Franklin Regional boys basketball shows mettle, holds off Jeannette

By: HSSN Staff
Sunday, February 4, 2018 | 12:12 AM

As Jeannette started to chip away at his team’s double-digit lead in the second half, Franklin Regional coach Steve Scorpion didn’t do the conventional, knee-jerk thing and call timeout to slow the Jayhawks.

He let the pressure wash over the Panthers, and they responded.

“We knew this would be a tough game, and I wanted our guys to feel that playoff-type atmosphere,” Scorpion said. “They didn’t get rattled and didn’t panic. I was happy with the way our guys fought through it.”

Franklin Regional, one of the top teams in WPIAL Class 5A, repelled 2A No. 3 Jeannette several times Saturday night to win the finale of the Shootout at Seton Hill charity basketball showcase, 57-46, at the McKenna Center.

Panthers 6-foot-7 senior Aidan Sadoski led all scorers with 17 points, 13 in the second half, and was awarded the game’s MVP plaque. Senior Nate Leopold added 13 points, and senior forward Hunter Stonecheck had 11, all in the first half.

“We kept calm and weathered the storm,” Sadoski said. “At this part of the season, we’ve played enough games to know how to deal with certain situations.”

Leopold now has 997 career points and will look to top 1,000 on Tuesday when the Panthers (15-4) host Greensburg Salem (10-9) in the Section 3-5A finale. Franklin Regional will try to win its first section title since 2008.

Jeannette (14-3), which had a five-game winning streak stopped, got 12 points from Tre Cunningham and eight apiece from Robert Kennedy and Imani Sanders. The Jayhawks faced another zone defense and had to work for shots, settling for kick-outs as the game wore on.

Transition baskets were limited for Jeannette, which played its fifth consecutive game without junior Anthony Johnson.

“This was our fourth game in five days,” Jeannette coach Adrian Batts said. “Franklin Regional is one of the top teams in 5A, and we knew they would be a great test for us. I just think it all took its toll on us.”

Jeannette has three Section 1-2A games left as it tries to win a section title, two against Riverview and the last one against Greensburg Central Catholic.

Franklin Regional started fast, jumping out to a 14-6 lead as Stonecheck scored seven points in the opening quarter.

An 8-0 run pushed the advantage to 22-9, and consecutive 3-pointers by Jake Rosenberg made it 28-12.

Jeannette rallied to cut it to 10 by halftime. The Jayhawks’ had their own 8-0 spurt, which included a pass by Kennedy through the legs of a defender to Sanders for a layup.

Mike Bartolacci’s dunk made it 30-20 with 1:55 left in the second quarter.

In the third, after Leopold helped make it a 12-point game, Cunningham hit a 3 and hit a layup. But Sadoski converted a three-point play, and Bartolacci’s second dunk made it 44-33.

Imani Sanders closed the quarter with a 3 for Jeannette.

“We competed better in the second half,” Batts said. “We just need to rest a couple days and get ready for next week. I really like my team ,and we’ll be ok as we get everyone healthy.”

Sanders’ hit from 3 again in the fourth as the Jayhawks sawed a 10-point lead in half with 3:46 to play. But the Panthers held their ground, outscoring the Jayhawks, 8-2, from there to seal their fourth straight win.

“That was a great test against a really good team,” Scorpion said. “I wouldn’t be surprised to see Jeannette at the Pete.”

Proceeds from Saturday’s six-game showcase benefit St. Jude Children’s Hospital.

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

Tags: Franklin Regional, Jeannette