New-look Plum opens season with win against Gateway

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, December 8, 2017 | 11:00 PM

With three new starters and several others playing their first varsity game, first-year Plum boys basketball coach Hart Coleman said he was anxious to see how his team would perform in its debut Friday against former section rival Gateway.

As it turns out, there was a lot for Coleman to like.

Junior Lamar Whiting scored 18 points with 10 rebounds, and fellow junior Chase Fink added 15 points as the Mustangs topped the Gators, 56-51, in the Plum tournament.

“I really liked the intensity the guys came out with,” Coleman said. “We talked in practice (Thursday) about bringing a lot of fire, and we did that.”

The tournament continues Saturdat at 1 p.m. as Gateway plays Fox Chapel. Plum plays Imani Christian at 2:30 p.m.

Fox Chapel opened Friday's doubleheader at Plum with an 80-45 victory over Imani.

In the nightcap, Plum got the opening bucket of the game as Fink converted a layup. The Mustangs led 11-5 after the first quarter and never trailed, though Gateway rallied twice to tie the game in the third quarter.

Gateway senior John Paul Kromka, who scored a game-high 26 points to go with 11 rebounds and five blocks, grabbed a rebound and scored early in the fourth quarter to trim Plum's lead to 42-41.

But the Mustangs answered with a 10-0 run.

“Every time we got close or tied the game, Plum answered,” Gateway coach Daryn Freedman said. “They made some big shots.”

Gateway, No. 3 in the Tribune-Review 5A preseason rankings, were without a couple of players because of the football team's state-championship game in Hershey. That included junior point guard Courtney Jackson.

“We moved (sophomore) R.J. (Stevenson) over to the point for the whole game, and that's a lot more responsibility than being free to score the ball like he can,” Freedman said.

Whiting tallied 15 of his 18 points between the second and third quarters. He hit a pair of 3-pointers and scored eight points in the second quarter as Plum built a 27-20 advantage at the break.

Fink and freshman Connor Moss added 3-pointers in the quarter. Moss finished with eight points and eight rebounds in his first varsity contest.

Plum made eight 3-pointers.

“We were excited to get to opening night after all the hard work the guys put in,” Coleman said. “We were able to let any nerves from the new guys kind of dissipate as the game went on. Getting that early lead really helped us. The guys played with a lot of confidence.”

Gateway closed the game on a 10-4 run, but the Plum advantage was just too large to overcome.

“We were a little shaky at the end, but we were able to do enough to close it out,” Coleman said.

Gateway senior Mark Bozicevic hit seven 3-pointers, including five in the third quarter alone, and finished with 21 points.

“John Paul and Mark played really strong games,” Freedman said. “They can do even a little bit more in different areas. We just needed more from other people. We'll be alright. It was a new experience for a couple of guys.”

Michael Love is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at mlove@tribweb.com or via Twitter @Mlove_Trib.

Tags: Gateway, Plum