Fox Chapel defense shuts down Central Catholic in boys Section 3-6A showdown
By:
Tuesday, January 18, 2022 | 10:01 PM
Fox Chapel’s Eli Yofan celebrates after hitting a three-pointer against Central Catholic during a Section 3-6A game on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022, at Fox Chapel High School.
Fox Chapel’s Eli Yofan scores past Central Catholic’s Debaba Tshiebwa during their Section 3-6A game on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022, at Fox Chapel High School.
Fox Chapel’s Eli Yofan defends against Central Catholic’s Langston Moses during their Section 3-6A game on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022, at Fox Chapel High School.
Fox Chapel’s Colin Kwiatkowski defends against Central Catholic’s Debaba Tshiebwe during their Section 3-6A game on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022, at Fox Chapel High School.
Fox Chapel head coach Zach Skrinjar hugs Colin Kwiatkowski in the final seconds against Central Catholic during their Section 3-6A game on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022, at Fox Chapel High School.
Fox Chapel’s Russell Fenton dunks against Central Catholic during a Section 3-6A game Tuesday. Fenton added eight rebounds in the Foxes’ victory.
Fox Chapel’s Eli Yofan is fouled by Central Catholic’s Brady Sulinski during their Section 3-6A game on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022, at Fox Chapel High School.
Fox Chapel’s Eli Yofan celebrates after being fouled while scoring against Central Catholic during a Section 3-6A game on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022, at Fox Chapel High School.
Fox Chapel’s J.P. Dockey celebrates after hitting a three-pointer against Central Catholic during a Section 3-6A game on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022, at Fox Chapel High School.
Fox Chapel’s J.P. Dockey drives past Central Catholic’s Dante Depante during their Section 3-6A game on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022, at Fox Chapel High School.
Fox Chapel head coach Zach Skrinjar hugs J.P. Dockey in the final seconds against Central Catholic during their Section 3-6A game on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022, at Fox Chapel High School.
The Fox Chapel sudent section cheers on the Foxes during a Section 3-6A game against Central Catholic on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022, at Fox Chapel High School.
Fox Chapel’s Jake DeMotte drives to the basket against Central Catholic during a Section 3-6A game on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022, at Fox Chapel High School.
Fox Chapel’s Russell Fenton scores past Central Catholic’s Tommy Kristian during their Section 3-6A game on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022, at Fox Chapel High School.
Fox Chapel head coach Zach Skrinjar talks with an official during a Section 3-6A game against Central Catholic on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022, at Fox Chapel High School.
Fox Chapel’s Eli Yofan drives past Central Catholic’s Randy Wilkerson during their Section 3-6A game on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022, at Fox Chapel High School.
Fox Chapel’s Eli Yofan (2) celebrates with Russell Fenton (31) and J.P. Dockey during their Section 3-6A game against Central Catholic on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022, at Fox Chapel High School.
Fox Chapel takes pride in its defense.
But not the players nor the most ardent fans could have expected an effort like Tuesday’s.
The No. 2 Foxes held No. 3 Central Catholic to just 16 points over three quarters, including a scoreless stretch of 8 minutes, 14 seconds en route to a 54-37 victory in a Section 3-6A showdown.
The Foxes never trailed and outscored the Vikings, 13-2, during one first-half stretch.
Eli Yofan had 18 points, six rebounds, two assists and a big steal to lead Fox Chapel, and J.P. Dockey had 13 points, four steals and was 8 of 8 from the free-throw line.
But it was the defense that carried the night before a near-capacity crowd at Fox Chapel.
“We spend almost all of our practice time on defense,” said senior forward Russell Fenton. “That’s what we pride ourselves on. We always rather have a game like this where we hold a team to 37 points instead of scoring 80 or 90 points. The defense? That ultimately wins games for us. We stuck to our gameplan and our scouting tonight.”
Added Foxes coach Zach Skrinjar: “This wasn’t the prettiest game on either end, but we did enough. We keyed on some specific guys and saw some things on film that we could take advantage of. Our guys did a great job following the gameplan and the key points we wanted to get through to them.”
Yofan, Valley News Dispatch Boys Basketball Player of the Year and overall athlete of the 2020-21 school year, scored the first five points of the game, and the Foxes were on their way.
The senior guard had five of his team’s nine points in the third quarter, but Yofan talked more about the defense that held Central to two points in the quarter.
“It was definitely our defense,” Yofan said. “Our goal every game is to keep a team under 50, but when Central comes to your own gym, you want to keep them under 40.”
Fenton and fellow senior Colin Kwiatkowski kept Vikings 6-foot-7 center Debaba Tshiebwe in check, limiting the junior to four points, all in the fourth period.
“We struck out tonight,” said Central Catholic coach Brian Urso. “We had no rhythm, couldn’t find a rhythm, couldn’t make a lot of shots. Give credit to their defense.”
The Vikings, however, were still within striking distance, trailing 20-14 at the half. But Yofan’s drive on Dante DePante to start the third quarter resulted in a three-point play. Soon after, a put-back by Kwiatkowski and an off-balance shot by Yofan after both teams experienced a dry spell put the Foxes in front 27-14 with 1:51 left in the third.
Kwiatkowski had 10 rebounds, and Fenton collected eight.
The defense even exceeded Skinjar’s expectations, combined with Central’s poor shooting.
“Holding them to 16?” the veteran coach asked rhetorically. “We’d have lost a lot of bets. But it’s basketball. It’s happened to us before.”
DePante led Central Catholic with nine points before fouling out with 3:57 to go. Peyton Wehner scored eight, and Tshiebwe pulled down eight rebounds, three in one sequence.
The Foxes have another challenge coming up Friday, taking on Upper St. Clair in a nonsection home game at 7:30 p.m.
Tags: Central Catholic, Fox Chapel
More High School Basketball
• Highlands boys basketball team seeks respect under new coach• Highlands girls basketball welcomes fresh faces
• 1st-year Jeannette girls basketball coach welcomes bigger roster
• Jeannette hopes success on football field carries over to basketball court
• Communication key as Penn Hills girls basketball seeks return trip to playoffs
