Dec 9, 2019 4 min read

BELLE VERNON – Washington, up by as many as 14 points, fought off a furious Belle Vernon rally Monday night to hold on for a 70-67 non-section boys basketball win.

“I like the fact that we were in a game that had great physicality to it and that we were able to battle through some situations to win,” said Washington coach Ron Faust. “I am very happy that we were able to play 10 players.

“We aren’t very big and need to get more guys on the naughty list and off of the nice list defensively.”

Belle Vernon coach Joe Salvino spoke about how the outcome was eerily similar to his team’s loss Saturday to Penn-Trafford Saturday.

“We don’t do what we are supposed to in the first 16 minutes, put pressure on ourselves and have to battle back, which we did for the last 16 minutes,” he said. “Our foul shooting is horrendous and we probably missed 12 layups (in the first half) and a few more at the end.

“It is mental. It is a lack of concentration, too much in a hurry and not working hard enough in practice.”

Belle Vernon (1-2) made 24 of 41 free-throw attempts while Washington (1-0) made 10 of 18.

The game was action-packed and played at a frantic pace.

However, the tempo was dictated by both teams playing smothering defense. The teams combined for more turnovers in the first quarter (16) than baskets (15).

Six different Prexies scored in the quarter while Devin Whitlock had 11 for Belle vernon. At the end of the quarter, Washington led 23-13.

In the second quarter, Washington opened up a 14-point lead at 27-13 with 6:31 to play in the half, but fouls became an issue for the Prexies.

Belle Vernon struggled from the floor in the second quarter, and when Cam Nusser hit a three-pointer for the Leopards with 3:32 to go, it was Belle Vernon’s first basket in the quarter.

Belle Vernon only made one other basket, a Jared Hartman putback, yet it kept the game close at the free-throw line.

In the first half, Washington was whistled for 13 fouls to BV’s six while the Leopards made nine of 16 free-throw attempts compared to the Prexies’ 0-for-3.

Down 40-25 a minute into he second half, Belle Vernon went on a 16-4 run to trim the Washington lead to 44-41 with 2:41 left in the third.

“Our defense got us back in the game and our offense (stinks), to be honest with you,” Salvino said. “Until we fix our offense, we will continue to fall behind. The game is 32 minutes, not 16.”

The Prexies countered with a 6-0 run and by the end of the quarter they held a 52-44 lead.

The Leopards continued to chip away in the fourth and both teams made numerous trips to the foul line. belle Vernon would cut its deficit a single point three times in the last three minutes, but Washington put the game away at the foul line.

With 17 seconds to go and the Prexies up 68-65, Tayshawn Levy calmly hit two free throws after being pulled earlier in the game.

“We have to be in situations where if someone isn’t playing well and we take them out, they have to be ready for a fresh start when we put them back in,” Faust said. “That is what we did with Tayshawn. He had a couple of situations when we had to get him out and he stepped up late and hit the free throws.”

Devin Whitlock scored a game-high 26 points for Belle Vernon and Nusser had 11 for Belle Vernon.

Ian Bredniak paced the Prexies with 17 points.

Brandon Patterson (12), Zack Swartz (11) and Levy (10) also scored in double figures for Washington, which opens Section 4-AAA play Friday at Charleroi.