Hempfield boys hand Greensburg Central Catholic its 1st loss of the season
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Friday, December 27, 2024 | 10:07 PM
Hempfield’s Danny Husenits scores past Greensburg Central Catholic’s Braden Riley during the Greensburg Salem Holiday Classic on Friday.
Hempfield’s Maximus Williams fights for a rebound with Greensburg Central Catholic’s Brady O’Rourke during the Greensburg Salem Holiday Classic on Friday.
Greensburg Central Catholic’s AJ Tarpley scores past Hempfield’s Maximus Williams during the Greensburg Salem Holiday Classic on Friday.
Hempfield’s Drew Gordon is fouled by Greensburg Central Catholic’ Samir Crosby during the Greensburg Salem Holiday Classic on Friday.
Hempfield’s Dominic Detruf and Maximus Williams fight for a rebound with Greensburg Central Catholic’s Ty Dozier Jr. during the Greensburg Salem Holiday Classic on Friday.
Greensburg Central Catholic’s AJ Tarpley scores past Hempfield’s Dylan Firmstone during the Greensburg Salem Holiday Classic on Friday.
Hempfield’s Maximus Williams defends on Greensburg Central Catholic’s Sean Walker during the Greensburg Salem Holiday Classic on Friday.
Hempfield’s Danny Husenits defends on Greensburg Central Catholic’s David Wachinski during the Greensburg Salem Holiday Classic on Friday.
Hempfield’s Maximus Williams scores over Greensburg Central Catholic’s Brady O’Rourke during the Greensburg Salem Holiday Classic on Friday.
Greensburg Central Catholic’s AJ Tarpley scores past Hempfield’s Drew Gordon during the Greensburg Salem Holiday Classic on Friday.
Hempfield’s Drew Gordon blocks the shot of Greensburg Central Catholic’s Samir Crosby during the Greensburg Salem Holiday Classic on Friday.
As chalk might have it, a Class 6A boys basketball team is supposed to beat a Class 2A team.
But 6A Hempfield wasn’t leaning on that idea when it played neighboring Greensburg Central Catholic, the No. 1-ranked team in 2A.
It wasn’t the size of the school that mattered. It was the quality of play.
The Spartans still had to show up and execute, and they did so on both ends of the floor as they handed GCC its first loss of the season, 63-49, on Friday night in the Greensburg Salem Holiday Classic.
“We’re used to 6A road games, the pressure that comes with them,” said Hempfield coach Bill Swan, a former GCC assistant. “Everybody was clicking and playing together. We played nine guys, and that’s a lot for us.”
Junior guard Danny Husenits, whose arrow has been pointing up all season, scored a game-high 25 points, including three 3-pointers, to power the Spartans (5-4), who had dropped three of their past four.
It was the team’s first road win of the season.
GCC (8-1), which came in with an average winning margin of 27.9 points and a 71.1 points-per-game average, never led and did not pull even with the Spartans, despite cutting double-digit leads to single numbers five times.
The Centurions were off to their best start since 2016-17. Cold shooting early forced them to play from behind, a rarity this season. They could not rally like they did against Kiski Area.
“We dug ourselves in an early hole,” GCC coach Christian Hyland said. “When you play a team that is so well-coached like that, they will make you pay.”
Senior 6-foot-7 forward Maximus Williams and senior guard Drew Gordon scored 10 each for the Spartans, who led 15-8 after the first quarter and 29-25 at the half.
Williams also grabbed 10 rebounds and presented matchup issues for the Centurions, who hadn’t lost since last year’s PIAA playoffs against Jeannette.
“We battled back, but Hempfield is really strong,” Hyland said. “They have a big guy and two good shooters. That’s a good recipe.”
Husenits made a turnaround jumper and scored on a break to make it a 24-13 midway through the second quarter.
Sophomore guard A.J. Tarpley kept GCC close, as his floater cut it to 24-17. But Husenits buried a deep 3 to push the lead to 10.
Tarpley finished with 24 points. He looked comfortable on the court at Greensburg Salem. He knows the floor well having played there last season before transferring to GCC.
Husenits wasn’t done. He poured in 10 in the third quarter, including two 3s, as the Spartans went ahead 36-27.
A 7-2 run closed out the third, which included a 3 by Husenits, a layup from senior Dylan Firmstone and a putback by Williams, to give the Spartans a 44-36 edge going to the fourth.
After a 3 by Tarpley trimmed the deficit to 50-43, Hempfield made its closing move.
Gordon slashed through the lane for a finger-roll layup, and junior Trevor Donsen made back-to-back baskets, the second off a steal, to stretch the lead to 56-44 with 3:21 to play.
“Going in, we wanted them to have to beat us from the arc,” Swan said. “We defended well. We stayed in front of them and dominated the defensive glass. I love our team.”
The Spartans limited Centurions sharpshooter Liam Gallagher to 11 points. The senior had only one 3-pointer.
Tarpley and Gallagher had 35 of GCC’s 49 points.
GCC couldn’t get it under 10 inside the final three minutes and change. Gordon’s 3 gave Hempfield its largest advantage at 61-46.
Husenits, an unheralded second-year starting guard who is averaging about 18 points, said the defense set the tone.
“We started out really strong,” Husenits said. “The thing about us this year is we’re not letting up. Before, we’d get up big and let up. We’re leaving our foot on the gas.”
Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.
Tags: Greensburg C.C., Hempfield
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