Experienced backcourt leads No. 4 Gateway past Woodland Hills in WPIAL playoff opener

By: Chris Harlan
Saturday, February 18, 2023 | 12:29 AM

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A backcourt led by experienced guards is a time-tested formula that works in March Madness, but it also wins games here in the WPIAL playoffs.

Gateway coach Alvis Rogers can attest to both.

Gators senior Jaydon Carr scored 20 points, senior Kaleb Pryor had 11 and fourth-seeded Gateway leaned on a patient half-court offense Friday night to defeat No. 13 Woodland Hills, 55-40, in a Class 5A first-round win in Monroeville.

The Gators start an all-senior backcourt in Carr, Pryor and M.J. Stevenson.

“I think you need veteran guards more than experienced post players because the ball is usually in the guards’ hands,” said Rogers, who played ACC basketball in the 1980s. “Hopefully, with their experience, they make the correct decisions.”

Carr went 9 for 10 from the foul line in the fourth quarter to seal the win.

The margin of victory was 15 points, but that’s largely because the Gators showed their poise down the stretch. Their lead was only four points at the 7-minute mark before they finished on a 15-4 run.

“You could see they were an extension of the coaching, without question,” Woodland Hills coach Eugene Wilson said. “That’s something me and my coaches talked about at the end of the game. When Gateway gets a lead, they’re trying to hold onto that lead.

“They’re going to take whatever you give them, as long as it’s a great opportunity. They’re not going to force anything. They kept their composure.”

Carr and Stevenson were postseason starters a year ago when the Gators reached the WPIAL semifinals for the first time in a decade. Pryor also was a key contributor a year ago, but PIAA transfer rules forced him to miss the 2022 playoffs.

The trio showed patience on some long possessions Friday while playing with a lead. Woodland Hills scored only six points in the second quarter and eight in the fourth.

“That’s something we work on in practice,” Rogers said. “We try to get the lead, try to run some clock and limit possessions for the other team.”

Gateway (16-5) moves to the quarterfinals for the third year in a row. The Gators face No. 12 seed McKeesport (11-10) Wednesday at a site and time to be announced. Gateway and McKeesport split two regular-season matchups in Section 3.

“We’re looking forward to this one,” Rogers said. “This one here means a lot, and I think the guys see it.”

Chaz Cobbs led Woodland Hills (14-9) with 13 points, Lamar Williams had 12 and Shanier Pinkney added 11. The Wolverines held a one-point lead after the first quarter but were outscored 18-6 in the second.

This was a rematch of a Dec. 14 nonsection game Gateway won, 57-51. This time, Woodland Hills couldn’t match Gateway’s success at the foul line. The Gators went 15 for 23 on foul shots, while Woodland Hills made 8 of 11.

“There was a huge disparity in the free throw opportunities,” Wilson said. “Twenty-three compared to 11 is a huge difference. If you know my basketball teams, you know that we are physical from a defensive standpoint, but we also attack the rim.”

Gateway led 32-21 at halftime. The Gators went 12 for 21 shooting (57%) in the first half and made 5 of 8 shots from beyond the arc. Carr had a pair of 3s in the second quarter.

Woodland Hills shot 44% in the first half (8 for 18) and 41% overall (15 for 36).

However, a strong third quarter let the Wolverines cut into Gateway’s lead. Lamar Williams, a 6-foot-7 junior, scored seven points in the third as Woodland Hills worked the ball inside.

Gateway’s fourth-quarter lead was 40-36 after a put-back by Pinkney with 7 minutes left. The margin was five at the 5-minute mark on a jumper by Cobb, but Woodland Hills got no closer.

Carr went 7 for 8 from the line in the last 4 minutes.

“Experience is very, very important,” Rogers said. “It’s great to have young, athletic guys, but when you get down in the trenches, you need that experience. You really do.”

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.

Tags: Gateway, Woodland Hills