Greensburg Central Catholic’s ‘Big 3’ lead Centurions to 10-1 start

By: HSSN Staff
Wednesday, January 9, 2019 | 5:45 PM

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Sam Salih sometimes catches himself tuning in to basketball from the Greensburg Central Catholic bench instead of coaching it.

The first-year girls coach can get a little distracted when the Centurions kick it into gear. The court becomes a big-screen TV, and the only thing missing is a big bowl of popcorn and a cold beverage.

“I’m a fan of basketball,” Salih said. “I enjoy watching the game, too.”

Who could blame him with this team?

When the ball starts moving, the speed of the game picks up and the shots begin falling, the fast-paced Centurions can be a delight to watch — especially the “GCC Big 3.”

Seniors Bella Skatell and Anna Eisaman, and junior Melina Maietta have become quite the triumvirate for GCC (10-1), ranked No. 2 in WPIAL Class A.

“A woman said to me, ‘A blind man could coach this team,’ ” Salih said. “I just laughed.”

Salih did not take offense to the remark. In fact, he saw it as more of a compliment. Even all-star teams need guidance, and Salih has been coaching long enough to know not just anybody can bring contentment to such a talented group.

And the fact remains: “We’re hard to guard,” said Salih, a well-traveled coach who has paraded sidelines at Vincentian, South Fayette and East Allegheny, two high schools in Wisconsin, and at La Roche College. “Collectively, Bella, Anna and Melina have been through the trials and tribulations as a group together. They have worked it out. They feed off each other.”

GCC is averaging better than 62 points, allowing fewer than 40 and making close to 10 3-pointers a game. Its only loss was 65-61 setback against Class 3A Washington, on the road.

Skatell, Eisaman and Maietta all were averaging 16 points or better through nine games.

Maietta was at 19.6 points, Eisaman 16.5 and Skatell 16.2.

On average, Skatell provides six assists a game and Eisaman about eight rebounds.

“They are not selfish. They are selfless,” Salih said. “And they communicate well with each other.”

Similar players in style, each can pull up from the perimeter, go to the rim or drive and kick to teammates.

“If we’re all shooting the ball well, we can beat anybody,” Eisaman said. “We have all gotten really comfortable together. It doesn’t feel unnatural when we’re out there. All three of us play the same way. We try to have good court vision and know where the other is at all times.”

Salih said the ignition of the team is Skatell, a Mansfield recruit who runs the point.

“She’s a Division II point guard, and she is super-smart,” Salih said. “She has the freedom and autonomy out there. I can just look at her, and she knows (what play to call). I look at the game through her lense.”

Skatell is confident GCC can get to the WPIAL playoffs for a 19th consecutive time.

“It’s not all about one person here,” Skatell said. “We’re all really close. We’re there for each other. GCC is a small school, and we’re like a family.”

Eisaman, a Tribune-Review all-star last season, creates turnovers on one end of the floor and finishes runouts on the other.

“Anna is a big reason why we’re 10-1,” Salih said. “She is one-third of it. She is almost averaging a double-double and does so much for us. She is stoic.”

Maietta sat out her freshman year after she was ruled ineligible by the WPIAL when she transferred from Norwin.

She joined the team as a sophomore and gradually worked her way into the rotation, eventually becoming a mainstay and one of the team’s top scoring threats.

Skatell and Eisaman, team captains, have been playing basketball together since third grade, so they never needed any encouragement chemistry-wise. They did, however, offer open arms to Maietta and made her transition to new surroundings a smooth one.

“Melina’s shot is pure,” Salih said. “She is very confident and quietly intense.”

Maietta said the on-court offensive flow with Skatell and Eisaman has become second nature.

“We know how to read each other,” Maietta said. “We move the ball and whoever gets the shot takes it. We’re playing a lot faster; we wanted to go uptempo.”

Salih has so much confidence in his team leaders he lets them do most of the talking during halftimes.

“They kick us out,” he said of himself and assistants Chris Skatell and Mike Gaffney. “That’s the way it should be. We’ll close the door, and we’ll hear them working it out.”

Salih works as a behavioral specialist at Adelphoi Village in Millvale, so he can get a read on day-to-day ebbs and flows of the team’s mood and chemistry by observation.

He has managed to cross-pollinate his day job with coaching in that manner.

“My goal was to get them out of their comfort zone,” he said. “Now, they’re comfortable.

“They needed to play faster. They play with a shot-clock in their heads. It’s rebound and run. Then attack the rim or spot up.”

And he has has the best seat in the house to watch it all play out.

Bill Beckner is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Bill at bbeckner@tribweb.com or via Twitter @BillBeckner.

Tags: Greensburg C.C.