Franklin Regional boys basketball ends skid, rolls Gateway

By: HSSN Staff
Saturday, January 27, 2018 | 1:12 AM

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Franklin Regional was only slightly concerned when a recent five-game winning streak was dimmed by two consecutive losses, to a pair of good teams, in Moon and Highlands.

That’s because the Panthers know what they can do when their shooters shoot, their length looms large, and the energy kicks things up a notch.

That’s what happened Friday as the Panthers rolled to a 64-46 victory over Gateway in a Section 3-5A game on senior night in Murrysville.

The playoff-bound Panthers (12-4, 6-1), seeking their first section title since 2008, hit eight 3-pointers and had three players score in double figures, all of them seniors: Jake Rosenberg with 16 points, Mike Bartolacci with 13 (all in the second half) and Nate Leopold with 12.

Junior Nick Leopold added six rebounds and five assists, and 6-foot-7 sophomore Johnny O’Toole grabbed seven rebounds.

Franklin Regional had 18 assists and only eight turnovers.

“We wanted to set the tone in those games take control of 5A, but we were disappointed with those losses,” Rosenberg said.

Gateway (7-8, 4-3) made a push in the third but could not overtake the Panthers in the second half.

“I challenged our guys the last two days in practice, and we needed to respond,” Franklin Regional coach Steve Scorpion said. “We have been getting off to some slow starts so I challenged them. We needed to come out with some fire and jump on them early, and we did.”

Franklin Regional, which began the week No. 4 in the Trib rankings, set the tone with a strong first quarter. An high-energy stretch saw Nick Leopold pick off a pass near midcourt and kick to his brother, Nate, who buried a 3-pointer, to put the Panthers ahead, 13-9.

Nate Leopold opened the second quarter with another 3, Aidan Sadoski made a putback and Nate Leopold scored on a break.

Jake Rosenberg added a 3 and Hunter Stonecheck scored inside to cap a 17-3 run and give the Panthers a 28-12 lead with 4:45 left until halftime.

Another 3 by Rosenberg stretched the gap to 33-13 and the Panthers took a 35-17 lead into the break.

Gateway had eight turnovers in the second quarter.

“When we’re playing at our best, that’s what we are,” Scorpion said about his team’s energy. “We’re not a team full of super athletes. We have kids who are tough, play hard and are unselfish.”

The Gators bounced back with a 10-2 run to cut it to eight in the third as 6-3 senior sharp-shooter Mark Bozicevic hit a pair of 3s to help cut the deficit to 42-34.

“I was happy with our run in the third quarter but they made a run right back at us,” Gateway coach Daryn Freedman said. “A couple times this season we put our heads down when we went down by double digits and kind of gave up. We found a way to come back. I told our coaches, let’s make a highlight video of all the crazy shots that are made against us because it just keeps happening.”

But Bartolacci made sure the Panthers stayed in control, scoring 10 in the quarter. Teammate Aidan Wiley hit a floater at the buzzer to make it 52-34. The Panthers ended the quarter on a 10-0 run.

“Mike can do everything; we call him the microwave,” Rosenberg said. “We feed off his energy.”

Bartolacci’s three-point play made it 57-36, and Rosenberg’s fourth 3-pointer upped the advantage to 62-38.

Bozicevic led Gateway with 14, including four 3s, and 6-8 senior Pitt-Johnstown recruit John Paul Kromka scored 12.

“We’re not there yet,” Freedman said. “I am hoping within the next two weeks we get there. I can’t say enough about how hard Franklin plays. Coach Scorpion has them playing fantastic.”

Freedman and Scorpion coach AAU basketball together.

Scorpion’s grandfather, former Pirates great and Duke basketball player Dick Groat, was in attendance behind the Franklin Regional bench, along with his friend and fellow Pitt announcer, Bill Hillgrove.

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

Tags: Franklin Regional, Gateway