PIAA STATE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT 1st Round Boys

Harrisburg and Trinity win and move on to second round
By Gorden Blain
HERSHEY -- As Harrisburg coach Kirk Smallwood sees the Cougars’ post season success, with win after win, it’s bonus time.

The Cougars (17-11), yet again, will play a second round PIAA State tournament game after defeating Simon Gratz 50-42 in the opening round of the state playoffs on Saturday evening at Hersheypark Arena.

The Cougars, the third-place team from District 3, will face District 1 champion and their suburban Philadelphia rival Chester on Wednesday night at a site to be determined.

The Clippers (29-1), rated among the top five teams in national rankings and the top team in the state ranking, defeated Williamsport on Saturday in their state tournament opener.

Chester defeated Harrisburg during the regular season in a close, hard-fought game played near Allentown.

Always one of the top AAAA teams in District 3, Harrisburg was district champion last season and, with a lineup of talented veterans, one of the top-rated teams statewide the past two seasons. But all of that changed this season.

The Cougars’ top players from those teams graduated. Some players left the team. Guard Alphonso Washington, a starter earlier in the season, is no longer with the team, according to Smallwood. Some players transferred. Central Dauphin East’s starting point guard Jonathon Breeden was one of those. Breeden and the Panthers defeated Harrisburg three times this season, including a win over the Cougars in the District 3 semifinals.

Injuries slowed 6-5 senior forward Quincy Roberts, the centerpiece for the Cougars’ new look. The success of the football team reaching the state semifinals in mid December kept Roberts and other players away for an extended time.

“It’s just been a different lineup almost every game,” said Smallwood. “Different guys are getting opportunities. It’s great.

“We lost 17 guys from last year. 10 to graduation and seven for multiple reasons who we were counting on. In spite of all of that, we’re still in it. I’m proud of these guys.”

Shackled by cold shooting in the first half, Roberts, who has attracted a lot of Division 1 recruiting interest but is still looking for a solid scholarship offer, found his touch and scored 15 of his game-high 20 points in the second half, including a clutch eight-for-eight from the foul line in the final 4:43 of the game.

Harrisburg trailed 24-20 at halftime but Roberts opened the second half by making a three-point shot and then a steal and pass to Wayne Griffin, who made a layup to give the Cougars a 25-24 lead in the first 1:38 of the second half.

The two teams then traded the lead three times until Harrisburg grabbed the lead for good at 35-33 with 1:24 left in the third quarter on Cody Williams’ offensive rebound and put back layup.

“(Roberts) is a cerebral kind of guy,” said Smallwood. “He found his niche. I’ll keep giving him the ball. He’s the guy I went to the prom with and I’ll dance with him until the music stops.”

Said Roberts: “I make no excuses. I’m just struggling right now.”

The Cougars scored eight unanswered points to take a 40-33 lead with 4:43 left in the game. Gratz (19-8), the third-place team from District 12, had led 31-28 with 3:00 left in the third quarter but didn’t score again until burly 6-4 sophomore Antoine Bland made two free throws with 4:24 left in the game.

Alibaba Odd’s three-point play trimmed the Cougars’ lead to 40-38 with 3:34 left in the game but Roberts, Griffin and point guard Eric Henry measured up at the foul line down the stretch, making 12 of 14 free throws.

Henry finished with eight points for Harrisburg. Joe Reid led Gratz with 12 points and Odd and Denzell Gatewood each had nine points for the Bulldogs from the Philadelphia Public League.

Also on Saturday
District 3 AAAA boys champion Reading was upset by the District 1 eighth-place team Souderton 66-58 in a state tournament opener on Saturday It was the first loss of the season for the Red Knights (30-1).

District 3 AA boys champion Trinity (19-8) coasted to a win in its state tournament opener at Hersheypark Arena, defeating Central Martinsburg (12-17), the third-place team from District 6, 49-26. Sophomore forward Eric Kindler led the Shamrocks with 12 points and Christian Kuntz had 10 points. Jace Keller and Shane Cafferty, a pair of 6-4 juniors, each scored six points for the Scarlet Dragons.

Trinity will play GAR (19-10), the second-place team from District 2, in the second round of the AA state tournament. GAR defeated Wyalusing on Saturday.

Eugene Hankerson contributed to this story.