Bethel Park holds off Ringgold to secure much-needed section win

By: Don Rebel
Friday, December 20, 2024 | 11:51 PM

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It’s only December, but there was a true sense of urgency surrounding the Section 3-5A boys basketball game Friday between Ringgold and Bethel Park.

Neither team wanted to remain on the “naughty” list heading into the holidays with zero section wins.

Host Bethel Park saw an 11-point third-quarter lead melt away before finishing strong, defeating Ringgold, 60-52.

The victory ended a four-game losing streak as the Black Hawks improved to 1-2 in the section and 2-5 overall.

“We really needed this,” first-year Bethel Park coach Rico Abbondanza said. “It leads us into tournament play and a nonconference game in early January with guys coming back from injury. This is a really good blend for us timing-wise to get into some good rhythm.”

Play was a bit shaky on both sides early on before both teams settled into their half-court offense with the Black Hawks hitting some shots behind the arc and the Rams being aggressive to the basket.

Leading by three points after one quarter, Bethel Park’s pressure defense started turning turnovers into points. The Black Hawks extended their lead several times in the second quarter to 11 points before taking a nine-point lead into the locker room.

The Black Hawks used a balanced attack with nine players scoring in the first half.

“We have some similarities in our player profile,” Abbondanza said. “We’re getting contributions from these athletes with their toughness and willingness to compete. I’ve been fortunate to have that, and it’s guiding a lot of younger guys too.”

Ringgold came out strong in the third quarter and cut the Bethel Park lead to two but failed on a couple of possessions to tie or take the lead. When the quarter ended, the Black Hawks’ lead was back up to seven points.

The Rams start four sophomores and came out flying in the fourth quarter with sophomore Demetri Lowe scoring nine of his game-high 21 points in the final eight minutes.

Ringgold scored nine of the first 10 points in the quarter and took its first lead of the game with 6:29 remaining on a Braylen Lomax baseline shot to put the Rams up, 47-46.

Following a timeout, Bethel Park junior William Thomas scored on a layup and the Black Hawks were back on top to stay as they outscored Ringgold the rest of the way, 14-5.

Sophomore Chris Wilson scored 14 points for the Rams, who dropped to 0-2 in the section and 2-4 overall with four consecutive losses.

“Ringgold is low on numbers, but they play so hard,” Abbondanza said. “I hope in a way they can be rewarded for some of their hard efforts.”

Cousins Jack and Michael Bruckner combined for 27 points to lead the Black Hawks with Jack having a team-high 14 points.

“We got a win that was needed,” Abbondanza said. “It’s our senior night and we have some activities coming up, so it’s nice to go into all those things with some positivity.”

Tags: Bethel Park, Ringgold