Jan 3, 2023 3 min read

MONESSEN – In an early Class A Section 2 boys basketball showdown Tuesday night, Monessen downed Geibel Catholic 63-44 in a game between the two section favorites.

“This is a big win against a good team. I think our rebounding was the difference, and I think we were able to bother them with pressure,” Monessen coach Dan Bosnic said. “Davontae Clayton, Davontae Robinson and Dante Defelices did a great job defensively.

“We also shared the ball well on offense, and that was big.”

Geibel coach Don Porter was not happy after the game, and he did not mince his words when asked what he thought the difference in the game was.

“Coach Bosnic’s players listened (to him) and mine didn’t listen to me,” he said. “We just aren’t executing, and they need to listen and follow our game plan through, and not when it stops working for a moment do we abort it.

“We are struggling with missed layups and free throws and with assignments we are asked to do.”

The game was a defensive battle early, and it was chippy between the two teams.

Monessen (1-0, 8-1) led 11-9 after the first quarter, but Geibel (0-1, 2-5) went on an 11-2 run to take a 20-13 lead halfway through the second.

Monessen countered with an 18-5 run to take a 31-25 lead at the half, and then it turned up its defense and opened the second half on a 8-0 run as the Gators did not score their first points until a Jaydis Kennedy layup with 3:06 left in the period.

The Greyhounds outscored the Gators 17-6 in the third quarter to take a commanding 48-31 lead into the fourth and Geibel got no closer than 10 points the rest of the way.

Lorenzo Garnder led a quartet of Greyhounds in double figures with a game-high 24 points while Davontae Clayton and Jaisean Blackman each scored 12 and Davontae Robinson added 10.

Kennedy led Geibel with 17 points while Jeffrey Johnson added 13.

While Monessen won this matchup, both coaches know the Jan. 27 rematch at Geibel is huge.

“They still have to come to our place,” said Porter. “The season isn’t tanked yet.”

“We told the team this was our first section game, we have a long way to go, and we have to get a lot better as a team” said Bosnic. “We will see them again, they will be better and we have to be as well.”

The Greyhounds and the Gators both return to section action Friday as Monessen is at Jefferson-Morgan while Geibel hosts West Greene.

In the first game of the girls-boys doubleheader, the Monessen girls downed Geibel in a Class A Section 2 contest, 33-20.

“Our defensive effort was great, and we hit the boards,” Monessen coach Janine Vertacnik said. “We have to improve on some things, but we came out with some intensity in the second half and hit some shots.”

The Greyhounds (1-1, 3-4) limited the Gators (0-1, 4-6) to five baskets for the game.

Monessen, which had four players with at least six points, was paced by Avanti Smith’s 11.

Geibel was led by Emma Larkin, who finished with a game-high 16 points, eight of them coming in the fourth quarter.