Still in the hunt: Colonials roll past LH, continue push for playoff spot
YORK RUN 鈥� Albert Gallatin was searching for a spark as it battled visiting rival Laurel Highlands during the first half of Tuesday night蘑菇视频 Section 3-AAAA boys basketball game.
The Colonials badly needed a victory to continue their push for a playoff spot but found themselves down by two as the clocked clicked down below four minutes in the second quarter.
Mykel Belt then stepped up and gave AG the boost it was seeking.
Belt hit consecutive 3-pointers as the Colonials closed the half on a 14-point run to take a 37-25 halftime lead and pulled away from there for an 82-54 victory.
Belt would go on to drain a total of six 3-pointers and pour in a game-high 32 points as the Colonials (3-4, 7-8) jumped up into a fourth-place tie with Southmoreland in the section standings.
鈥淭his was one we had to have,鈥� AG coach Shea Fleenor said. 鈥淥bviously Mykel Belt had a phenomenal game.鈥�
Blake White followed Belt with 17 points for Albert Gallatin, which also got 11 points from freshman Tyrone Burton and 10 points from Shymere Wilson.
The Mustangs (0-7, 2-17) came out on fire in the first quarter with three different players nailing 3-pointers, including three by Jaden Ringer, to forge a 19-12 lead.
Belt hit his first trey of the night with 30 seconds left in the quarter and, after a timeout by Fleenor, the Colonials forced a turnover which led to a fast-break layup by White to pull the hosts within 19-17 before the frame ended.
鈥淚 felt somewhat comfortable by the end of that first quarter because we were only down two,鈥� Fllenor said. 鈥淲e kind of fought our way back when we really weren鈥檛 playing well. I thought at that point we鈥檇 be OK.鈥�
Laurel Highlands reclaimed the lead twice in the second quarter on baskets by Ethan Koffler and Luke Martin. Albert Gallatin answered with a tying basket by Burton and then White dropped in a floater to put the Colonials ahead to stay. Belt followed with seven straight points and Burton closed the half with a three-point play.
鈥淲e finished that first half really well,鈥� Fleenor said. 鈥淚 thought we kind of amped up our energy. I鈥檓 not sure why but it seemed we just couldn鈥檛 fully get going most of the first half. Then something clicked there right near the end of the second quarter.鈥�
Fleenor credited his team蘑菇视频 defense for helping turn the tide.
鈥淲e started in our trap, which was very successful against them the first time we played them, but our energy wasn鈥檛 quite right to play that defense,鈥� Fleenor said. 鈥淚 thought once we switched to our man-to-man we kind of picked it up and got going.鈥�
Laurel Highlands coach John Smith was pleased with the way the Mustangs started.
鈥淚 think we had a great game plan coming in and the guys did a real good job of executing it and dictating the pace,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淭hen we had a few turnovers and another thing that really killed us was rebounding. We鈥檙e a little smaller than most teams and there were several possessions where they got multiple offensive rebounds and wound up scoring.鈥�
The Colonials outscored LH 23-12 in the third quarter to take a 60-37 lead with Belt dropping in 11 of his team蘑菇视频 points. AG held a 22-17 advantage in the final frame.
Ethan Koffler led the Mustangs with 13 points, including three 3-pointers. Aiden Black added 12 points and Ringer wound up with 11. Laurel Highlands, which made 10 3-pointers, also got eight points and nine rebounds from Shane Layton.
鈥淚 thought we could鈥檝e made it a much closer game than it was, but give them credit, they came out in the second half and shot the ball very well and it seemed we got a little bit tight around then and couldn鈥檛 find the bottom of the net,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淎lbert Gallatin had two big boys (Burton and J.J. Jackson) down low and they set some great screens for some of those guys.鈥�
Laurel Highlands entered the season with almost every key component from last year蘑菇视频 squad lost to graduation, then suffered another blow when its top returning player, Antwan Black, recently transferred to IMG Academy in Florida.
鈥淚f we still had Antwan we鈥檇 be a better team, there蘑菇视频 no doubt about it,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淭he kid is an incredible athlete. It was an unfortunate circumstance for me as a basketball coach, but for him and his family, they thought that was the right decision and a great opportunity for him to possibly further his career more in football. Obviously, I tried to get him to stay, but there蘑菇视频 no ill will. I still talk to him, I still text him. I wish him the best.
鈥淏ut he was a double-double guy the first 10 games of the season. We miss him for sure.鈥�
While the record isn鈥檛 what he鈥檇 like, Smith has no qualms with his team蘑菇视频 effort.
鈥淚 know it蘑菇视频 been a tough season for everybody involved, players, parents, coaches,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淵ou come off a couple seasons like we just had and it蘑菇视频 tough. But these guys are great kids with great attitudes. We鈥檙e going to be at practice tomorrow and those boys will be in there busting their butts. We鈥檙e just going to keep putting in the work. They want to win. They鈥檙e hungry. I just think the lack of experience at the varsity level has kind of caught up to us a little bit.鈥�
Like Smith, Fleenor was pleased with his team蘑菇视频 effort.
鈥淲e grind. Even when we lose, we grind,鈥� Fleenor said. 鈥淭hey play hard. We鈥檙e not ever going to be the biggest, strongest team or the prettiest team and we鈥檙e not going to be the best shooting team, but their effort is always there.鈥�
Fleenor especially liked the way Belt stepped up with White having a rare off-shooting night.
鈥淭onight what I was really happy about was he picked up the slack,鈥� Fleenor said. 鈥淏lake White has been playing unbelievable lately, and he still finished with 17 tonight but it was a tough 17, he had to really work for those. It just didn鈥檛 come as easy tonight but Mykel picked him up and was right there.鈥�
Fleenor pointed out Belt does more than just score.
鈥淢ykel makes a lot of passes. There蘑菇视频 a lot of times he蘑菇视频 the guy throwing the ball up the floor,鈥� Fleenors said. 鈥淗e put a lot of time into his overall game over the summer and came back much improved.
鈥淚 thought Tyrone Burton played a heck of a game for us. He made a positive impact. It蘑菇视频 been kind of tough for him lately, being a freshman and playing against older guys all the time.
鈥淚 thought everybody played well. They did everything they were supposed to do tonight. We鈥檝e just got to keep taking it one game at a time.鈥�
The game had an unusual beginning, with AG winning the jump ball and the Mustangs standing by as senior Kam Pratt made an uncontested shot under the basket. The Colonials returned the favor, allowing Layton an uncontested shot, before the game returned to normal.
鈥淜am blew his knee out in our last summer league game,鈥� Fleenor explained. 鈥淗e would鈥檝e been a three-year starter. He蘑菇视频 been rehabbing hard but there蘑菇视频 no way he can actually play. It蘑菇视频 senior night so we spoke beforehand and John was kind enough to make sure that happened. That at least gives that kid that one special moment for the senior year that he lost.
鈥淏ut Kam is on my Mount Rushmore of kids I鈥檝e coached. That list doesn鈥檛 have anything to do with ability or skill, it蘑菇视频 just my favorite kids I鈥檝e ever coached and Kam is on it. I think so highly of him.鈥�
White and Belt are also seniors who were honored before the game.