Season-ending win, young roster leave Pine-Richland boys hopeful about future

By: Jerin Steele
Sunday, March 5, 2023 | 11:01 AM

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It wasn’t the season that the Pine-Richland boys basketball team hoped for, but it did end on a high note.

The Rams capped a 6-15 season with a 76-72 win over playoff-bound Butler in their season finale on senior night.

“It was a good way to end,” Pine-Richland coach Bob Petcash said. “It was the last game we’re going to play in that gym, because we’re getting a newly renovated gymnasium. They’re starting the project in April. We wanted to get that last home game we will play there and end the season on a winning note. Butler is one of our big rivals. They want to beat us and we want to beat them. We wanted the seniors and everyone to go out with a good feeling.”

Two of Pine-Richland’s seniors were a big part of the victory over the Golden Tornado. Andrew Lamendola had 20 points and Josh Gimbel scored 17.

The other major contributor that night was sophomore point guard Emery Moye, who had a team-best 22 points.

Moye finished third on the team in scoring averaging 12 points a game behind seniors Gimbel and Owen Luellen, who scored 13 per game.

Moye is part of a young group that took their lumps this year but will benefit from the experience in the future.

“I feel it’s important to sprinkle the younger guys in to get them to see the size, speed and strength of the game,” Petcash said. “We’re trying to get them to understand when they are working out why they are working out at game speed. It gives them a good gauge to prepare, especially in the offseason.

“My expectation is that these younger guys are going to put the time in and work hard in the offseason. They’ll play AAU and have the ball in their hands constantly to be ready to compete next season for Pine-Richland.”

Pine-Richland also picked up wins against Seneca Valley, Northgate, Fox Chapel, Hempfield and Seton LaSalle.

This season ended a 10-year playoff streak for the Rams. Petcash doesn’t expect playoff misses to be a new trend. He said he’s already working toward getting the team ready for next year and planning their summer activities.

He was impressed with the attitude within the team even when things didn’t go their way, which could go a long way in the future.

“The biggest thing with this team was that they never quit,” Petcash said. “They competed every day in practice no matter what happened the day before. I never saw anyone hang their head or have bad body language. They competed all the time. That was a huge positive for me to see. We told them it’s part of life. Sports gives you all the different adversities, but these guys kept going until the final whistle.”

Jerin Steele is a freelance writer

Tags: Pine-Richland