon that momentum, the Panthers countered with an 11-point run to close out the third quarter with a 40-32 lead.

``That was extremely important,'' said Saegertown coach Randy White of the run. ``I thought our kids were getting passive late in the first half. In the second half we needed a big run, an emotional run.''

From there the Panthers never looked back, taking the ball at the Big Reds' who were riddled with fouls.

Center Todd Kiester, forward Dave Jennings and guard Tim Van Buren both entered the fourth quarter with four fouls.

Prior to Bowers' three in the third quarter, he had a putback to give West Middlesex a 27-24 lead with 6:05 left in the third. Saegertown countered on a 3-pointer by Jason Shea, and a hoop by David Hart to take a two-point lead.

Problem was, during that two-minute span, Van Buren, Jennings and Kiester were whistled for charges on consecutive possessions. And all three picked up their fourth personal fouls.

``I can't say anything about those calls,'' said West Middlesex coach Larry Ellison. ``I have mixed feelings on two of the three.

That spelled trouble for the Big Reds in the fourth quarter as Van Buren picked up his fifth foul at the 7:07 mark. On the play, Hart scored to make it 44- 32.

Kiester lasted 30 seconds longer, recording his fifth personal on a rebound attempt. Kiester finished the game with just two points, but had five rebounds.

Jennings made it to the 1:20 mark of the fourth, but by then the game was out of reach.

``When we got them in foul trouble we knew where we had to go,'' White said. ``I think it really hurt them when they didn't have Kiester in there. He was a force for them on the defensive boards.''

After that, the closest the Big Reds got was six points, 53-47, with 2:02 remaining when Derek Gearhart ’ scored after a steal.

``We just had a lousy four minutes to let them out to that lead,'' Ellison said. ``After that it was a struggle to get back.''

In the first half, the Big Reds held Saegertown without a field goal for more than six minutes. That turned around a 15-8 deficit with 1:08 left in the first, to a 20-18 lead with 2:54 until halftime.

``I think it all goes back to us not staying in our offense longer,'' White said. ``We were really trying to get it into our post players but there wasn't much happening. I just think the kids lost their composure in a big game and they wanted to step up.''

White had a trio of players step up at different times throughout the game.

Justin Johnson had nine of the Panthers' 15 points in the first quarter and finished the game with 13. Hart, who had a team-high 20 points, had 12 of them in the fourth quarter and helped ice the game late with a layup that made it 63-49 with :35 on the clock. And Shea finished with 17, including 15 in the second half.

On the other hand, the only player other than Bowers to score in double figures was Jennings with 12.

``He played well, he's our go-to guy,'' Ellison said of Bowers. ``The problem was we got in foul trouble and couldn't utilize Kiester and Jennings because they were sitting out with fouls and pretty much afraid to do anything.''

Notes: Bowers became the fifth West Middlesex player to reach the 1,000-point plateau. Rick Ladjevich is the school's all-time leader with 1,426. Russell Kelley trails him with 1,267. Chuck Garrett is third with 1,103 and Dave Palmer is fourth with 1,078.

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Updated March 5, 1997
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