Greensburg Central Catholic tunes up for big week by beating Latrobe at Seton Hill

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Sunday, January 30, 2022 | 9:29 PM

Purchase Photo Options

With a potentially tough stretch of games this week, high-scoring Greensburg Central Catholic was hoping for a strong showing Sunday night at the five-game Shootout at Seton Hill basketball event — a tune-up of sorts that could do more for the team than a practice.

The Centurions hit 80 points for the third time this season and had four players score in double figures, but coach Christian Hyland still thought his team could play better after an 82-56 victory over Latrobe at Seton Hill’s McKenna Center.

“We didn’t have the normal energy,” Hyland said. “We made some adjustments where we had to and were better in the second half. We’ve got four games in seven days. This is a nice event for a good cause.”

Class 2A No. 2 GCC (12-1), which averages 71 points, has won 12 in a row as it gets set for games against Propel Braddock Hills (Tuesday), Winchester Thurston (Wednesday), Jeannette (Friday) and Class A No. 1 Bishop Canevin (next Sunday).

The Centurions might be discussing load management this week.

“We may have to pick our rest accordingly,” Hyland said. “Practice might be lighter. Four games in seven days. We want to be ready.”

GCC has beaten two Class 6A teams in Greensburg Salem and Norwin, and now has a win over the 5A Wildcats (6-11).

Latrobe knows something about a tough stretch, too. Sunday’s game was its fourth game in seven days.

“GCC is a good team, and they do a nice job finishing around the rim,” Latrobe coach Brad Wetzel said. “They got a lot of run-outs when we got sucked in. We have to keep growing and learning. It probably wasn’t ideal for our schedule to add this game, but it was an opportunity to help with a great cause. I wish we had a better showing.”

Proceeds from the event go to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as part of the Hoops For A Cure initiative.

Tyree Turner scored a team-high 20 points, Brevan Williams added 17, Ryan Appleby 16 and Franco Alvarez 14 for GCC, which pulled away in the second half after settling on a nine-point lead at halftime (37-28).

Landon Butler kept the Wildcats close in short spurts. He had 12 of his game-high 23 points in the third when GCC outscored the Wildcats, 25-18, to take a 62-46 lead to the fourth.

But GCC, which has shown explosiveness offensively, stretched the margin to 26 after Williams scored off a feed from Dylan Parsons and Alvarez made a layup with 1 minute, 49 seconds to play.

Latrobe, which had 10 players score, had won three of its past four coming into the game. It got nine points from Chase Sickenberger.

Turner hit a few pull-up jumpers and conducted the offense for GCC. He scored 12 in the second half.

“This game is a good gauge of where we’re at,” Turner said. “We saw some things we can work, especially our defense as a whole. We need to get back on defense better and be more patient on offense.”

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Greensburg C.C., Latrobe