Jan 27, 2015 5 min read

HOUSTON – The past two years were a whirlwind for Chartiers-Houston senior guard Alec Ferrari. A structural problem in his shoulder caused a blood clot in June 2013, forcing him to miss his junior football season.

Ferrari also dealt with minor knee issues last basketball season, but the 5-10 playmaker was key in the Bucs reaching the WPIAL Class AA playoffs. As a two-year starter for Chartiers-Houston, Ferrari gave opponents headaches with his ability to find an open teammate through a double team or spin off a defender to create separation for an easy layup.

He often rises to the occasion when his team needs it the most. That’s what he did Tuesday night in a performance that will be remembered for some time at Chartiers-Houston. Ferrari scored 19 points, eclipsing 1,000 for his career, and his composure in the fourth quarter helped the Bucs defeat Burgettstown, 64-59, in a Section 3-AA game at Chartiers-Houston High School.

The victory puts the Bucs (5-6, 10-9) in the driver’s seat for the fourth and final playoff spot in the section, while the Blue Devils (5-6, 8-10) drop to fifth with an outside shot of reaching the WPIAL playoffs.

Along with Ferrari’s memorable night, sophomore guard AJ Myers scored a game-high 35 points with eight rebounds.

“If we lose that game, we’re out,” Chartiers-Houston head coach Eugene Briggs said. “Now, we control our own destiny. It’s one of those do or die games and you need guys like Alec and AJ to take it over. To their credit, they both did.”

With 2:42 left in the fourth quarter, Ferrari’s cross over and spin move created separation for a left-handed layup, which gave him 1,001 career points – making him the sixth player in the program’s history to reach the milestone and the first since 2007.

“I wasn’t even thinking of the 1,000 points,” Ferrari said. “I knew I needed 16 coming into the night, but I wasn’t keeping track. When I made that left-handed move, the crowd got louder than normal, so I had a feeling that was it.”

The basket gave Chartiers-Houston a 60-45 lead and was a picturesque moment for the program’s sudden resurgence as the Bucs have won five out of their last seven games. Spirits were high in the gymnasium, but the momentum didn’t last.

The Blue Devils stormed back with a 14-2 run, led by senior guard Hunter Lecker’s three three-pointers in less than 90 seconds. His deep three from two feet behind the arc with 41 seconds left drew Burgettstown to within three points. Lecker had a game-high 24 points and junior forward Jacob Shipley added 14 points with nine rebounds and two blocked shots for the Blue Devils.

Facing a full-court press on the next possession, the Bucs forced a pass that was stolen at mid court, but a three-point attempt fell short for Burgettstown and C-H junior forward Ryan Mele grabbed the rebound before quickly passing to senior guard Riley Harvey, who was fouled with seven seconds remaining.

Harvey missed three free throws earlier in the quarter, but made both of his attempts to seal the victory.

“We lost a lot of height and talent form lat year, but this game showed the character of our team,” Ferrari said. “Everybody was strong with the ball late and guys wanted the ball.”

After allowing Myers to score 26 first-half points, Burgettstown head coach Rich Tranquill switched to a trap to force Myers and Ferrari to get rid of the basketball. The strategy created turnovers, but the duo eventually found space by finding narrow passing lanes.

“We just tried to get the ball out of their hands,” Tranquill said. “Those two scored 38 of their 40 points in the first half. That’s on me. Our game plan should have been better. Our kids played their hearts out. I’m proud of what they did to bring us back.”

Burgettstown was in a hole early with Myers making five first-half three-pointers to exploit the Blue Devils’ attempt to double-team Ferrari. He dribbled and drove around defenders for five easy lay ups, while Ferrari scored 14 first-half points to give the Bucs a 40-30 lead at halftime.

Closing in on 1,000 points, Ferrari did not detract from his point-guard mentality. Instead of bolting for a layup, on three occasions, he found a sprinting teammate below the basket. With Burgettstown double-covering him and Myers contained by the trap, it was Ferrari’s shifty spin move that added his name to the Bucs’ record books and has Chartiers-Houston ready for its second consecutive trip to the WPIAL playoffs.

“It’s rewarding to see Alec break the mark with all the work he’s put in,” Briggs said. “Plus, AJ had an unbelieveable game. Riley Harvey stepped up with those free throws, which were huge. You have Mele, Stone Mizutas and Spencer Terling that screen, bump and grind the whole game. You can’t discount their contributions. This was a big win.”