Franklin Regional tops Greensburg Salem to win Section 3-5A title

By: HSSN Staff
Tuesday, February 6, 2018 | 10:12 PM

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Nate Leopold, wearing a necklace made of twine he had just cut from the rim, broke down into tears.

Emotions overflowed as the Franklin Regional senior guard celebrated a section championship and reached the 1,000-point milestone, all on the same night, on his home floor.

“This has been a long time coming,” Leopold said.

Behind Leopold's 17 points, the Panthers pulled ahead of Greensburg Salem early and held off the Golden Lions late to post a 67-51 victory and claim a share of the Section 3-5A title for the first time in a decade Tuesday night in Murrysville.

The night ended with a much-anticipated net-cutting ceremony, players and coaches climbing a ladder to get their snip.

“I have been waiting four years to get this section championship; we've gotten a little bit better each year,” Leopold said. “I wanted to win this with my best friends. That was goal No. 1. I knew I'd eventually get to 1,000.”

Leopold drove the lane for a layup with 3 minutes, 11 seconds left in the second quarter to top the 1,000-point milestone. But that wasn't his main goal: the multi-purpose back in football had four assists before he got the three points he needed for 1,000.

The section title is just the third in school history for the Panthers (16-4, 9-1), who split the section with Highlands. The other titles came in 1997 and 2008.

“Kids sometimes feel the pressure,” Franklin Regional coach Steve Scorpion said. “We had Nate trying to get 1,000, trying to get the section championship, trying to get better going into the playoffs. Give Greensburg Salem credit. They battled. We'd get it up 18, 19, 20 and they'd cut it to 12 or 13. They're going to be a tough out in the playoffs. I am glad we got out of here with a win.”

Senior Hunter Stonecheck added 15 points and senior Mike Bartolacci had 13 for Franklin Regional, which has won five straight.

Leopold's milestone score gave the Panthers a double-digit lead, which Greensburg Salem (10-10, 3-7) cut to eight by halftime (30-22). The senior finished with six assists.

“I wanted Nate to try and get it early,” Scorpion said. “But Nate is such a great teammate, he just made the right basketball play. He just wants to win. We fed off him. I have to give these seniors all the credit in the world.”

The Panthers went on a 16-6 run to open the second half to build the lead back to 43-28.

Despite the Golden Lions chipping away behind senior Marvel McGowan, who scored 11 of his team-high 17 in the second half, Franklin Regional maintained command.

Nick Leopold's 3-pointer stretched it to 59-39 early in the fourth. Greensburg Salem could only get to within 12 the rest of the way.

Both teams are headed to the playoffs.

Greensburg Salem, which has dropped four in a row, has been struggling to score points but seemed to come out of a funk.

“If you watched us Saturday (at Seton Hill) and watched us tonight, you wouldn't think it's the same team,” Greensburg Salem coach Craig Mankins said. “A lot more assists, a lot more moving the ball, a lot more pressure and attacking. We were passive the other night. I was proud of our effort.”

Sophomore Ryan Thomas added 13 points for Greensburg Salem.

“To beat a senior-laden team, we're going to have to pretty much play a perfect game,” Mankins said. “We had everything going tonight, we just didn't hit those good, open looks. We'll make those later.”

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

Tags: Franklin Regional, Greensburg Salem