Penn Hills boys shake off early struggles, begin to hit stride
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Saturday, January 11, 2025 | 11:01 AM
Penn Hills guard Amon Hawthorne throws a bounce pass to split the Plum defense on Jan. 7. The Indians won 79-57 as Hawthorne finished with a game-high 20 points.
Penn Hills’ Calix Clark battles for a loose ball with Plum’s Owen Perskin (left) and Trey McMurray (right) on Jan. 7 at Penn Hills. The Indians won 79-57 in Section 2-5A play.
Amon Hawthorne is congratulated by teammates as he heads back to the bench during Penn Hills’ 79-57 win over Plum on Jan. 7. Hawthorne made six 3-pointers and scored a game-high 20 points.
Penn Hills’ Calix Clark glides in for a layup during Penn Hills’ 79-57 win over Plum on Jan. 7 in Section 2-5A action. Clark finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Indians.
Penn Hills picking up a win over Shaler in a game that was televised locally provided the Indians with a significant boost of confidence. But how the Indians followed up their performance against the Titans may do even more to improve Penn Hills’ psyche.
The Indians shot 67% (10-of-15) from the 3-point line and blitzed upstart Plum, 79-57, in a Section 2-5A game Jan. 7 at home.
“(The television game) paid huge dividends to our confidence,” coach Chris Giles said. “The kids had some success on the road in a very difficult place to play against a good Shaler team. You know their parents and grandparents were able to see them play on TV. … If we can play like this moving forward, I really like our chances.”
Penn Hills (5-6, 5-0) has passed every test in section play. Despite taking their lumps in nonsection games, failing to get a win in six tries, Penn Hills guard Amon Hawthorne said the Indians have focused on getting better.
“Our coaches drive home that if we play together, everyone achieves more,” Hawthorne said. “That’s what team stands for.”
Against Plum, Hawthorne finished with a team-high 20 points, including six 3-pointers. Early in the season, Penn Hills looked tentative on offense.
The Indians have slowly grown into a team that is more comfortable with their roles and willing to take shots.
“It’s just reps, reps, reps, reps,” Hawthorne said. “Our coach pushed us to take as many reps as we can.”
Giles said he has tinkered with the lineup throughout the season. The mixture he has come up with has provided the Indians with a dangerous lineup that has balance.
Calix Clark finished with a double-double against Plum, putting up 17 points and 11 rebounds. Cam Glenn (14 points), Aiden Thompson (13) and Cato Womack-Cahill (10) all finished in double figures in scoring.
Penn Hills has taken control of the section during the first half of the league schedule. The Indians hope they have the formula to ride this success back to a strong seed in the WPIAL playoffs.
“We’ve made some changes to our philosophy offensively and defensively to put our guys in a better position,” Giles said. “That’s what you are supposed to do as a coach. You’ve got to make adjustments, and you have to change your system based on your personnel. Quite frankly, it took me a while to figure out what we were going to do.”
Tags: Penn Hills
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