The pain of a last-second defeat shows on Kennedy's Lamar Jefferson (12) and Justin Green.
PIAA BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS
Panthers 51 Eagles 50
Heartache: a 1-point loss
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Kennedy's state bid ends in final second
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SEWICKLEY OUSTS GOLDEN EAGLES WITH A FOUL SHOT
By Ed Farrell Herald Sports Writer
BUTLER _ If there's a more painful loss in scholastic athletics than that which occurs in the state championship game, it's the setback in the regional title tilt, the qualifier for the PIAA pinnacle ... by one point ... with a scant second remaining and no timeouts available.
It's a helpless, frustrating and heartbreaking conclusion to an otherwise successful season, and that's what the Kennedy Christian boys' basketball team is enduring today.
Dwight Quarles' free throw with one second left lifted Sewickley Academy to a 51-50 PIAA Class A Western Regional championship victory over Kennedy Tuesday evening at Butler High School.
By virtue of the victory, Sewickley Academy (23-8) will meet Schuylkill Haven (30-3) _ a 46-41 victor over Holy Name _ 3 p.m. Friday at HersheyPark Arena.
``I really thought we were gonna win tonight. I thought tonight was our night ... and it wasn't,'' lamented Kennedy's veteran mentor Joe Votino. <
Jean Angelo/Herald
Kennedy Christian's Carlos Oatis finds no room inside on a drive against Sewickley Academy's Steve Nesmith.
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Increasing the heartache for Votino & Co. is the fact the Golden Eagles rallied from a 23-22 halftime deficit to assume a 32-25 margin with 4:44 remaining in the third period.
A pair of treys by Carlos Oatis sandwiched a Lamar Jefferson drive, then Ryan McElhinny's steal and halfcourt-length feed to Oatis for a layup enabled the Golden Eagles to outscore Sewickley, 10-2, at the second-half's outset.
However it was a short-lived lead, due in large measure to Neil Hoy.
The Panthers' slender sharpshooter drained a pair of 3-point field goals, then banked in a short jumper with two seconds left, drawing Sewickley Academy within 38-36 at the third-quarter turn.
The last of Hoy's half-dozen treys, a minute-and-a-half into the final frame, provided the Panthers with a 41-40 lead before Kennedy again surged ahead.
Oatis, on a drive from the wing, altered his momentum in mid-air and his lay-in ignited a 6-0 spree in which Kennedy built a 46-41 edge with 3:48 to play. Twice during that sequence, with the Golden Eagles engaged in their motion offense, McElhinny fed Damon Clayton for backdoor layups.
Three Oatis free throws and Justin Green's conversion of the front end of a 1-and-1 bonus opportunity enabled Kennedy to offset a Ryan Heddleston put-back, a Lad Hudac baseline jumper, a pair of Hoy free throws and another freebie by Steve Nesmith, and the Golden Eagles led 50-48 with 1:14 to play.
But on Sewickley's ensuing possession, Hoy served up a lob pass to Nesmith, breaking untouched down the lane, for the game-tying layup with 1:01 remaining.
``That was a crucial, crucial defensive error,'' Votino said.
On its ensuing possession, Kennedy burned 45 seconds before Votino hailed a timeout with 16 ticks remaining. Green inbounded, but Sewickley doubled-teammed Oatis near the mid-court line. Only Oatis' presence of mind to call a timeout salvaged the situation.
``We were gonna call `stack' _ one of our man-for-man plays _ if they were in man, but then they doubled the ball, so we called a timeout,'' Votino explained. ``Then ... on the out-of-bounds play prior to that, I saw the `post' was open. So I told Damon to go to the opposite post, and then flash to this post and we'll get him the ball. And he was open, we just overthrew him.''
With nine seconds left, McElhinny's lob pass drifted over Clayton's head out of bounds, awarding the Panthers possession at midcourt, and Sewickley head coach Vic Giannotta signalled a timeout.
``We wanted to get the ball to Ethan (Takahaski), 'cause we were either gonna go to Dwight (Quarles) or Neil (Hoy),'' Giannotta explained. ``Obviously, we wanted to go to Neil first, but they were holdin' him and grabbin' him and not letting him get the ball. I thought, if Neil was gonna catch, Lad (Hudac) was gonna go and pick-and-roll. But if Neil wasn't there, we had enough time to reverse it to Dwight, and Steve (Nesmith) was gonna come up and screen-and-roll. Dwight noticed there was only three seconds left, and went to the rack.''
From the left wing, Quarles began a drive, picked up his dribble, then used a head-and-shoulder fake to draw Oatis off his feet, then leaned into him. The official ruled Quarles was in the act of shooting.
Votino called a timeout, and Quarles bricked the first attempt off the right side of the rim, leaving the score knotted at 50. Votino then used his last timeout at that juncture.
``We end every day at practice on the baseline, and a kid has to hit a 1-and-1 before we go home,'' Giannotta related, ``And the other day, Dwight wanted to shoot and I let someone else shoot and he said, `How come he always gets to shoot?' So when he came in (to the huddle during the first Kennedy timeout), I said to him, `Well, Dwight, here's your chance. Shoot the ball while everyone's on the baseline, just like in practice,' so he buried it. The first one looked good, too, but the second one went in.''
Quarles' second shot glanced off the front and right rear portion of the rim before falling through.
McElhinny's desperation, half-court inbounds toss to Clayton was batted away by Hudac as the buzzer droned.
Hoy's 3-for-6 long-range marksmanship, including two treys, enabled Sewickley Academy to assume a 12-8 lead after the first frame.
But with Clayton scoring four of his six points, combined with a Jefferson jumper and trifectas from Oatis and McElhinny, Kennedy forged to a 20-16 lead with 2:19 remaining until halftime.
However, Hoy scored five points in the final 1:27, including a trey with 43 seconds left, en route to 15 of his game-high 28 points, as Sewickley managed the 1-point lead at intermission.
``The kid's a great player,'' Votino said of Hoy. ``I gotta give him a lot of credit. He picked it up in the big game and scored 28 points; you can't ask for more than that. But we did a nice job on the rest of 'em.
``But this is, probably, the most difficult one to lose because this is the one you know is so close to getting you to the big one.
``It was a great season, I'm proud of our kids,'' Votino continued from a remote, darkened stairway. ``There was one point in time where we didn't even think we were gonna make the playoffs. We really thought if we got one or two playoff games in, that would be great for next year. Then after we knocked Clairton off, it gave us some momentum and it gave us great confidence.''
But there was no consolation in coming close.
``I don't know if we're ahead of schedule,'' Votino said. ``It would've been really nice to make the trip (to Hershey); that would've been ahead of schedule.''
Votino praised his assistant coaches and players, paused, then concluded:
``I can't say enough about the loyalty in the program. And it's a good program and it's a program that stands for good things.
``Sure we're disappointed and we'll see what happens. We'll work harder and try to get back to this game again next year.''
Notes:Kennedy (22-9) connected on 19 of 43 (44.2) floor shots, 7 of 9 (77.8) free throws, committed 15 turnovers _ only five after intermission, but four in the final frame _ and, led by Green's game-high dozen caroms, outrebounded Sewickley Academy, 25-22. ... The Panthers converted 19 of 39 (48.7) floor shots and half of their 14 freebies, were guilty of 15 miscues, and Nesmith led them with eight boards.
Published Wednesday, March 19, 1997
