Shaler boys break through with playoff win vs. McKeesport
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Thursday, February 21, 2019 | 8:57 PM
Shaler’s Mekhi Reynolds battles against McKeesport’s Justin Todd during a WPIAL Class 5A playoff game Feb. 18, 2019, at Fox Chapel.
Shaler’s Matt Bendel competes against McKeesport during a WPIAL Class 5A playoff game Feb. 18, 2019, at Fox Chapel.
Shaler’s Mekhi Reynolds had a team-high 25 points in a WPIAL Class 5A first-round win against McKeesport.
Navigating the regular season is a grind. So is finding a path through the WPIAL Class 5A boys basketball playoffs, Shaler coach Rob Niederberger said.
However, Shaler extended its postseason stay by toppling McKeesport, 76-60, on Feb. 18.
It was the Titans’ first playoff win since 2012. Shaler played defending WPIAL champion and PIAA runner-up Mars in the quarterfinals Friday in a game that ended too late for this edition.
What makes the postseason fun for Niederberger is putting together gameplans, he said.
“Different opponents create a different challenge,” Niederberger said. “They are completely different, and you have to adjust accordingly. That is fun.”
Against the Tigers, Shaler (16-7) had to worry about containing McKeesport big man Deamontae Diggs and keep the rebounding battle close.
“The key was we had to box out,” Niederberger said. “That was our No. 1 key to win against them. We had to pack it in against them and have five guys on the glass. Stay competitive on the rebounding battle. That was the most important stat.
“If we at least tied them or lost the rebounding battle by two or three, we could win that game.”
Mekhi Reynolds led Shaler with 25 points, and Matt Bendel (21) and Brennan Fugh (15) also were in double figures.
“We had to pack in and not let them beat us off the dribble,” Reynolds told the Trib High School Sports Network after the game. “We knew they’d get hot a little bit. But if we could contain them, we’d get the win.”
The Planets (21-1) presented a huge challenge. Mars beat Shaler twice in the regular season — 68-62 and 79-53 — and had yet to lose to a WPIAL foe this season. The Planets are the top-ranked team in the district and state.
But Niederberger is excited for another game. He is confident Shaler can compete with Mars considering how the Titans handled their first playoff game since 2012.
“They looked like a veteran team that had been there before,” Niederberger said. “For me, that was the thing I worried about the most. … They kept their composure the entire game. It was good.”
Tags: Shaler
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