Dec 6, 2019 4 min read

CANONSBURG – Though his squad earned the win, you would need to excuse Trinity boys basketball coach Tim Tessmer for not being all that ecstatic.

The Hillers outlasted Latrobe in the opening game of the Canon-McMillan Tip-Off Tournament, 80-77, Friday night. But Tessmer was more focused on what his team did not do right.

“We have to be more focused defensively and move the ball better on offense,” he noted. “We have some things to clean up.”

Trinity will play in the tournament final this evening at 8 against host Canon-McMillan.

Latrobe’s Michael Noonan led all scorers with 29 points. Ryan Sickenberger and Drew Clair chipped in with 18 and 16 points, respectively.

Michael Koroly finished with 27 points for the Hillers. Noah Johnson added 16.

“We did some good things tonight, but we made too many turnovers, too many mistakes,” Wetzel added. “We weren’t good on the foul line, either.”

Latrobe finished 9-of-17 from the charity stripe, a fact that was not lost on Wetzel.

“In a close game, that will hurt you big time,” Latrobe coach Brad Wetzel said. “There were quick turnaround plays that just killed us.”

Noonan’s 10 first-quarter points helped guide Latrobe to a 23-21 lead at the end of the first. But the hot shooting Hillers found their groove in the second quarter to take control.

Koroly and Johnson led the charge in the second frame. After Clair’s three gave Latrobe a 30-22 advantage, the Hillers climbed back and eventually took a 47-39 halftime lead, mostly due to a 25-9 run courtesy of Koroly and Johnson combining for 14 of those points. Koroly and Johnson finished the half with 17 and 13 points, respectively.

Latrobe turned up the heat defensively in the third quarter, leading to a comeback. A 16-2 Latrobe run, spurred by Noonan’s 11 third-quarter points and eight forced turnovers gave the Wildcats a 55-51 lead midway through the third. But Trinity counterpunched with an 11-5 run to finish the third quarter with a 62-60 lead.

“We started turning them over and that got us back in it,” Wetzel added.

Both squads took turns grabbing the lead in the fourth quarter. A Nick Rocco driving layup gave the Wildcats a 73-71 lead with three minutes remaining in regulation. But Dylan King responded with a reverse lay up to tie the score at 73 on the Hillers’ next possession. Two Johnson free throws gave the Hillers a two-point lead, but Sickenberger responded for Latrobe to tie the score at 75 late in the fourth.

Jourdane Adams then took advantage of a Latrobe turnover and scored a bucket in close to give the Hillers a 77-75 lead. With less than 60 seconds remaining, Connor Roberts stole the inbounds pass for the Hillers, got fouled and made one of two free throws to give Trinity a three-point lead in the game’s waning moments.

Adams and Johnson then teamed up to ice the contest. Adams stole another Latrobe pass and fed Johnson, who was fouled. Johnson toed the charity stripe and knocked down both shots, giving the Hillers a 80-75 lead.

“Our veterans made plays when we needed them,” Tessmer added.

Noonan gave the Wildcats life with a put back to cut the lead to three with less than 30 seconds to play.

With four seconds remaining, Koroly was fouled on the ensuing inbounds pass. However, he missed both, giving Latrobe a brief glimmer of hope. But Sickenberger’s desperation half-court three-pointer fell short.

Canon-McMillan, 72-33

The host Big Macs made quick work of Perry Traditional Academy of the City League as they held the visitors to no field goals in the first quarter while staking themselves to a 13-1 lead and an eventual halftime advantage of 34-10.

Coach Charles Murphy, a longtime assistant of now retired coach Rick Bell, earned a win in his first game as the head coach.

“We’re going to have to lean on our defense, for sure, especially early in the year,” Murphy said. “But this feels great now.”

Cole Stanley and Trejahn Lewis paced the Big Macs with 17 and 11 points, respectively. Ty’Wann Martin led the Commodores with 15.

Along with Stanley and Lewis, Murphy was also pleased with other Big Macs such as Laymont Lyons, who finished with six points but was a force defensively, forcing multiple steals and other assorted Commodore turnovers.

“He worked hard to get ready, as did Cole and Trejahn,” Murphy noted. “Cole, as you could see, really worked on his shot in the offseason and has gotten so much better.”

Canon-McMillan forced 18 Commodore turnovers and never let Perry find a rhythm all night.

Perry and Latrobe will square off in the consolation game at 6:30 pm.