OLSH comeback falls shy
times had chances to cut the deficit to two points in the fourth quarter. Constitution, however, held on for an 81-71 victory Tuesday afternoon in the PIAA Class 2A championship at Giant Center.
The win gave Constitution (21-11), a Philadelphia Public League team, its fourth PIAA title, all since 2012.The Generals lost in the title game a year ago to Sewickley Academy. OLSH, a WPIAL team making the first PIAA championship appearance in school history, finished 26-4.
“We certainly ran out of gas,” OLSH coach Mike Rodriguez said. “We tried playing zone in the first half to try and save our legs because we only play six or maybe seven guys now. I think our team is well-conditioned, but Constitution has great athletes. They get up and down and they’re a great team. But I thought we were a good basketball team, as well.”
Just not quite good enough to be a champion this year. The Chargers also lost in the WPIAL final to SewickleyAcademy.
OLSH’s depth was lacking because the Chargers played without sophomore guard Donovan Johnson, who averages 18 points a game. Johnson sat out his second consecutivecontest with a leg contusion sustained in the PIAA quarterfinals.
“That was our game plan to wear them out, especially with Johnson being out,” Constitution coach Rob Mooresaid.
Not many teams make it to state championship with a freshman point guard, but that was the case with OLSH, which started talented ninth-grader Dante Spadafora at the point all season. Constitution used a full-court press most of the game against an OLSH team thatdoes not have a senior.
“I don’t know if the press turned us over so much as it just wore us down,” Rodriguezsaid.
Constitution used a strong start to the second half to take control of the game. The Generals opened up a 17-point lead, and a basket with 2:52 left in the third quartermade it 61-45.
But OLSH came back and trailed by 61-53 after three quarters.When Daren DiMichele scored on an inside shot, the Chargers were within 65-61 with 4:29 left. After a Constitution miss, OLSH’s Austin Wigley had a shot blocked. After another Constitution miss, Spadafora had a driving layup roll around the rim and fall out. With the score at 67-63, OLSH had another chance to cut the lead to two, but turned over the ball. Constitution’s Keshaun Hammonds hit a 3-pointer with 2:25 left. OLSH’s turnovers were key in the game. OLSH had 21 and Constitution scored 35points off those turnovers.
“We might have ran out of gas because we don’t really have much of a bench any more because of injuries,” Spadafora said. “We all had toplay a lot of minutes.” Spadafora scored 13 points in the first half but did not have a point in the second. Wigley, a junior guard, led OLSH with 25 points, making 10 of 18 shots. Junior forward Ricco Tate added 14 points and 12 rebounds. Hammonds, a sophomore guard, made four 3pointers and finished with 23 points. Junior forward Jabari Merritt, who was at Philadelphia Roman Catholic a year ago before transferring, had 18 points and 12 rebounds. “We lost, but this team was very special,” Rodriguez said. “I certainly will remember this team. Hopefully, the school will remember and all the fans that came will remember, too. I don’t think we disappointed anybody. It was a great game.”