Blaufeld carries Allderdice past Mt. Lebanon in PIAA first-round victory

By: HSSN Staff
Saturday, March 10, 2018 | 10:45 PM

Allderdice's Jackson Blaufeld is an opponent you love to watch, said Mt. Lebanon coach Joe David after sharing a gym with the junior Saturday.

“But as a coach, you hate it,” he added. “That's the way it is.”

With driving layups, foul shots and two pivotal 3-pointers, the 6-foot-4 guard scored 22 points as Allderdice defeated Mt. Lebanon, 63-54, in the first round of the PIAA Class 6A playoffs at Obama Academy.

Blaufeld accounted for 12 consecutive Allderdice points just before halftime, turning a one-point deficit into seven-point lead the Dragons never relinquished. His second-quarter scoring streak started and ended with clutch 3-pointers.

Allderdice led 26-24 after his first and 35-29 after his second.

“He hit some really good shots,” David said. “I can't say anything (negative) about the defense. He's right in his face. Those are big shots.”

Senior center Shaun Morris added 13 points for Allderdice (25-2), which capitalized on its size advantage, and junior Bobby Clifford had 12.

Allderdice outscored Mt. Lebanon, 15-8, in the second quarter.

“I thought we needed a spark to break it open,” Blaufeld said. “We didn't want to play from behind against a team with really good guards.”

The victory creates a second-round matchup between City League champion Allderdice and WPIAL champion Penn Hills (24-3) on Wednesday. The two teams met Dec. 20 and Penn Hills won 54-40, but this one carries far more weight.

A site and time for the rematch wasn't announced yet.

Allderdice also played Mt. Lebanon earlier this season and won 71-63 in mid-January, part of a non-league schedule that was heavy with WPIAL playoff teams.

Mt. Lebanon (20-5) placed third in the WPIAL.

“It gives us confidence,” Blaufeld said, “knowing we've played some of the best teams in the area.”

Mt. Lebanon was willing to trade 2s for 3s in the rematch, but its shooters struggled from the arc after halftime. The team made 11 3-pointers on 40 attempts but converted just six of 26 in the second half.

After shooting 45 percent (12 for 22) from the field in the first half, the Blue Devils made just 28 percent (8 for 28) in the second.

“For a team that shot pretty well, we played some pretty good defense,” Allderdice coach Buddy Vanisky said. “If we're not playing defense, they drop 85 points tonight.”

Hayden Mitchell led with 15 points, Antonio Garofoli scored 13 and Jake Hoffman added 11. But combined, the trio went 1 for 8 from 3-point range in the fourth quarter.

“We knew we had to make shots to win this game without a big guy,” said David, who had 6-foot-6 senior starter Caden Hinckley sidelined with a foot injury.

Mt. Lebanon still rallied late and twice closed to within three in the fourth quarter after a 3-pointer by Brice Miller and later a layup by Mike Palmer. Blaufeld answered the first with a jumper and Morris added a three-point play later to hold the lead with 3:30 left.

Blaufeld went 7 for 11 shooting, and made 6 of 7 from the foul line.

“He's becoming a big-time player,” Valinsky said. “He wants to play Division 1, that's his goal, and he's showing it right now that he can do it.”

Chris Harlan is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at charlan@tribweb.com or via Twitter @CHarlan_Trib.

Tags: Allderdice, Mt. lebanon