Trib HSSN boys basketball team of the week for Feb. 19, 2023

By: Don Rebel
Sunday, February 19, 2023 | 9:24 PM

The Monessen boys basketball team had just orchestrated a smash hit of a regular season, finishing with 20 wins in 22 games and finishing with five straight wins after a 15-game winning streak earlier in the season.

However, some were left scratching their heads when the Section 2 co-champ Greyhounds were given a No. 6 seed in the 13-team Class A tournament by the WPIAL basketball steering committee.

Monessen coach Dan Bosnic was one of them, although he took the high road when it came to discussing the seeding in the district playoffs.

“We expected a better seed, but we also understand how that process goes and we recognize that it’s not always the easiest thing to seed the teams,” Bosnic said. “So we just focused on our path and what was in front of us.”

Bosnic added with a smile, “We may have had a different message for the kids in the locker room, but those things will stay in the locker room.”

The Greyhounds have been the poster boys of consistency. They lost to 4A playoff team South Allegheny in the season opener and then strung together 15 straight wins before suffering their only section loss of the year at Geibel Catholic in late January.

“It kind of speaks to some of our older kids, Jaisean Blackman, who’s a senior for us; seniors Dante DeFelices, DaVontae Clayton, Trevian Thompson, those seniors. We kind have leaned on them. We’ve had great leadership for a couple of years now, and they kind of stabilize us.”

Some underclassmen also have played key roles in the success of the ‘Hounds.

“We have had guys adding to it that have really played well,” Bosnic said. “Devontae Robinson (sophomore), Rodney Johnson (freshman), Timmy Kershaw (sophomore), we’ve had a lot of guys that have been part of that recipe for success. We have to be disruptive on defense, rebound and share the basketball. That’s when we’re at our best.”

However the straw that stirs the Monessen drink in junior Lorenzo Gardner.

“He’s a very talented scorer that has done a lot of good things through the course of the year,” Bosnic said. “He’s a kid that is always capable of scoring the basketball. When he is engaged defensively, rebounding the basketball and doing all those little things within the game, he’s a dominant player. When he’s doing those things, we’re playing our best basketball.”

Monessen opened the playoffs on Friday with a first-round victory at home over Western Beaver.

The Greyhounds jumped out to a 14-7 lead after one quarter then outscored the Golden Beavers, 33-22, in the second half to win 60-44.

Gardner led the way for the Greyhounds with 16 points, including scoring career point No. 1,000.

Clayton scored 14 points in the playoff victory, and Kershaw added 12 points.

Up next for the Greyhounds is a trip to Carlynton (15-6) to face the No. 3-seed Cougars on Wednesday in a Class A quarterfinals contest.

It will be 12 days since Carlynton last played after receiving a first-round bye.

“Watching Carlynton on film, we know they are a very good basketball team,” Bosnic said. “They are a senior oriented team. They have good depth. They can do a lot of different things on the court. They can score from different areas, and different guys have played a big role in the course of their season. It will be a challenge for us.”

2023 Trib HSSN Boys Basketball Teams of the Week

Week 6: Seton LaSalle Rebels

Week 5: New Castle Red Hurricane

Week 4: Hampton Talbots

Week 3: Mohawk Warriors

Week 2: Central Catholic Vikings

Week 1: Thomas Jefferson Jaguars

Tags: Monessen