Red Devils defeat rival PC again, but not close this time
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By Matt Michelone
For the Mirror
EBENSBURG -- When you see a rival twice in a matter of one week, there can always be that concern that payback is on the mind of the team that lost the first time. That can ring even more true when the game was decided by six points.
Monday night, however, in the Ron Davidson Tournament championship, Central Cambria was on fire the entire night and ran away with title, pummeling Penn Cambria, 80-46, at the Central Cambria gym.
"We knew it was going to be a physical game," Central Cambria coach Adam Stephan said. "We said it at the beginning of the game if we can handle their physicality, value the basketball, and knock down shots, we'd be fine.
"Everything seemed to be clicking for us. At one point in the third quarter there, we shot the ball very well. We shot well from the foul line. For the most part, I think we handled their pressure, and we match their physicality."
The Red Devils not only shot well but got the Panthers into foul trouble as Penn Cambria was called for 20 fouls as a team - putting Central Cambria in the bonus three times. Central Cambria's discipline kept them to just 11 infractions called against them.
"It started from the start," Penn Cambria coach Jim Ronan said. "Fouls constantly, and then we just couldn't bring any energy to the game. Central Cambria was hot.
"We found a way to stay in it in the first half. I don't know because I thought we played pretty poorly in the first half. We came out with no energy in the second half and they shot the daylights out of it."
Gabe Burkett helped spark some of that offense in the first quarter as he knocked down a pair of three-pointers as he scored eight of his 14 points.
With under two to play in the opening stanza he also cashed in on a block from Grady Snyder to help put Central Cambria up 21-10.
Penn Cambria did attempt to level things off as Caden Gibbons (with two), Brandon Rabish, and Isaac Strittmatter combined to bury four threes which helped cut that deficit down to 37-29 at the break.
"Rebounding the basketball was very, very key to us," Stepan said. "(Thursday night), they had three or four possessions where they got two or three extra possessions each time. We didn't want to have that. Sometimes, when you're very good defensively, it leads to offense."
Rabish was also named to the All-tournament group.
Central Cambria put the game away in the third and never looked back as Snyder put away the put back attempt for two of his game-high 20 points as he was named the tournament MVP.
"We were hungry from the last game," Snyder said. "We knew coming in that we wanted it all. We haven't won (the tournament) in five years. They've had it for five years. We were just hungry to win. We like getting inside, getting fouls, fighting for stuff. Once we got those fouls, we make our free-throws."
The Red Devil defense also locked it down as a steal by JD Brouse - who made the all-tournament team - was turned in a layup as they outscored the Panthers 22-9 in the third for a 59-38 lead after three.
Brayden Swope also made the all-tournament squad as he scored eight points including a three in the fourth to activate the running clock.
Conemaugh Township took the consolation game over Cambria Heights, 66-26, behind 17 points from Ethan Matera, 16 from Brennan Lohr and 12 from All-Tournament team member Greyson Dinyar.
Nolan Clawson led the Highlanders with six points. Stephen Nelen was also named to the All-Tournament team.
CONSOLATION
CAMBRIA HEIGHTS (26): Abrams 2 2-4 7, Nelen 1 0-0 2, Weiland 0 0-0 0, Nagel 0 0-0 0, Baker 0 0-0 0, Jasper 1 0-0 2, Clawson 1 4-6 6, Dearmitt 1 2-2 4, Ivory 1 1-1 3, L. Kline 0 0-2 0, Farabaugh 0 0-0 0, Kubat 0 2-2 2, M. Kline 0 0-2 0, Bender 0 0-0 0. Totals: 6 11-19 26.
CONEMAUGH TOWNSHIP (60): Kane 1 0-0 2, Dinyar 5 2-2 12, Lohr 6 0-0 16, Matera 6 4-6 17, Stango 2 0-0 4, McClemmons 2 1-2 5, Studder 2 0-0 6, Brutz 0 2-2 2, Burtis 0 0-0 0, Shippy 0 0-0 0, Dail 0 0-0 0, Stein 0 0-0 0, Molder 1 0-0 2.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Cambria Heights 8 8 0 10 - 26
Conemaugh Township 23 19 18 6 - 66
3-point field goals: Cambria. Heights 1 (Abrams), Conemaugh Township 7 (Lohr 4, Matera, Studder 2)
Records: Cambria Heights (1-5), Conemaugh Township (7-2).
CHAMPIONSHIP
PENN CAMBRIA (46): Lilly 1 0-2 2, Gibbons 4 1-3 11, Rabish 4 2-3 12 ,Strittmatter 3 0-0 7, Harrold 1 0-0 2, Jones 1 0-0 2, Hite 2 1-2 5, Marshall 1 0-0 2, Davidson 0 0-0 0, Nadolsky 1 1-2 3, Gides 0 0-0 0, Himmer 0 0-0 0, Farabaugh 0 0-0 0. Totals: 18 5-12 46.
CENTRAL CAMBRIA (80): Burkett 4 4-5 14, Snyder 5 9-10 20, K. Bradley 2 2-2 7, Brouse 8 2-3 19, Pittsinger 1 0-0 2, H. Bradley 2 0-0 5, Kutchman 0 0-0 0, Dill 0 0-0 0, Barra 1 0-0 2, McCloskey 0 0-0 0, Sinosky 1 0-0 2. Totals: 27 18-21 80.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Penn Cambria 10 19 9 8 - 46
Central Cambria 21 16 22 21 - 80
3-point field goals: Penn Cambria 5 (Gibbons 2, Rabish 2, Strittmatter), Central Cambria 8 (Burkett 2, H. Bradley, Snyder, Swope, K. Bradley, Brouse 2)
Records: Penn Cambria (2-3), Central Cambria (5-2).
Officials: Mike McDermott, Corey Theys, Tony Warynovich.