Trib HSSN Boys Basketball Team of the Week: Canon-McMillan

By: Don Rebel
Monday, February 25, 2019 | 4:58 PM

The Trib HSSN Boys Basketball Team of the Week is headed where no team in program history has ventured before — the Canon-McMillan Big Macs.

By virtue of a come-from-behind, overtime win over North Allegheny in the first round and a runaway upset over Latrobe in the quarterfinals, No. 7-seeded Canon-McMillan is headed to the WPIAL Class 6A semifinals for the first time in school history.

“It validates all of the hard work for everyone over the years,” coach Rick Bell said. “We have received so many positive comments from people that are big basketball fans in our community. I was told we were the worst boys’ basketball program in the state after I accepted the position, so to go from that to this means a lot to the people in our program and community.”

Canon-McMillan finished 14-8 in the regular season and in third place in Section 2-6A, a section which sent all four playoff teams to the quarterfinals and now has two teams in the semifinals.

Bell feels his team’s postseason success definitely ties in to playing in a tough and deep section.

“Our section was brutal this year. Bethel Park was as good as anyone we played, and they didn’t get in. Baldwin defeated several 6A playoff teams, and they didn’t get in. We also played a tough exhibition schedule because I thought we were good, and I wanted to test them there, too.”

The playoffs began with a thriller against North Allegheny as Canon-McMillan wiped away a late deficit in regulation to tie the game and send it to overtime, where they captured a 51-59 victory.

“I would have to say the comeback (to tie was more impressive) because if that doesn’t happen then we don’t even get the chance at overtime,” Bell said. “However, the overtime was impressive. We were almost perfect. A miscommunication on defense that gave them their first basket and that was it.”

Drew Engle led all scorers with 21 points for Canon-McMillan.

Next, came a date with No. 2 seed and Section 3 champion Latrobe. The Big Macs raced out to a 44-29 lead by halftime and never gave the Wildcats hope for a comeback in a 83-62 stunner.

“We did a great job of handling their pressure, which comes at you all levels and containing Butler and Fenton,” Bell said. “We decided on a box and one on Fenton to try and take him out which, we thought, would indirectly take Butler out as a lot of his points come from Fenton.

“It had to have been one of the most complete games ever for a No. 7 to beat a No. 2 by 21 points and lead by double digits the entire second half. I am so proud of my kids and coaches.”

Canon-McMillan will now face a Mt. Lebanon team that not only beat them twice during the regular season, the Blue Devils won by a margin of 32 and 20 points.

“We need to learn from those first two games,” Bell said. “We need to prepare, which we started doing the minute we found out after the Latrobe game that Lebo had won. We have to have the best practices and video sessions of the year. When the ball is tipped, our kids have to execute and our staff has to make in-game adjustments. If we can do all of that to our maximum potential, we will be at peace with the outcome.”