Stacking wins nothing new for Monessen boys

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Thursday, January 25, 2024 | 11:01 AM

It is late January, and the WPIAL basketball regular season is headed for its final two weeks.

That can mean only one thing: another winning streak for Monessen.

The Greyhounds (12-2, 4-1), like they have the past two seasons, strung together another tapestry of wins along their chase to another Section 2-A title.

After a 65-47 loss to Yough on Dec. 9, second-ranked Monessen won 11 in a row, finally getting tripped up Wednesday night against West Greene, 46-43.

Monessen hadn’t lost to West Greene in at least 20 years.

As a side note, the Greyhounds gets a rematch with Yough on Saturday at the Shootout at Seton Hill.

“We knew we had a lot of experience coming back, so we thought could be a good team again this season,” coach Dan Bosnic said. “We have been able to be disruptive on defense, which allows us to get out and run and get easy scores.”

Pressure defense has allowed the Greyhounds to force teams into rushed possessions and turnovers.

Two seasons ago, the team won 16 in a row, including a 2A first-round victory over Jeannette, before falling to Greensburg Central Catholic in the quarterfinals to finish 19-5.

Last year, another quarterfinal loss followed, against Carlynton, but not before a 15-game winning streak. That team ended 21-4 after a loss to Aquinas Academy in the first round of the PIAA play-in tournament.

A steady eight-man rotation has given Bosnic big minutes. That includes 6-foot-4 senior forward Lorenzo Gardner, who has more than 1,300 career points. He tweaked his ankle last Saturday and did not play Monday but is expected back soon.

The Greyhounds are not the tallest team in Class A, but they list a lot of forwards.

Other top players are junior guard Devontae Robinson, sophomore guard TyVaughn Kershaw, sophomore forward Rodney Johnson, junior forward Timmy Kershaw, senior forwards Darryl Ray (6-3) and Matt Sawa, freshman forward Dennis Hawkins and sophomore forward Tayvin Craggette.

Monessen is seeking its 43rd consecutive WPIAL playoff appearance and its 68th overall.

“I believe our depth makes us a different team than last year’s group,” Bosnic said.

Many of Monessen’s wins have been blowouts. In fact, there are only a few tight finishes: It beat Charleroi, 56-54, and Aquinas Academy, 84-80.

The margin of victory in the rest of the wins is 27.3.

Gardner, Robinson, Johnson and Timmy Kershaw are often the top point-producers, sharing the nightly lead in the scorebook. TyVaughn Kershaw has shown a knack for rebounding as a guard, while also leading the team in assists.

“He’s relentless going after the ball. That’s why he gets to so many,” Bosnic said. “He and Rodney are our leading rebounders.”

Getting more than scoring from Gardner is another key to the winning.

“When Lorenzo is creating opportunities for his teammates like he’s capable of, that’s when we are at our best,” Bosnic said.

Monessen was leading the section in scoring at 68 points a game but was allowing 48.5, a nod to that amped-up help defense.

Robinson and TyVaughn Kershaw lead the defense.

“They can and have disrupted games defensively,” Bosnic said. “Timmy is also another player that can give teams a lot of problems on the defensive end with his athleticism.”

The continued growth of the 5-10 Robinson impresses the coach.

“He has made himself into a good basketball player,” Bosnic said. “He’s only a junior but has played a lot of basketball for us over the last three seasons, and it shows.”

And he’s seen his share of winning streaks.

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

Tags: Monessen