Basketball

Confident Bulldogs up mark to 14-8

By Michael Boytim

mboytim@altoonamirror.com

ALEXANDRIA -- Claysburg-Kimmel is enjoying its best high school boys basketball season in more than 40 years, but the Bulldogs could have an even better record if free throw shooting had not cost them a few early-season games.

C-K wasn't perfect from the line Monday at Juniata Valley during its regular-season finale, but the shots fell when they mattered the most in an 83-79 overtime victory.

"The kids have gained confidence in free throws, and I have confidence in them," Claysburg-Kimmel coach Mike Harris said. "I just kept telling them to work on it, and I knew they would make them and we'd be good, and they did. They are coming together as a team and playing their best basketball at the right time of the year."

Bulldogs sophomore Brayden Haney, who helped C-K go 3-0 last week by putting up some monster offensive numbers, hit two free throws with 52 seconds left in the extra period to put his team ahead and went 7-of-10 from the line overall, including 5-for-6 in the final minute.

"(C-K senior) Elias Ritchey has always been steady with us, and he's been helping Brayden along the way," Harris said. "He's a sophomore, and that can be tough, but he's really coming into his own and getting after it. It's really great to see. He was at the foul line late, and I told him, 'hey, you're the (Altoona) Mirror Athlete of the Week, don't disappoint,' and he iced the game down the stretch."

Haney finished with a team-high 28 points and had a 3-pointer with 1:20 left that put Claysburg-Kimmel ahead, 72-71, but Juniata Valley's Charlie Mattas answered with one of his own to put the Green Hornets back ahead with just more than a minute remaining.

Aidan Simpson, who scored 13 points for Claysburg, tied the game with 30 seconds left and a Mattas 3-pointer near the buzzer was off the mark sending the game into overtime.

The Bulldogs did not make a field goal in the extra session but went 9-for-12 from the foul line.

"To win down here at this gym in this environment was phenomenal," Harris said. "This is a huge confidence booster. I have two former players on the staff that talk about the time we beat them down here when they had (Quinn) Zinobile and (Cam) Collins. We beat them down here by five. And the kids knew if we played our game, we could win."

Ritchey added 12 assists and 21 points, including a buzzer-beating jump shot to tie the game at 55 at the end of the third quarter. At 14-8, Claysburg-Kimmel will play at least one home game in the District 6 Class 2A playoffs.

"We worked hard in the offseason and into this season," Ritchey said. "We all stuck together. We have had our ups and downs, but it's going to be great seeing all the fans out there. Claysburg isn't historically known for its boys basketball program, and it's nice to leave our mark."

The win helped the Bulldogs stay ahead of West Shamokin in the district rankings.

"I believe we locked up the third seed tonight," Harris said. "That means we'll have a home playoff game against Homer-Center, Marion Center or Southern Huntingdon. It's phenomenal for the community and the team, because if we win the playoff game, we get into the semifinals and guarantee three more games."

Mattas finished with a game-high 29 points for Juniata Valley, which went on a 9-0 run in the span of one minute to take a 71-65 lead with 2:50 remaining. The Bulldogs, however, ended regulation on a 9-3 run.

"With playoffs coming up, you want to perform a little better," Juniata Valley coach Bill Lightner said. "You want to go into the playoffs with momentum. We saw glimpses of Juniata Valley basketball, and then we saw glimpses of those same issues that we have had throughout the season. We have to have a short memory and go into districts next week and make a statement there."

Jett Rand scored 18 points off the bench for the Green Hornets, and Chris Deihl contributed 12 points before fouling out late in overtime.

Juniata Valley is scheduled to play Glendale tonight to wrap up its regular season and will likely be the No. 2 seed in the District 6 Class 1A playoffs and host seventh-seeded Bishop McCort.

"When we focus and play team basketball, getting everyone involved and we're making that extra shot, I think we can contend with anybody," Lightner said. "But when we start taking quick shots and not making that extra pass and we're getting outrebounded, it puts us in a hole."

CLAYSBURG-KIMMEL (83): Haney 8 7-10 28, Ritchey 9 3-4 21, Napolitano 1 0-0 2, Simpson 6 1-2 13, Walter 4 0-2 8, Treon 2 1-2 5, Douglas 2 0-0 6. Totals -- 32 12-20 83.

JUNIATA VALLEY (79): Deihl 4 2-2 12, Robinson 3 1-2 7, Chavez 2 2-4 8, Mattas 10 3-4 29, Beck 1 0-0 2, Rand 7 2-4 18, Cook 1 1-1 3. Totals -- 28 11-17 79.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Claysburg-Kimmel 18 18 19 19 9 -- 83

Juniata Valley 13 28 14 19 5 -- 79

3-point goals: Claysburg-Kimmel 7 (Haney 5, Douglas 2); Juniata Valley 12 (Mattas 6, Deihl, Chavez 2, Rand 2).

Records: Claysburg-Kimmel (14-8); Juniata Valley (15-6).

Officials: Ryan Shope, Ryan Jamison, Craig Yohn.

JV: Juniata Valley, 77-46. High scorers--Landon Douglas, CK, 17; Laken Cook, JV, 15.