Penn Hills boys basketball looking for another gear in season’s final days

By: Josh Rizzo
Sunday, February 6, 2022 | 11:01 AM

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Penn Hills 6-foot-4 guard Daemar Kelly believes the Indians have more to give.

Entering a Section 3-5A game against Gateway on Feb. 4, Kelly believed Penn Hills had yet to play its best game.

How to identify what that game will look like, Kelly said, will be obvious to anyone in attendance.

“As a team, we haven’t played our full, best game yet,” Kelly said. “That’s what makes us so dangerous. Once we play our best game, it will be really easy for everyone to see.”

The Indians, who were 14-3 overall and 7-2 in section play heading into the Gateway game, knocked off McKeesport, 70-57, on the road Feb. 1. Penn Hills had won three straight section games going into its rematch with the Gators.

The Indians have been able to pile up wins with a consistent approach. Penn Hills has the third-best scoring defense in the section, limiting its opponents to 52.5 points per game.

“We try to prepare for every team the same way,” senior forward Jaden Dugger said. “We don’t want to take anyone lightly.”

Dugger averages a double-double, contributing 10.4 points and 10 rebounds per game. Kelly leads the team by averaging 17.0 points per game.

Having solid upperclassmen on the roster has allowed Penn Hills to navigate through some adversity.

The Indians have had a pair of slip-ups against section opponents who are below .500 on the season, losing to Woodland Hills (8-11, 5-5) and Franklin Regional (7-11, 5-5).

Penn Hills beat the Panthers, 54-48, in their second meeting and will get another shot at the Wolverines on Feb. 11 at home.

“I feel like we are being more efficient shooting the ball,” Kelly said. “We change our gameplan for every team. We attack our gameplan well every game. We are worried about executing.”

The Indians will still have a few more section hurdles to navigate before the postseason starts. Penn Hills, which went 6-0 in section play last season, is eager to try to defend its top spot in the conference.

“We’re looking forward to closing out section games,” Kelly said. “It’s playoff time now. We can’t afford any more losses. We can’t go and backtrack now. We need to keep working and keep getting better.”

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