By Jeff Richards

BOYS BASKETBALL

McConnellsburg 61, Clairton 30.  The Spartans advanced to the Elite-8 semi-final round of the PIAA Class 2A championship series with a resounding win over District 7 No. 4 seed Clairton Bears on March 10 at Univ. of Pitt-Johnstown Sports Center.

District 5 No. 1 seed McConnellsburg (27-1) will face District 7 No. 1 seed Sewickley Academy (26-1) on March 14 at 2 p.m. at UPJ. The game will be broadcast live on Mid Penn Broadcasting.

To start, no tip-off was had as a player name discrepancy between the Spartan scorebook and the official scorebook was assessed as an administrative technical foul and awarded the Bears two free-throws (both were missed by junior forward Jae Walker) and possession at the division line.  The Spartans made a statement early on with eight points in the first three minutes from Shaffer Earley (a 2 pt FG), Hoyt Glenn (a 3) and Brayden Ramsey (a 3) triggering a Bears timeout to reassess.  By the quarter’s end the Spartans had trapped the Bears in a shutout 13-0 and never lost the lead.

One minute into the second quarter, the Bears scored their first two on a left-hand layup rattler by Brandon Murphy. This quarter held the only scoring burst for the Bears, including three of their game three-pointers and getting the Spartan lead down to nine – the closest they would get.  They outscored the Spartans 13-11 yet trailed 24-13 at the break. Glenn and Ramsey had tallied 11 points each at this point.

Fourteen seconds into the start of the third quarter, just after a Bears’ throw-in at the division line, Taris Wooding got the ball above the three-point arc line but was immediately swarmed by Ramsey and Earley and he frantically called a timeout.  The Spartans defensive pressure continued the rest of the game to fluster the Division I “prospects” and force single shots and low three-point percentages.  By mid-quarter, the Spartans extended their lead from 11 to 20, leading 37-17 thanks to threes from Ramsey, Earley, and Glenn.  Under three minutes, Jace Fletcher feathered in two quick treys and Jake Hann dropped in two down low as the clock whittled down.  After three chapters, the Spartans had outscored the Bears 23-10 and lead 47-23.  McConnellsburg’s third quarter points equaled all of Clairton’s points to then.

The Bears started to show frustration when Glenn hit a short jumper and was intentionally foul and awarded two free throws, making both.  At 6:23 Karson Washabaugh was also intentionally fouled then he made both free throw attempts putting the lead at 55-24 invoking the mercy rule/running clock.  The Spartans again dominated this quarter 14-7 enroute to victory.

The Spartans have now won 19 contests by 21 points or more this season and winning by an average of 29.5 points.

Hoyt Glenn produced another solid effort dropping a double-double (his tenth) with 20 points and 14 rebounds. He also grabbed three steals and has three or more in each of the last 22 games played. Brayden Ramsey was another key player, putting up 17 points in addition to seven assists and three steals.

McConnellsburg smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive boards. That strong performance is common for the team as they’ve now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in 37 consecutive matchups dating back to last season.

Notes: Clairton finished with a record of 19-6.  

MCCONNELLSBURG (61)

Hoyt Glenn 8 2-2 20, Brayden Ramsey 5 4-8 17, Shaffer Earley 3 0-0 7, Jake Hann 1 0-0 2, Jace Fletcher 3 2-2 10, Jett Sipes 0 0-0 0, Karson Washabaugh 1 3-4 5, Owen Garlock 0 0-0 0, Ethan Lange 0 0-0 0, Totals 21 11-16 61.  3-point goals = 8 (Ramsey 3, Glenn 2, Fletcher 2, Earley).  Other totals: 34 rebounds (13 off/21 def), 18 assists, 12 steals, 6 blocks, 13 turnovers, 8 fouls, 2FG% 48%, 3FG% 35%, FTM% 69%.  

CLAIRTON (30)

Taris Wooding 1 1-2 3, Donte Wright 0 0-0 0, Michael Ruffin 0 0-0 0, Jeff Thompson 2 0-0 5, Tah’vas Armstrong 1 0-0 2, Brandon Murphy Jr 4 2-2 10, Rheyjon Williams 0 2-2 2, Jae Walker 2 0-2 6, Jaece Booker 1 0-0 2, Naizer West 0 0-0 0, Isaiah Mills 0 0-0 0, Quintin Thompson 0 0-0 0, Totals 11 5-8 30. 3-point goals: 3 (Walker 2, Thompson).  Other ttls: 16 fl, FTM% 63%.

Clairton ……………..   0    13    10     7   —   30

McConnellsburg …. 13    11    23    14   —   61