Neighborhood Academy boys stifle Monessen for playoff win

By: Adam Brewer
Saturday, February 21, 2026 | 10:39 PM

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For championship basketball teams, usually defense is the calling card.

The Neighborhood Academy boys basketball squad has been dominant in Class A all season shutting down teams, and it has not slowed down a bit in the playoffs.

The Bulldogs limited Monessen to single digits in all four quarters of their WPIAL Class A semifinal contest and rolled to a resounding 50-21 victory Saturday afternoon at Norwin High School.

“The guys were prepared, and we watched a lot of film,” Neighborhood Academy coach Jordan Marks said. “Beating any team in any sport three times in one season is tough, but I thought we were locked in and had the right focus from the opening tip.”

With the win, the top-seeded Bulldogs (20-3) secured their third straight championship-game appearance and will look for back-to-back titles when they meet No. 6 Serra Catholic, a 71-51 winner over No. 2 Nazareth Prep, at Petersen Events Center on Thursday at 5 p.m.

“Quick starts have been our MO these last two seasons,” Marks said. “We want to dominate early and erase any hope of a team competing against us. It always starts with our defense. Defense wins championships. Every game we want to hold teams to single digits each quarter.”

Neighborhood swept the regular- season series against Serra this winter and upended the Eagles in last year’s finals.

The Greyhounds (12-10) matched the defensive intensity of NA throughout the game and stuck around as best they could, but their ground-and-pound offense was negated by the opposition’s size and athleticism.

“We just could not convert enough on the offensive end early on,” Monessen coach Dan Bosnic said. “We know who we are. We are going to struggle on offense when we chase and when we play catch up. It is tough to dig yourself in a hole against such a good team in Neighborhood.”

Monessen was looking for its first finals appearance since 2016-17 when it defeated Imani Christian for the program’s eighth district crown.

NA jumped out to a quick 15-1 lead in the opening quarter as Kedron Gilmore and Dante Wright were the main catalysts for the early scoring barrage. Gilmore scored 17 for the game, and Wright added 11 as they compiled nine points apiece in the opening eight minutes.

“Kedron is a top-10 player in the WPIAL,” Marks said. “He can do a little bit of everything for you. He is a phenomenal player, and he is an even better teammate. Dante has come along way as well, and his overall game has improved every night for us.”

A bucket by Tayvin Craggette ended the scoring drought for the Greyhounds, but they still faced a 20-3 deficit at the end of one.

Both offenses slowed down in the second quarter as the squads combined for just 11 points.

Tags: Monessen, Neighborhood Academy