No. 2 OLSH ousts Jeannette after Johnson is ejected in Class 2A semifinals

By: HSSN Staff
Tuesday, February 27, 2018 | 10:24 PM

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All season long, Jeannette has learned to deal with missing players because of injuries and other reasons.

But in the WPIAL Class 2A semifinals Tuesday night, the Jayhawks could not overcome a game-changing ejection.

Junior Anthony Johnson was called for his second technical foul early in the third quarter — seconds after the third-seeded Jayhawks took their first lead — and the team could not recover despite a late push in a 72-64 loss to No. 2 Our Lady of the Sacred Heart at Peters Township.

The call was controversial and, despite Jeannette (19-4) trailing most of the game, coach Adrian Batts thought it sunk his team.

Jeannette had just taken its only lead on a Johnson free throw to make it 36-35 and he apparently said something to the crowd — not the official — and was whistled quickly. The high-spirited guard had picked up an earlier technical in the first quarter for reportedly questioning a call.

Batts did not need the new WPIAL 15-minute cool-down rule after the game. He was not fuming mad, but more a combination of disappointment and disbelief that the call was made.

“It took the spirit out of us,” Batts said. “Anthony did not deserve that. He plays with emotion. I thought they targeted him. I think they wanted to see an OLSH-Sewickley Academy rematch in the finals.”

Batts continued, “I am not taking anything away from OLSH, they played a great game. I just can't believe they made that call. Their kid threw a forearm right in front of (the official) and they don't call it.”

OLSH (22-2) does move on to play Sewickley Academy in Friday night's title game at Petersen Events Center.

Jeannette will await the start of the PIAA playoffs.

“We lost some of our momentum in the second half,” OLSH coach Mike Rodriguez said. “Jeannette lost Johnson there and really battled back, but we buckled down on defense. Jeannette has so many great athletes.”

Undercut by Johnson's ejection, Jeannette, which trailed by 12 early and 14 late, still stayed in it. The Jayhawks cut the deficit to five (65-60) with 2:32 to play. AJ Sharp and Seth Howard gave Jeannette a spark as the team played without Marcus Barnes, who had two technicals last game and had to sit out.

Jeannette, in the semifinals for the third time in four years and seeking its first trip to the finals since 2015, made 24 of 37 free throws.

Freshman Dante Spadafora led OLSH with 23 points, making 15 of 18 free throws, while Austin Wigley fouled out with 22, and Daren DiMichele had 12.

Wigley was the team's sixth man last year when the Chargers finished runner-up to Sewickley Academy.

Sharp had 14 for Jeannette, followed by Robert Kennedy and Tre Cuningham with 13 each and Johnson and Howard had 10 apiece.

Jeannette wasn't sharp offensively most of the night, committing 22 turnovers, and OLSH took advantage with transition layups.

“You can't have turnovers like that, especially late,” Batts said. “That came back to hurt us.”

OLSH used a trapping, full-court press to bother Jeannette in the first quarter and take a 23-13 lead. Jeannette had eight turnovers and did not get back on defense in the early going.

A better second quarter allowed the Jayhawks to close the gap to five by halftime (34-29). A 7-0 run sparked by drive-and-dish assists from Johnson to Howard made it 27-23.

Wigley scored 13 in the first half for the Chargers.

After Jeannette's fleeting lead early in the third, OLSH regained command when DiMichele hit a 3, Wigley scored on a drive and Mike Dugan put back a rebound to make it 45-38.

Sharp, who was 8 of 12 at the foul line, cut it to 51-47 with a pair with six minutes left. But the Chargers went on an 11-3 run to push the lead to 64-50.

But back came the Jayhawks.

Sharp, who scored eight in the fourth, made two free throws to make it 65-60, just after Kennedy converted an and-1 off a rebound.

Wigley's 3-pointer gave the Chargers a 64-53 advantage and they were able to stay in control with free throws, making 10 of 13 in the fourth.

“I thought (Mike) Dugan and (Alex) Boyden gave us great minutes and (Donovon) Johnson played a great game despite two bad knees,” Rodriguez said.

Rico Tate also fouled out for OLSH.

Spadafora, the nephew of former world champion boxer Paul Spadafora, scored 14 in the second half.

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

Tags: Jeannette