Jan 31, 2020 3 min read

MONONGAHELA – Cam Nusser scored a career-high 37 points and set two school records as he propelled Belle Vernon to an 80-71 win at Ringgold in Section 3-AAAA boys basketball action Friday night.

The senior, who set school records with five three-pointers in the first quarter and nine in the game, said he felt on his game early.

“I am glad we got the win and was happy to make plays early with the hot hand,” he said. “The rim felt big and the shots kept coming and flowing.”

Nusser’s 37 points topped his previous career-high of 36 set last season also against Ringgold.

Belle Vernon coach Joe Salvino spoke about Nusser’s hot start taking the loud and vociferous Ringgold crowd out of the game.

“It was tremendous for him to be able to do that and any time someone can shoot like he did in the first half, it brings a lot of intensity on the defensive end,” he said. “When you beat a team like Ringgold three times, it is a positive.

“We have to keep it going because we want a good seed in the playoffs.”

Ringgold coach Phil Pergola said Nusser’s shots weren’t normal three’s.

“He was hitting them from deep, 24-, 25-feet out,” Pergola said. “We were playing from behind all night because of him. You don’t want to get behind them.”

Not to be outdone, Ringgold’s Luke Wyvratt finished with 33 points and 11 rebounds.

“Luke scored too many points on us in the first half,” Salvino said. “We extended up defensively in the second half.”

Nusser finished with 17 points in the first quarter as he made five of six attempts from behind the arc and Belle Vernon (7-2, 15-5) opened the game on a 10-0 run and took an 18-4 lead before Ringgold (4-6, 11-8) settled in.

Belle Vernon led 27-18 after one quarter, but Ringgold battled back in the second. The Rams closed to within five points with less than a minute to go before the intermission, but Nusser hit his seventh and eighth three-pointers in the last 25 seconds with the last coming from 30 feet.

In the first half, Nusser scored 26 points and Wyvratt had 24.

Ringgold trailed by as many as 15 in the second half, but thanks to its defense holding Belle Vernon without a point for almost four minutes to start the fourth quarter, it cut the Leopards’ lead to six twice within the closing minutes but could get no closer.

Belle Vernon (30 of 66) and Ringgold (28 of 61) each shot 46% for the game with both teams hitting 42% of their three-pointers as the Leps made 10 of 24 and Ringgold five of 12.

Mitch Pohlot finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Leps, Devin Whitlock had 10 points and Hunter Ruokonen had 10 rebounds.

Chris Peccon hit four three-pointers for Ringgold and joined Wyvratt in double figures with 19 points.