NORTHERN BEDFORD 53, JOHNSONBURG 52

D9Sports.com powered by the RRR Roadhouse

March 6, 2009 - PIAA Class A First Round at Clarion University

PIAA Playoff Home Page

By Chris Rossetti

CLARION – Andrew Hoover’s 3-pointer with 36 seconds to play lifted Northern Bedford to a 53-52 win over Johnsonburg in the opening round of the PIAA Class A boys’ basketball playoffs Friday night at Clarion University’s Tippin Gym.

Johnsonburg, the second place team from District 9, had a couple of very good looks to win the game in the final 10 seconds but couldn’t get the ball to fall through the hoop.

The Rams scramble in the final seconds started after a 30-seconds timeout with 11 seconds to play when Ren Yonker drove the baseline. Yonker put up a shot that was too long, but Seth Streich had a couple of chances with putbacks that just won’t go down for the Rams.

Johnsonburg (21-8) looked to be in great shape following a Matt Shuey layup with 1:01 left that gave the Rams a 52-48 lead. But Zachary Reed got the Black Panthers (22-4) back to within two with a jumper with 47 seconds to play. Yonker then turned the ball over on the inbounds play, and after a scramble for a loose ball, Hoover drained the three to put Northern Bedford in the lead for good.

Northern Bedford led by seven, 18-11, at the end of the first quarter and again by seven, 22-15, midway through the second quarter before Johnsonburg went on an 11-4 run to tie the game at 26 on a Shuey layup with 38 seconds left in the half. The Black Panthers then took a 29-26 lead on a Billy Riley 3-pointer with 16 seconds to go before halftime. It was Riley’s only shot of the game.

Johnsonburg then quickly found itself down 35-29 less than two minutes into the second half before slowly crawling back to get within three, 40-37, at the end of the third quarter.

The Rams then got jumpers from Yonker and Shuey at the start of the fourth quarter to take their first lead of the game, 41-40, before Northern Bedford answered with two Clay Dodson free throws and a Hoover layup to go ahead 44-41 with 5:06 to play.

But a 3-pointer by Streich following by two baskets by Shuey gave the Rams their biggest lead of the game at 48-44 with 3:12 to play. Johnsonburg then kept the lead between two and four until Northern Bedford’s late rally.

Shuey led all scorers with 22 points, while Streich had 15 points and nine rebounds and Yonker seven tallies, eight boards and four assists.

Hoover led Northern Bedford with 21 points, while Reed added 15 points, six rebounds and six assists.

Northern Bedford will now take on Sewickley Academy, a blowout winner over North Clarion, in the second round Tuesday at a site and time to be announced.

NOTES – Northern Bedford won a state playoff game for the first time since the last 1990s … Hoover’s three was just the third made in 18 attempts for the Black Panthers … The turnovers were about even with Johnsonburg turning it over 13 times to Northern Bedford’s nine. But Northern Bedford took advantage of the giveaways better scoring 13 points off turnovers to just four for Johnsonburg … Neither team shot that well with Johnsonburg hitting 41.5 percent (22 of 53) of its shots and Northern Bedford 41.2 percent (21 of 51) … Johnsonburg outrebounded Northern Bedford 33-28 … In an unusual move for a first-round PIAA playoff game, the game was staffed by officials from a neutral district. Usually in the first round, officials from the home team’s district are assigned. Johnsonburg was the home team.

NORTHERN BEDFORD 53, JOHNSONBURG 52

Score by Quarter

N. Bedford 18 11 11 13 – 53

Johnsonburg 11 15 11 15 – 52

Northern Bedford – 53

Marshall Clapper 1-8 1-1 3, Clay Dodson 1-5 2-2 4, Andrew Hoover 9-14 1-3 21, Matt Snyder 1-7 3-4 5, Zachary Reed 7-10 1-2 15, Justin Litzinberger 1-6 0-0 2, Billy Riley 1-1 0-0 3, Matthew Bowman 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-51 8-12 53.

Johnsonburg – 52

Ren Yonker 3-12 0-0 7, Aaron Patrick 1-8 0-0 3, Seth Streich 7-14 0-0 15, Joe Holmberg 1-4 0-0 2, Matt Shuey 9-11 4-6 22, Steve Carnessali 0-0 0-0 0, Louis Imbrogno 1-4 0-0 3. Totals 22-53 4-6 52.

Three-pointers – Northern Bedford 3-18 (Hoover 2-6, Riley 1-1, Clapper 0-3, Dodson 0-3, Litzinberger 0-3, Snyder 0-2). Johnsonburg 4-12 (Imbrogno 1-2, Streich 1-3, Patrick 1-3, Yonker 1-4).