Liam Gallagher rains 3s as Greensburg Central Catholic beats Kiski Area
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Saturday, December 21, 2024 | 7:26 PM
Greensburg Central’s Liam Gallagher shoots a 3-pointer over Kiski Area’s Amaree Gonzalez during their game on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, at Hempfield.
Greensburg Central’s Liam Gallagher shoots a 3-pointer against Kiski Area on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, at Hempfield.
Greensburg Central’s Liam Gallagher shoots a 3-pointer over Kiski Area’s Amaree Gonzalez during their game on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, at Hempfield.
Greensburg Central’s Liam Gallagher takes an offensive charging foul from Kiski Area’s Andrew Zepeda during their game on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, at Hempfield.
Greensburg Central’s Samir Crosby drives past Kiski Area’s Teegan Shirley (5) and Amaree Gonzalez during their game on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, at Hempfield.
Greensburg Central’s Brady O’Rourke is fouled by Kiski Area’s Jacob Musselman during their game on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, at Hempfield.
Kiski Area’s Tyler McDermott drives to the basket past Greensburg Central’s Brady O’Rourke during their game on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, at Hempfield.
Greensburg Central’s Brady O’Rourke scores against Kiski Area on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, at Hempfield.
Greensburg Central’s Liam Gallagher shoots a 3-pointer as Kiski Area’s Amaree Gonzalez defends during their game on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, at Hempfield.
Greensburg Central Catholic’s Liam Gallagher defends Kiski Area’s Carson Heinle during their game Saturday at Hempfield.
Knowing he was going to face another zone defense — in this case, the 2-3 matchup variety — Greensburg Central Catholic senior Liam Gallagher was ready to catch the basketball and shoot it.
“I had to knock down shots,” Gallagher said. “I wasn’t knocking them down in warmups. They just started going in for me in the game.”
Forget warmups. When a shooter finds their touch in a game like Gallagher did, it matters a lot more. It is what helped GCC maintain its perfect record.
Gallagher connected on 7 of 9 3-pointers and finished with a career-high 27 points, shaking the Centurions from an early slumber with his hot shooting in a 66-53 victory over Kiski Area on Saturday at the sixth Westmoreland County Coaches Association Shootout at Hempfield.
“We wanted to win this game,” Gallagher said. “We didn’t want to play not to lose. We wanted to win.”
GCC, the top-ranked team in WPIAL Class 2A, moved to 8-0 despite scoring only six points in the first quarter.
Three-point shooting brought the Centurions back from their first halftime deficit of the season. They had mercy-ruled six of seven opponents coming into Saturday.
Just a few minutes in, Centurions coach Christian Hyland pulled his starters to light a fire under the sluggish lineup.
Kiski Area (3-5), a Class 5A team, led 10-2 and 12-6 before the starters returned and put GCC back in a groove.
A 15-4 run, sparked by a trio of Gallagher 3s, gave GCC its first lead at 17-16.
Kiski Area pulled into halftime with a 25-24 edge, but only could maintain the basket-for-basket pace for so long in the second half.
“We knew we had to get a hand in (Gallagher’s) face,” Kiski Area coach Corey Smith said. “We didn’t find him. That is a good team we played. They are No. 1 for a reason. I have the highest respect for Christian and his program.”
The Centurions traded leads with the Cavaliers five times in the third quarter before Gallagher made a jumper to put GCC ahead to stay.
The Centurions went from trailing 35-34 to taking a 48-40 lead to the fourth. That despite a 10-point quarter by Kiski Area senior Tyler McDermott, who finished with 16 points, one off the team lead of 17 by senior Carson Heinle.
“Our guys know how our team is and how we play,” Hyland said. “We had gotten off to strong starts. Today, once we started to see the ball go in, we got back into it.”
GCC made six of their 11 3s in the third, including three from Gallagher and two from junior Samir Crosby. The Centurions made four straight 3s to close the quarter, three from Gallagher, whose shots filled the nets and barely nipped the rim.
He came off screens and connected in rhythm. He’s had plenty of practice against zones. Hyland said only a few teams have played man-to-man against the Centurions.
“He’s been shooting it really well,” Hyland said of Gallagher. “You can tell he’s playing with a lot of confidence right now. He had some good looks.”
The lead reached double figures in the fourth as Crosby hit two consecutive jumpers and Gallagher made a 3 to extend the advantage to 57-41 with about four minutes remaining.
Crosby showed touch from mid-range while scoring 14 points.
Kiski Area went half of the final quarter without a field goal.
Junior Andrew Zepeda added 13 points, including three 3s for the Cavaliers.
Sophomore A.J. Tarpley chipped in 10 for GCC, which came in averaging 71.8 points. The Centurions have scored 80 or more three times this season.
Gallagher’s touch-off pass to Tarpley for a layup gave GCC its largest lead, at 63-46.
Gallagher made six 3s on Friday night — all in the first half — in a 96-37 rout of California. The team made 13 3s for a season high.
“This was a good test for us,” Gallagher said of Kiski Area. “I knew I would need to be a scorer this year, but I don’t feel I have to be the main guy every game.”
Kiski Area lost to Hampton on Friday, 50-44.
“I am proud of how the team bounced back,” Smith said. “We kept fighting. We could have folded it up, but we didn’t. I didn’t. I am not going to give up.”
Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.
Tags: Greensburg C.C., Kiski Area
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