Crusaders open PIAA 1A playoffs with win over Neighborhood Academy

2023-03-11 - By Becky Polaski Staff Writer

Playing on their home court in front of crowded stands filled with fans of all ages who had braved the snowy weather to show their support, the Elk County Catholic Crusaders made sure their first round game in the PIAA 1A Boys’ Basketball Championship was a memorable one as they led all the way against Neighborhood Academy for a 67-47 victory.

Four players put up double figures for the Crusaders in the win as Michael Jacobs, Wil Wortman, and Adam Straub all scored 14 points to lead the team, and Lance O’Neill was two back with 12. Colby Nussbaum was one point away from double digits with nine.

Neighborhood Academy’s Courtney Wallace led all scorers with 17 points, and Shamar Simpson and John Wilkins each also put up double figures with 14 and 10 points, respectively.

ECC jumped out to a 17-9 lead in the first quarter, with Jacobs making the opening bucket 28 seconds into the game and Nussbaum scoring his first two points of the night not long after to give the Crusaders a 4-0 lead.

Junior Ogbonne put the Bulldogs on the board with their first bucket of the night with 6:21 remaining in the first quarter, but the Crusaders quickly pulled away with a nine-point run as Nussbaum went one-fortwo from the foul line, Straub and Wortman made twos, O’Neill went two-for-two from the line, and Straub made another bucket. The run gave the Crusaders a 13-2 lead with 3:15 remaining in the quarter.

Neighborhood Academy scored the next six points as Wilkins converted a threepoint play and Wallace hit a three. Buckets by Timmy Brannock and Straub put the Crusaders back up by nine, 17-8, but Simpson went one-for-two from the line in the final seconds of the frame to leave ECC’s lead at eight points, 17-9 as the quarter expired.

Jacobs once again opened the scoring in the second quarter, this time going one-for-two from the foul line 31 seconds in. Jacobs was then fouled making a field goal with 6:43 remaining in the half. While he was unable to convert the threepoint play, the Crusaders came up with the rebound and Wortman put the ball in the hoop to put ECC up 22-9.

A three-point play by Simpson was answered with a pair of twos by Wortman as the half wound down. Neighborhood Academy’s Nathan Hargrove and O’Neill traded twos in the final 30 seconds, and then the Crusaders found themselves with a chance to take a long shot at the buzzer at the end of the half. However, a miscue as they inbounded the ball resulted in Neighborhood Academy gaining possession and putting up the shot instead. The three by Wilkins was good, sending the game into the break with the Crusaders ahead by 11, 28-17.

While the Crusaders looked to be in control throughout the first half, that would all change not long into the third quarter.

The second half started out well enough for ECC. Simpson made a bucket for the Bulldogs 48 seconds into the quarter but the Crusaders responded with a six-point run on twos by Straub, Nussbaum, and O’Neill to go up 35-19. That resulted in Neighborhood Academy taking a full timeout with 5:22 still on the clock.

Coming out of the timeout, the Bulldogs put together a 10-point run to make it a sixpoint game with 2:06 left in the quarter. The run opened with a two by Wilkins, Simpson scored the next six points, and then a bucket by Wallace ended the run.

Undeterred, the Crusaders were able to finally break the Bulldogs’ momentum as Wortman scored with 1:33 to go and then Jacobs made a three-point play with one minute remaining in the quarter to push their lead back to 11, 40-29.

Both teams put four points on the board in the final 37 seconds of the quarter, with ECC still leading by all, 4433, headed into the final frame.

After missed shots by both teams to open the quarter, Wallace went on a four-point run for the Bulldogs to trim ECC’s lead to seven, 4437. O’Neill responded with a six-point run for the Crusaders, losing his shoe as he took the ball to the hoop for a layup with 5:57 to go and then going four-for-four on a pair of trips to the foul line not long after that. Following O’Neill’s run, the Crusaders led by 13, 50-37, with 5:03 left in the game.

Wallace and Straub each went one-for-two from the foul line for the respective teams, and then a three by Wallace once again made it a 10-point game, 51-41.

Jordan Wasko got on the board as he made a pair of foul shots for the Crusaders with 4:24 to go, and Wlkins responded with a pair for the Bulldogs just before the midpoint of the quarter.

After another bucket by Jacobs, Wallace came up empty at the foul line for Neighborhood Academy, and ECC went on a six-point run as Straub made a pair of foul shots and then he and Nussbaum each made a bucket. The run put the Crusaders up by 18, 61-43.

Simpson scored with 2:12 to go for the Bulldogs, but ECC once again responded with six points as Jacobs made a field goal and then a pair of foul shots, and Wortman added a bucket with 44 seconds remaining for Elk’s final points of the night. A field goal by Brent Manns for the Bulldogs with 32 seconds to go set the final score at 6747, with ECC advancing to Tuesday’s second round with the win.

The Crusaders (26-2) will face District 7 third place team Carlynton (18-7) on Tuesday at a site and time to be announced. Carlynton defeated District 5 runner-up Southern Fulton 65-35 in the first round on Friday night in a game played at McConnellsburg High School.

Neighborhood Academy 47

Courtney Wallace 4-2-3-5-17, Shamar Simpson 5-0-4-6-14, John Wilkins 2-1-3-310, Brent Manns 1-0-00-2, Syncere Nicols 0-00-0-0, Naziim Daniels 0-0-0-0-0, Junior Ogbonne 1-0-0-0-2, Jalen Moore 0-0-0-0-0, Nathan Hargrove 1-0-0-02. Totals 14-3-10-14-47.

Elk Catholic 67

Jordan Wasko 0-0-22-2, Noah Cherry 0-00-0-0, Bobby Urmann 0-0-0-0-0, Lance O’Neill 3-0-6-6-12, Timmy Brannock 1-0-0-0-2, Michael Jacobs 5-0-46-14, David Anderson 0-0-0-0-0, Wil Wortman 7-0-0-0-14, Colby Nussbaum 3-0-3-4-9, Adam Straub 4-1-3-4-14. Totals 23-1-18-22-67.