SF gets unusual win over Ironmen
McMURRAY – Rich Bonnaure, the veteran boys basketball coach at South Fayette, thought he had all the possible scenarios covered in preparation for the Lions’ WPIAL Class AAA playoff game against Steel Valley.
About an hour before tip-off Tuesday night, Bonnaure learned that one unexpected scenario was unfolding.
Steel Valley, a team that South Fayette defeated twice in rugged games during the regular season, would be without its best player, 6-7 senior center Dominique Keyes, and that Drew Schifino, the first-year head coach of the Ironmen, would not be at the game, apparently out of protest.
Keyes was declared ineligible earlier in the day and Schifino, a former West Virginia and California University player, hinted in a tweet that racism might have been a factor in Keyes being declared ineligible on the day of a playoff game. In another tweet, Schifino called Steel Valley’s athletic director “the shadiest AD ever.”
Bonnaure worried that the dysfunctional situation might make Steel Valley’s players pull together, perhaps even change their style of play, and possibly pull an upset.
“Our players got wind of what was happening through social media during the girls game that was being played before our game,” Bonnaure said. “It was a surreal situation.”
For one wildy entertaining half of basketball, Steel Valley managed to trade baskets with South Fayette. The Ironmen had to be liking their chances of pulling an upset after trailing by only 28-27 at halftime.
South Fayette, however, had too much experience and too much Jack Relihan and Brett Brumbaught for short-handed Steel Valley. Relihan scored 28 points, Brumbaugh had a double-double and South Fayette opened the second half with a 14-3 run and then cruised to a 77-58 victory at Peters Township High School.
The win sends seventh-seeded South Fayette (18-4) into the quarterfinals Friday against second-seeded Beaver Falls.
“Something like this had happened to us once before,” Bonnaure said. “It was 13 years ago, my first season as a head coach. We beat Wilkinsburg by 20 points during the regular season. Before we played them in the playoffs, their coach suspended four of their big guys. They came out and played all these little guards who never missed a shot and beat us.”
Steel Valley, which was coach by assistant Jamaal Anderson, did change its strategy for this one. The Ironmen opened in a 1-3-1 zone defense that gave the Lions problems for much of the first half, which featured 15 lead changes. Steel Valley led 16-11 after one quarter.
“Our first rule is play the hardest,” Bonnaure said. “In the first half, Steel valley won Rule No. 1. Then our maturity started to show in the second half.”
Brumbaugh, who had 17 points and 12 rebounds, opened the second half by scoring off a lob pass, then Relihan drove for a basket and made a three-pointer from deep in the corner. Jake Thomas, who scored 11 points, flipped in a shot from the lane and suddenly South Fayette led 37-27.The lead grew to 15 points before the quarter would end.
“At halftime we knew we weren’t playing as well as we could,” Relihan said. “We didn’t want this to be the last time we would be taking the court, so we played harder in the second half.”
A smooth-shooting lefty, Relihan hurt Steel Valley with outside shooting in the first half, then began to find seams in the 1-3-1 and was able to drive to the lane for easy baskets.
“It helped that they didn’t have (Keyes) in the middle,” Relihan said. “The first time we played him, we’d drive and he’d swat our shots away.”
Anderson said his team made the best of a bad situation, but didn’t have enough experience, especially in the low post.
“The difference in experience showed in the second half,” Anderson said. “We had a freshman playing in the post. We played a solid first half, but we didn’t have the size. Relihan dominated us.”
Brandon Donovan led Steel Valley (14-8) with 20 points. Kennedy Smith scored 12.