Gateway boys turn attention to PIAA basketball playoffs
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Sunday, March 5, 2023 | 11:01 AM
Gateway’s Kaleb Pryor drives past Woodland Hills’ Chaz Cobbs during WPIAL boys 5A first-round action Friday, Feb. 17, 2023 at Gateway High School.
Gateway’s Alec Dunsmore (11) and Taili Thompson fight for a rebound with Woodland Hills’ Lamar Williams during WPIAL boys 5A first-round action Feb. 17.
Gateway’s Kaleb Pryor celebrates after scoring against Woodland Hills during WPIAL boys 5A first-round action Friday, Feb. 17, 2023 at Gateway High School.
Gateway’s Michael Stevenson drives past Woodland Hills’ Cruz McMillanduring WPIAL boys 5A first-round action Friday, Feb. 17, 2023 at Gateway High School.
Gateway’s Taili Thompson grabs a rebound away from Woodland Hills’ Cruz McMillan and Lamar Williams during WPIAL boys 5A first-round action Friday, Feb. 17, 2023 at Gateway High School.
Gateway’s Jaydon Carr is defended by Woodland Hills’ Lamar Williamsduring WPIAL boys 5A first-round action Friday, Feb. 17, 2023 at Gateway High School.
Kaleb Pryor still feels the sting of the Gateway boys basketball team’s loss to top-seeded Peters Township in the WPIAL Class 5A semifinals Feb. 25.
“In a playoff atmosphere like that, in the final four or five minutes of the fourth quarter, it comes down to half-court possessions and playing good defense,” Pryor said.
“We didn’t really have that many good offensive possessions. On defense, we let (Jack) Dunbar get hot, and he made us pay for it.”
The Peters Township standout finished with 29 points in the 62-55 victory over the Gators.
But while the Gators’ goal of getting to the Petersen Events Center and playing for a WPIAL title fell agonizingly short, they still are alive for an opportunity in the state tournament which begins Saturday against District 3 third-place Hershey.
“We just have to put everything with the WPIAL behind us now and make sure we get ready in practice and be ready to play (Saturday),” Pryor said.
The location and time of Gateway’s matchup with Hershey — a rematch of a 2022 second-round PIAA thriller won by the Gators, 62-59 — had not been finalized at deadline for this week’s edition.
Many of the Gateway players remember last year’s run in the state tournament. The Gators also were the No. 4 team from the WPIAL and they topped District 9 champion DuBois by 26 in the first round before the win over Hershey and a 55-52 upset of WPIAL champion Laurel Highlands in the quarterfinals.
Gateway saw its run end at the hands of WPIAL runner-up New Castle, 59-39, in the semifinals.
Gateway again settled in as the No. 4 team from the WPIAL after last Tuesday’s 67-51 loss at North Hills in the third-place consolation.
Gators coach Alvis Rogers gave his players a couple of days off to refocus and recharge before getting back to practice last Friday.
“It was more for them mentally than physically,” Rogers said. “Hopefully, they can be excited about the journey we’re about to embark on. The guys worked hard and played hard in the WPIAL playoffs. Now, they have a great opportunity in the state tournament. Hopefully, they can draw on what happened last year (in the PIAA playoffs) and the success they had.
“We’re kind of in the same situation as we were last year. Hopefully, they can go in and create some noise. Like the WPIAL playoffs, everybody is good in the state tournament, and you have to be ready with your best game each time.”
The Gators trailed North Hills by just five at 31-26 before North Hills pulled away in the second half.
Pryor and senior Tra Williams led four Gateway scorers in double figures with 13 points apiece.
Gateway played even with Peters Township through three quarters. The third quarter, however, went to the Indians, 21-13, and they went on to post a 62-55 victory.
Junior Tali Thompson scored a team-best 15 points for Gateway, and senior M.J. Stevenson added 11.
“That loss lingered for a while,” Pryor said.
Before Gateway got its shot against Peters Township, it had to survive a quarterfinal encounter with a McKeesport team it was all too familiar with from a pair of regular-season section games.
The teams split their two section games. Gateway went on to win the Section 3 title at 9-1; McKeesport finished second at 6-4.
The Tigers had upset No. 5 Moon in the first round.
Gateway led McKeesport by 10 points at the end of the third quarter and had to withstand a fourth-quarter surge by the Tigers who took a late lead before the Gators scored a 53-51 win.
McKeesport had a chance to tie the game in the final seconds, but a jumper from Lamont Perkins was unsuccessful.
Gateway held a rebound edge, and the Tigers were 8 of 20 from the free throw line.
Thompson, who missed the Gators’ game against McKeesport on Jan. 27, a 68-62 Tigers victory, led the Gators with 14 points. Williams tallied 13 and Carr 10.
Gateway, the No. 4 seed, opened the playoffs Feb. 17 with a 55-40 victory over neighboring rival Woodland Hills.
Carr led the Gators with 20 points. He was 10 of 12 from the free throw line for the game and 9 of 10 from the line in the fourth to help put the game away.
Pryor added 11 points in the win over the Wolverines.
Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.
Tags: Gateway
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