Swart, Prexies show their drive
FARRELL – Prolific at times and disorganized at others, the Washington High School boys basketball team has discovered a confidence during the postseason.
Three come-from-behind wins in the WPIAL playoffs instilled a belief that, no matter the opponent, the Prexies have a mix of skill on offense and discipline on defense to prevail.
They needed a resilient effort to reach the PIAA playoffs, but to extend their stay to the second round they had to learn how to protect a lead.
Senior forward Nate Swart’s fourth-quarter surge and a relentless defense ensured Wash High’s postseason run will continue.
Swart scored nine of his game-high 20 points in the fourth quarter and the defense got key stops as the Prexies held on for a 53-39 win over Greenville, the District 10 champion, in a PIAA Class AA first-round game Saturday at Farrell High School.
Wash High (20-7), which is making its first PIAA playoff appearance since 2010, will play Lincoln Park (23-4), the WPIAL runner-up, in the second round Wednesday at a site and time to be determined.
It was another solid performance on defense for Wash High, which according to head coach Ron Faust held each of its last 19 opponents below their per-game scoring average.
“Defense is important. It’s hard to get young men today to play it, but we’ve bought in to it to some sense; not far enough at times,” Faust said. “I’d like to pitch a shutout someday, but we’ve gotten better at it. More importantly, our players have gotten better. They’re just so darn confident; they figure they can win playing the way they play.”
The Greenville coaching staff was wondering how a 6-4 deceptively-athletic forward was driving past guards toward the basket and quickly negating Greenville’s impressive third-quarter run. Swart, a University of Toledo football recruit, eclipsed 1,000 career points in the first quarter and looked like the offensive presence he was as a sophomore, when he averaged 14.8 points per game.
“In my sophomore year, I could shoot the three ball, but this year, that’s not in my game,” Swart said. “People have been playing me off a little bit, and I can see where I can get that one step on them. They were stepping a few feet off of me, so I went for it and I got to the bucket whenever I wanted to.”
He found an offensive touch when they needed it most. Wash High led 31-14 at halftime, but Greenville (21-6) started the third quarter with a 12-2 run, including back-to-back three-pointers, to cut its deficit to seven points. After a first half when the Prexies were patient on offense and drove to the basket effectively, they settled for jump shots and had three consecutive turnovers.
Swart put his back to Trojans 6-2 forward Michael Blaney, moved Blaney back two feet, made a one-handed shot and was fouled late in the third. Swart completed two three-point plays in a three-minute stretch to give Wash High a 13-point lead with six minutes remaining.
Greenville coach Mark Batt expected quickness from the Prexies’ guards, but not from Swart.
“They were quick in a lot of different spots, one through five, even the big guy,” Batt said. “We turned it over more than we have in a long time. We have to give Washington credit for that. They were quicker off the dribble.”
Trojans senior guard Trent McElrane, who had a team-high 14 points, made a three-pointer midway through the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to 10, but Swart made a layup after Anthony Popeck found him with a pass to the lane through two defenders. Popeck had a driving layup 30 seconds later.
The Prexies’ third-quarter struggles, when they had five turnovers and attempted just five shots, were concerning to Faust.
“(Swart) took it upon himself at times to get us the easy basket that we needed. Again, we had opportunities to go at the basket hard, but we started shooting jump shots, for whatever reason, and playing globetrotters with the basketball on the perimeter. We have to continue to be aggressive and go to the basket. When we do that, we’re a pretty good team.”
When Wash High’s offense faltered, its defense was a crutch. The 3-2 zone defense limited Greenville to 6 of 25 from three-point range.
It was defense that sparked Wash High’s first half. Matt Popeck had seven points of his 11 points in the first quarter and Markel Pulliam scored 12 of his 16 points in the second quarter to help the Prexies forge the 17-point halftime lead.
“We really play with fire at times, but I give them credit, they battle and they scrap,” Faust said. “They do things that make us wonder how it’s happening, but win is a win.”