Shaler boys see road to success in pushing pace

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, January 17, 2019 | 8:00 PM

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Starting slow isn’t what senior guard Colton Schott wants to see from the Shaler boys basketball team.

When the Titans are at their best, they are moving quickly. If things stagnate, like they did during Shaler’s 68-60 win Jan. 15 at Plum, climbing out of holes can be much harder.

The Titans, who took on Kiski last Friday in a game that ended too late for this edition, enter the second half of the section schedule looking to improve their position in the standings.

“We need to close out our games, make free throws and don’t foul,” Schott said. “We can’t come out sluggish like we did against Plum because then we have to dig out of those holes.”

Shaler’s victory over the Mustangs showed what the Titans want to avoid. Shaler fell behind 13-6 after the first quarter before surging to a 29-23 halftime advantage. Mekhi Reynolds led the Titans with 19 points, and Justin DeSabato (16), Matt Bendel (11) and Luke Bebout (10) also finished in double figures.

Shaler, which is 10-4 overall and 5-2 in section, already appears to be headed toward its first playoff berth since the 2011-12 season. Making sure the Titans are in the best position to get there is the challenge for coach Rob Niederberger.

“A lot of our issues are on the defensive side of the ball,” Niederberger said. “It’s about how we defend and communicate. We understand tough times are going to come. Adversity is going to hit every team.”

Shaler found some of that during a 62-57 home loss to Franklin Regional on Jan. 11. After taking a three-point lead into the fourth quarter, the Titans fell victim to the Panthers’ slower pace.

“I feel like we are at our best when we are pushing pace and up on people on defense,” said Schott, who scored 10 points against Franklin Regional.

Shaler has the second-highest scoring average in the section, averaging 69.2 points, just behind Mars (70.3).

If the defense continues to improve, Niederberger believes Shaler’s offense could make the Titans’ first trip to the playoffs in some time a memorable one.

“It’s a lot of hard work from where these guys came from,” Niederberger said. “Now, it’s like a lot of them play. It’s been a lot of hard work. There’s a camaraderie there. They share the ball well, and that’s what helped us on our journey. Offensively, we know we can score. The good news is that’s something we can do. We feel like we can beat anybody.”

Josh Rizzo is a freelance writer.

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