Jan 24, 2020 3 min read

BELLE VERNON – In a hard-fought game, Uniontown moved closer to clinching its second consecutive Class 4A Section 3 crown with a thrilling 59-57 win over Belle Vernon Friday night.

“This was a total team effort, a good high school basketball game. We can beat anyone and so can Belle Vernon,” said Uniontown coach Rob Kezmarsky. “I give Belle Vernon credit as they are a really good team and I will be honest, I won’t be surprised to see them again (in the playoffs). We made plays at the end and that was the difference.”

Belle Vernon coach Joe Salvino said his team has to get over this loss and move on.

“We had opportunities and when you play like we did, we know we can play with anyone,” he said. “All in all, we have to let this one go, and worry about South Park so we can stay in second place.”

Neither team led by more than seven points, and a big key for Uniontown (7-0, 14-1) was that it was able to hit enough outside shots against BVA’s 3-2 defense and was also able to get into the middle just enough.

“We weren’t running as much tonight and were focusing on the zone,” Kezmarsky said.

A Salvino staple during his lengthy coaching career has been full-court man-to-man pressure, but he adjusted against the athletic Red Raiders.

“We put the zone in for them and were willing to give up some threes to stop penetration,” he said. “We stopped penetration for the most part, they penetrated a little, but all things considered, we rebounded well out of it and had a chance.”

Uniontown finished with nine three-pointers with both Billy DeShields and Keondre DeShields leading the way with three each.

Belle Vernon (5-2, 13-5) jumped out to a quick 5-3 lead after a Devin Whitlock-to-Mitch Pohlot alley oop dunk, but Uniontown went on a 12-2 run to take a 15-8 lead.

While Uniontown led 15-11 after one, Belle Vernon went on a 12-0 run between the end of the first quarter and the start of the second to take a 20-15 lead.

Uniontown hit a trio of three-pointers the rest of the half to trim the Leopards’ lead to 27-26 at the break.

After a Belle Vernon 7-0 run to take a 43-41 lead, Billy DeShields hit a shot to tie the game heading into the fourth.

Neither team led by more than four points in the fourth.

Keondre DeShields, a freshman, calmly make four free throws in the last 20 seconds help Uniontown hold on for the win.

“You have a freshman out there making plays,” Kezmarsky said. “He also went in and rebounded for us. Now we are up two (games) with three to play.”

Belle Vernon had a pair of chances to tie the game in the last 20 seconds but turned the ball over twice.

Pohlot hit a layup at the buzzer to trim Uniontown’s margin of victory.

The DeShields brothers each finished with 15 points for Uniontown with Billy adding seven rebounds and seven assists.

Also hitting double figures for the Red Raiders were Jahmere Richardson (14) and Ray Robinson (10).

Belle Vernon’s Cam Nusser made four-three pointers and led all scorers with 18 points while Whitlock (15), Thomas Hepple (13) and Pohlot (11) also hit double figures.

Pohlot finished with a double-double as he also grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds.

The Red Raiders turned the ball over 12 times and made nine of 13 free throws while the Leps turned it over 12 times and made seven of nine free throws.