Upper St. Clair 57 Central Dauphin 53: Wrap via David Kehler

Written by: Dell Jackson on March 9, 2024

Upper St. Clair Comes from Behind to Defeat Central Dauphin in a PIAA Class 6A State Championship Tournament 1st Round Game: Kehler on Hoops
Article by David Kehler

Upper St. Clair overcame a 17 point second quarter deficit to defeat visiting Central Dauphin 57 to 53 on Saturday afternoon in a closely contested PIAA Class 6A state championship tournament 1st round game. The WPIAL champion Upper St. Clair advances to face 13-12 State College Area in the 2nd round of the tournament on Wednesday.

Ball hawking Central Dauphin’s pressure defense dominated the first 12 minutes of the game, forcing turnovers and creating scoring opportunities, but determined Upper St. Clair rallied for the win.

Central Dauphin drew first blood at the outset of the game on a 3-pointer by 6’ 3” junior Wayne Fletcher II. USC responded with a drive by 6’ senior Brett Meinert, then CD went on an 8 to 0 run on a fast break layup by Fletcher, a hoop on an inbounds play by Fletcher, two free throws by 6’ 5” sophomore Jelani Easter, and another hoop by Fletcher. That made it 11 to 2, Central Dauphin. After USC 6’ senior Christian Ito made a free throw, CD responded with a three point play by Easter, and, early in the second quarter, a jumper by 6’ 4” senior Shawn Wright to put Central Dauphin up 18 to 3.

Kaamil Jackson, a 6’ 6” junior, had a strong second quarter for Upper St. Clair. Early in the second frame, he made a couple of free throws, then, following a drive by CD’s Lleyton Fried, a 6’ 3” senior, Jackson scored on a three point play to cut Central Dauphin’s lead to 20 to 8. CD then scored on two free throws by 6’ 1” senior DJ Bridges, and a 3-pointer by Easter gave the visitors a 25 to 8 lead, and it would prove to be the largest margin by either side in the game. There was 5:22 left in the first half at that point, and USC called a timeout. That timeout was pivotal. From that point on, USC clawed back into the game. It started with two free throws by Meinert, then Meinert scored twice more from the stripe. After two frantic turnover exchanges, USC’s run continued with a 3-pointer by 6’ 3” sophomore Peja Strobl, who has been member of Austria’s national team. Strobl’s shot cut the Central Dauphin lead to 25 to 15 with 3:52 left in the first half.

The second quarter concluded with a series of dramatic plays. CD’s Fried made a free throw, then USC sharpshooter Ito hit a 3-pointer. His teammate Jackson made a free throw, and CD’s lead was cut to 26 to 18. With momentum very much in USC’s favor, CD’s Fried banked a 3-pointer at the buzzer, and Central Dauphin led 29 to 19 at halftime.

Central Dauphin’s plan for victory was centered on pressure defense, and it worked very well in the first half. Upper St. Clair committed 13 turnovers in the first 16 minutes of play. CD frequently double teamed the ball and collapsed on 6’ 9” USC junior Tyler Robbins when the ball was passed to him. However, Central Dauphin also committed 13 turnovers in the first half. Ominously, CD’s two biggest guys got into foul trouble, and that would prove to be a major factor in the outcome of the game.

However, CD got off to a strong start in the third quarter, scoring on a breakaway dunk by Wright after a steal for a 31 to 19 lead with 5:57 left in the period. USC called a timeout, after which they began to launch their comeback, beginning with a three point play on a pivot move by Robbins, a free throw by Meinert, and a drive by Ito. Central Dauphin’s lead was down to 31 to 25, and it was apparent that USC was back in the game. CD responded with a 3-pointer by Fried and a putback by 6’ junior Richard Chase to extend their lead to 36 to 25. USC countered with an eight point run to close out the third quarter, on a free throw by Meinert, a pivot play by Robbins, a 3-pointer by Strobl, and another hoop by Robbins. Central Dauphin led 36 to 33 at the end of the third quarter. Thus far, CD had led for the entire game, but the momentum very clearly was with USC.

With 6:08 left in the contest, USC’s Robbins tied the game at 38 with a couple of free throws. There would be five more ties down the stretch, at 40, 42, 44, 47, and 50. With 4:25 left in the contest, USC took their first lead, 42 to 40, on a pivot play by Robbins. A bit more than a minute later, CD recaptured the lead, 45 to 44, on a three point play by Easter. USC’s Ito immediately made a 3-pointer, and his side was up 47 to 45, and they would never trail again. However, there was no quit in Central Dauphin, and they tied the score at 47 on a hoop inside by Easter. With 1:48 left in the game, USC scored again from long range on another 3-pointer by Ito, and it was 50 to 47 in favor of Upper St. Clair. CD responded immediately with a three point play by Fletcher, tying the game at 50. With 38 seconds left in the contest, USC scored the decisive basket, a 3-pointer by Meinert. In all, USC made four 3-pointers in the final quarter, while Central Dauphin committed six turnovers in the last frame. USC outscored CD 24 to 17 in the last eight minutes of the game.

While there was some frenetic play and some careless ballhandling, it was largely a tactical game. Both teams played man-to-man defense, and both did a lot of hedging and double teaming. After the first quarter, CD’s Fletcher was often double teamed and occasionally triple teamed. CD double teamed USC’s Robbins whenever he had the ball. USC got to the free throw line exactly twice as much as CD did, 22 to 11, and Upper St. Clair’s free throw shooting was a major determinant of the outcome of the came. USC was eight of nine from the stripe in the second quarter, and they were a perfect six of six in the fourth quarter. CD’s interior defense in the second half was crippled by key players being in foul trouble. But, it was USC’s long range artillery, firing late, that won the game. In the waning moments of the contest, USC hit clutch 3-pointer after clutch 3-pointer.

Despite a height disadvantage, Central Dauphin out-rebounded Upper St. Clair 24 to 22. USC committed 19 turnovers, and CD had 22 miscues. USC was an outstanding 18 of 22 from the free throw line, and CD was eight of 11 from the stripe. USC scored seven times from beyond the arc, while CD made five 3-pointers. There were six ties and three lead changes.

Upper St. Clair scoring: Christian Ito 17, Brett Meinert 15, Tyler Robbins 13, Peja Strobl 6, and Kaamil Jackson 6.

Central Dauphin scoring: Wayne Fletcher II 17, Jelani Easter 15, Lleyton Fried 9, Shawn Wright 6, DJ Bridges 2, Richard Chase 2, and Shakur Starling 2.

Central Dauphin   16    13    7    17  – 53
Upper St. Clair       3     16   14   24 -.57

Central Dauphin’s fine season ends with an 18-9 record and the promise of better results to come.

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