CLARION, Pa. (D9Sports) – Prior to Wednesday’s District 9 Class 2A boys’ semifinal contest against Ridgway, Brockway head coach Rick Clark said one of the keys to the game would be which team could control the tempo.
(Photo: Carter Adams was the Hager Paving Player of the Game)
Thanks to a second-quarter 13-2 run and a third-quarter 16-4 run, it was Clark’s sixth-seeded Rovers who controlled the tempo and the result was a 50-37 win over the second-seeded Elkers pushing Brockway into the D9 title game for the second straight year.
“It’s always big,” Clark said of getting the lead. “Because, if they get the lead, they are going to be awfully patient and awfully disciplined until they get the shot that they want and put the pressure on our defense.
“I thought the team that could get the tempo in their favor would have the better advantage. I thought we had the tempo in our favor all game long. We got some turnovers off the press and got some easy ones helping our offensive out tremendously.”
The second-quarter spurt for Brockway came on the heels of a 10-0 Ridgway run that gave the Elkers a 14-10 lead just over a minute into the second quarter.
But Jake Wineberg hit a 3-pointer, and Carter Adams followed with a basket to put the Rovers in front, 15-14, a lead they never relinquished.
Adams, who had a superb all-around game with 14 points, eight assists, two rebounds and at least three steals, then assisted on Brockway’s next two baskets before his driving layup with 2:19 to play made it 21-16.
“He runs the show, he sets guys up, does some scoring,” Clark said.
Named the Hager Paving Player of the Game, Adams talked about his performance and the win.
Brockway still led by five, 23-18, at halftime before Ridgway cut into the advantage on a Daunte Allegretto hoop 14 seconds into the second half. Allegretto paced the Elkers with 11 points.
But again it was Adams who stepped to the forefront nailing a 3-pointer off a turnover by Ridgway to star the 16-4 run that saw him hit another three late in the third quarter and Quenton Jackson cap the run with a triple with 2:29 to play in the third that gave the Rovers a 39-24 lead.
“That was a huge sequence,” Clark said.
Josh Thorwart, though, hit a three and Neil MacDonald scored late in the quarter to cut the Brockway lead to 41-29 at the end of three.
Ridgway kept pushing at the start of the fourth quarter scoring the first six points of the quarter to push their run to 11-2 and cut the Brockway lead to six, 41-35, on a free throw by MacDonald, who finished with nine points, with 4:48 left.
Wineberg, though, answered with a hoop off a Quade Lundberg pass with 3:48 to go and Adams went coast-to-coast with 3:15 left to push the lead back to 10, 45-35, and seal the win.
Lundberg added 10 points for Brockway.
“I thought his offensive contribution was huge,” Clark said.
The loss avenged a pair of regular-season losses to Ridgway for Brockway and was the Rovers first win over the Elkers since Jan. 8, 2010, breaking a 15-game losing streak to Ridgway.
Brockway faces Coudersport in the District 9 title game at 7:15 p.m. Saturday at Tippin Gym.
“It’s huge,” Clark said. “It’s been the goal since day one for this group. They were there in the title game last year and came up a bit short. We knew we had enough coming back to have a chance to make a run even though this field was going to be loaded. That’s what we worked for in the offseason and what we worked for all season. That has been goal No. 1, to win a district title. I couldn’t be prouder of the guys.”
Ridgway has a chance to extend its season when it meets Clarion-Limestone in the consolation game at 12:30 p.m. Saturday also at Tippin. The winner of that game moves into the PIAA playoffs with the loser going home.
BROCKWAY 50, RIDGWAY 37
Score by Quarters
Brockway 8 13 18 9 – 50
Ridgway 10 8 11 8 – 37
BROCKWAY – 50
Carter Adams 5 2-2 14, Jarrett Esposito 1 1-3 3, Quade Lundberg 4 2-2 10, Zane Puhala 3 0-2 6, Jake Wineberg 3 1-2 8, Quenton Jackson 2 0-2 5, Hunter Antonuccio 0 0-0 0, Hunter Miller 2 0-0 4. Totals 20 6-13 50.
RIDGWAY – 37
Ben Ames 0 0-0 0, Andy Breier 2 0-0 4, Neil MacDonald 4 1-2 9, Josh Throwart 1 0-0 3, Justin Kasmierski 3 0-0 6, Daunte Allegretto 5 1-1 11, Kyle Jordan 1 1-1 4, Aaron Hinton 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 3-4 37.
Three-pointers: Brockway 4 (Adams 2, Wineberg, Jackson). Ridgway 2 (Thorwart, Jordan).
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