Montour takes Moon’s best shot in OT thriller
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Wednesday, January 15, 2025 | 12:28 AM
Montour’s Ama Tening Sow scores over Moon defenders during their game on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2024, in Moon.
Montour’s Trey Hopper celebrates after hitting a 3-pointer against Moon on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2024, in Moon.
Montour’s Kaleb Platz works against Moon’s Ashley Buford during their game on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2024, in Moon.
Montour’s Ama Tening Sow works against Moon’s Michael Santicola during their game on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2024, in Moon.
Montour’s Ama Tening Sow celebrates with Colton Straight (4) and Trey Hopper (3) after scoring against Moon during their game on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2024, in Moon.
Montour’s Ama Tening Sow defends against Moon’s Michael Santicola during their game on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2024, in Moon.
Moon’s Michael Sanicola shoots a 3-pointer at the end of regulation to force overtime next to Montour’s Trey Hopper (3) and Colton Straight during their game on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2024, in Moon.
Montour’s A.J. Alston brings the ball upcourt against Moon on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2024, in Moon.
Montour’s Colton Straight steals the ball from Moon’s Ashley Buford during their game on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2024, in Moon.
Montour’s Kaleb Platz defends against Moon’s Michael Santicola during their game on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2024, in Moon.
Montour’s Kaleb Platz shoots a 3-pointer against Moon on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2024, in Moon.
Moon’s Carter Tumulty dunks against Montour on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2024, in Moon.
Moon’s Michael Sanicola scores past Montour’s Trey Hopper during their game on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2024, in Moon.
Montour’s Ama Tening Sow is fouled by Moon’s Amir Turner during overtime in their game on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2024, in Moon.
Montour head coach Bill Minear watches from the bench during the Spartans’ game against Moon on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2024, in Moon.
Moon head coach Gino Palmosina reacts from the bench during the Tigers’ game against Montour on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2024, in Moon.
As a top-ranked team with lofty expectations, the stretch run this winter will be anything but dull, Montour coach Bill Minear told his players.
Expect some trials along the way.
“There are 27 days left in the regular season,” Minear said. “You’re No. 1 now. Can you take everybody’s best shot the rest of the way? They did today.”
Moon’s Michael Santicola forced overtime with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer that could’ve stolen momentum Tuesday night. Instead, Montour found its own spark in OT and pulled out a 51-45 victory that kept the Spartans unbeaten in Section 4-5A.
On a snowy night outside, this matchup of ranked teams near the season’s midway mark drew a heated crowd to Moon’s gym.
“What a shot, what a game, what an environment,” Moon coach Gino Palmosina said. “It’s fun to be a part of it. Obviously, we were on the losing end, but you’ve got to give credit to Montour.
“They came in here. They’re at the top of the section. Ranked No. 1 in the WPIAL. Third or whatever in the state. They’re going to get everyone’s best shot. We threw a good punch, and they absorbed it and took the win.”
Third-ranked Moon (11-3, 4-2) succeeded in slowing the pace, preferring to play a lower-scoring game that didn’t fit with Montour’s tastes.
The teams were tied at 41 after regulation, nearly 25 points below Montour’s season average. Yet, that didn’t matter after Montour won overtime, 10-4.
“A road win like that against one of the best team in the WPIAL is a good win,” said Montour senior Colton Straight, “even though it was ugly.”
Straight scored a game-high 16 points, including a pair of clinching free throws with 30.6 seconds left to stretch a three-point lead to five.
Montour’s 6-foot-10 center Ama Sow recorded a double-double with 14 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks, while Kaleb Platz added 14 points. Sow started overtime with a three-point play, scoring on an offensive rebound and adding the free throw for a 44-41 lead.
The Spartans went 6 for 9 from the foul line in OT.
That was enough to hold off Moon, which made only one basket in overtime. Carter Tumulty led the Tigers with 13 points, and Santicola had 11. They played without injured point guard Caden Kopay, which influenced Moon’s decision to slow the pace.
The teams rematch Feb. 7 at Montour.
This one was close throughout, with Montour leading 11-6 after one quarter, 23-20 at half and 32-30 after three.
Late in the fourth, Moon rallied from a 39-34 deficit to force overtime. Tumulty hit from 3-point range, and Braeden Stuart made one of two free throws to narrow Montour’s lead to one point with 1:26 remaining.
Straight was fouled twice in the final minute of regulation and made two of four free throws for Montour to lead 41-38 with 2.4 seconds left.
Needing a 3 to tie, Moon’s Stuart threw a half-court inbounds pass to Santicola, who took one dribble and hit the shot at the buzzer.
“It was a great shot,” Minear said.
However, that momentum didn’t carry into overtime, where Santicola went 1 for 5 shooting. Montour’s Trey Hopper was matched on him defensively.
Foul trouble also was a concern for Moon. Two players fouled out in OT and a third had four fouls.
Moon’s Amir Turner made two free throws with 2:09 left in overtime to cut Montour’s lead to 44-43. A basket by Platz and two free throws from Sow extended the lead back to five.
A runner by Santicola with 1:06 left cut Montour’s lead to three points, but Moon didn’t score again. Straight made two free throws with 30 seconds left, and Platz added one with 15 seconds remaining.
“We’ve shown that we can play with the best,” Straight said. “We’re up there.”
Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.
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