Despite depleted roster, Southmoreland boys remain in playoff hunt

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, February 1, 2018 | 8:57 PM

Steely-eyed, not startled; diminutive, not desperate; the Southmoreland boys basketball team plays on with its four wins, some nagging injuries and a 68.3 points-against average — which is a distant second to their odds-against average that somehow still gives them a shot at the WPIAL playoffs.

So you're saying there's a chance?

All this team wanted, no matter how hollowed out it was in early November, was a chance.

“Even when we lost all those guys from last year, we still felt we were fundamentally strong,” junior guard Ronnie Robinson said. “We knew we'd have to build our way up.”

And here they are, 4-15 overall and 3-7 in Section 4-3A, clutching onto fifth place, and still within ear shot of a playoff berth with a week to play in the regular season. The top four teams in each section qualify.

Two section games remain and are essentially must-wins: Friday at home against third-place South Side (7-10, 6-3), and next Friday at last-place Charleroi (5-13, 1-8).

This team was all but an afterthought following the sudden departure of several good players, a from-the-ground-up rebuild with players who never took off their warmups last year.

Eight seniors graduated, including standout guard Tommy Pisula. Then stud 6-foot-11 junior Brandon Stone transferred to The Christ School (N.C.), seeking a more competitive and illuminated path to major college basketball.

More transfers followed: John Leighty went to The Kiski School for football, Nick Sirianni left for Carmichaels, and Jharad Lester moved to West Virginia.

The Scotties had just put together a year to remember, reaching the WPIAL quarterfinals for the first time since 1987.

A who's who lineup became, who's he?

“The word was, ‘They have nothing, they're done,' ” coach Frank Muccino said. “That kind of bothers me. I knew the guys we had. I knew how hard they work. My concern is whether we improve and grow as a team, rather than wins and losses. There is very little varsity experience here. It's all about building. You have to live it to learn it.”

The Scotties were 19-5 last season and made a push for a section title. This team is trying to hold its own and stay in games, and isn't backing down from the challenge, or a reputation that preceded it.

“We average, what, 6-foot-and-a-half and 145 pounds,” Muccino said. “We get after it; we try to press you and make you work. We don't have the size of a lot of these teams. If we can give that same effort the rest of the way, who knows?”

Southmoreland led first-place and No. 3-ranked Washington (14-3, 10-0) by 10 with about four minutes to go Jan. 26 before falling 57-50.

The Scotties, who had a two-game winning streak at one point, lost to fourth-place Brownsville, 60-54.

But close losses are still losses.

“Inconsistent is the word I'd use,” Muccino said. “We have fragile confidence, but that comes with the lack of varsity experience.”

Robinson could not agree more.

“We'll come out and play with all this energy and fire and look like the best team in the section,” Robinson said. “Then we'll come out with no energy. We have to play more consistently for entire games.”

The nonsection schedule has not been kind, but it wasn't designed to be. Some teams expected to see Stone, so they set up games ahead of the two-year cycle.

Southmoreland has played 6A teams Norwin, Connellsville and Canon-McMillan, the Trib's No. 1 team, as well as Class 5A No. 4 Highlands and Laurel Highlands and Class A No. 2 Monessen.

“I hear from other coaches all the time: your guys are scrappy; they fight and play hard,” Muccino said. “We didn't want to play a bunch of cupcakes. Every time I turn around we're playing a decent opponent. We just have to learn how to close out games.”

Or at least a chance to close out a few more.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at bbeckner@tribweb.com or via Twitter @BillBeckner.

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