Jeannette’s defense leads charge in comeback win over Connellsville

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, December 28, 2017 | 10:36 PM

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Jeannette senior Robert Kennedy had 12 interceptions during the football season and returned four of them for touchdowns.

It was a wonder teams even threw to his side of the field.

Connellsville tried to pass against Jeannette’s trapping defense on the basketball court Thursday night, and Kennedy made the Falcons pay.

“Poogie” made an incredibly athletic play to pick off a pass near halfcourt, leaping high enough to nearly hurdle an opponent and then took it in for a finishing layup.

“It looked like he was 15 feet off the floor,” Jeannette coach Adrian Batts said of Kennedy.

It was the highlight of a fire-breathing fourth quarter for the Class 2A Jayhawks, who rallied to down Class 6A Connellsville, 51-42, in the Greensburg Salem Holiday Classic.

Kennedy had only six points, but he handed out six assists and was a menace on defense for Jeannette (4-2), which continues to find its legs after a lengthy football playoff run that was capped with a PIAA championship.

Fidgety early, Jeannette sparked to life in the fourth quarter after trailing Connellsville (5-4) the entire game.

“Whenever our backs are against the wall, just like football … we’re never going to fold or break,” Kennedy said. “We’re going to come back harder and harder. Our effort wasn’t there in the first half, but when we picked it up, we started to dominate.”

Senior Tre Cunningham led the Jayhawks with 17 points, all in the second half, junior Anthony Johnson added 13 and junior A.J. Sharp had 12 in the win.

Sharp made three 3-pointers on his former home floor.

“We played so much better in the second half,” Batts said. “We were calmed down. We were getting steals and deflections, but we were playing crazy. We were there. We just could not finish. Once we settled down … we started to get some shots. And our press was really good.”

Jeannette, which trailed 24-14 at the half, cut the deficit to 33-32 after three quarters on a 3-pointer by Cunningham, who scored 12 in the third.

“We had to keep grinding,” Cunningham said. “I didn’t have any points in the first half. We need everyone contributing. I wasn’t contributing, so I had to step my game up.”

Connellsville standout 6-foot-6 forward Seth Younkin, a Fairmont State recruit who opened the game with a two-handed slam, picked up his fourth foul with 1 minute, 55 seconds left in the third.

That changed Jeannette’s approach as the Jayhawks outscored the Falcons, 25-16, after Younkin checked out of the game.

“He is a college player,” Batts said. “He clogged the middle up. When he left, it gave us a better opportunity to get to the rim.”

Connellsville tried to slow down the Jayhawks with a 2-3 zone, a defense they will likely see a lot of this season.

Jeannette countered the zone with halfcourt pressure, which forced the Falcons to take tough shots.

Sharp, a Greensburg Salem transfer, hit a 3, and Cunningham made a layup off a touch pass from Kennedy to give Jeannette its first lead at 37-35.

Josh Maher made a layup to tie it, but Cunningham scored inside to make it 39-37 and Jeannette never trailed again. It outscored the Falcons, 19-9, in the fourth.

Johnson, who got into the lane all night and drew contact, finally connected on a drive and was fouled. His 3-point play made it 44-39.

“We started playing hard and getting steals and showing our athletic ability,” said Johnson, who made 9 of 12 free throws. “That’s what led to a win.”

Kennedy’s steal and score followed, and despite a 3 by Kyle Ridley, Jeannette peeled away. Another and-one play by Johnson, a near dunk that fell through the net, made it 51-42 with 11.8 seconds left.

Jake Ansell led the Falcons with 16 points, including three 3-pointers. Younkin had seven points.

Friday’s tournament schedule has Laurel Highlands against Connellsville at 5 p.m., GCC and Hempfield at 6:30, and Jeannette vs. Greensburg Salem at 8.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at bbeckner@tribweb.com or via Twitter @BillBeckner.

Tags: Connellsville, Jeannette