No. 3 Jeannette puts end to GCC’s 17-year playoff streak

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, February 9, 2018 | 10:21 PM

Jeannette rode a whipsaw of a start to a section title.

Senior Tre Cunningham scored a game-high 22 points, senior Robert Kennedy added 15 and junior Anthony Johnson returned from a six-game absence to score 11 as the Jayhawks toppled Greensburg Central Catholic, 61-33, to clinch at least a share of the Section 1-2A championship Friday night in Carbon.

Essentially facing a must-win to have a shot at the playoffs, GCC (6-15, 5-7) was bound and determined to ruin the visitors’ mood on senior night in its tight-quartered auxiliary gym, but the third-ranked Jayhawks (16-3, 10-1) weren’t having it.

“We knew we had to start fast,” Cunningham said. “If we don’t start fast with them, they’re always in the game because they work hard. We set the tempo.”

The loss means GCC’s 17-year streak of WPIAL playoff appearances is over. The Centurions had won four straight games. They had to win or have Springdale lose to qualify. But neither happened.

“We didn’t defend anybody,” said GCC coach Jim Nesser, who used to coach Jeannette. “They were really good, and we were very bad. We didn’t compete very well in the first half. We didn’t match their fight. As a group, we didn’t compete well and we didn’t play hard enough. Period.”

[lemonwhalestory vid=”66e69dc4-bf43-499e-9f8b-4c85afffd5cc” width=”480″ height=”270″]

Jeannette sprinted to a 25-10 with an NBA-like opening quarter. Johnson, who returned from an ankle injury, dished a pair of assists, blocked a couple of shots, and then buried a 3-pointer from 30 feet.

The Jayhawks clicked on all cylinders.

“Defensively, I thought our pressure was unbelievable,” Jeannette coach Adrian Batts said. “Everybody got after. We made some shots early and got our confidence.”

Before late-arrivers could take their place along the padded wall under the rim, Jeannette had an 18-4 advantage.

“We try to get up and down, we’re more athletic than anybody,” said Johnson, who has been out with an ankle injury. “We want to run and put up points.”

Cunningham scored nine points in the first quarter and 17 in the first half for the Jayhawks.

Johnson once again looked poised running the point.

“We knew (Johnson) was going to get doubled,” Batts said. “So he made some great passes early. Our defensive intensity was really good. I was proud of our guys to come out and set the tone that way.”

GCC junior Geoff Helm, playing on a bad ankle, hit a two and a 3 in succession to trim the deficit to 27-17, but Cunningham followed with a 3 to key a 12-0 run capped by a one-handed dunk from Kennedy, who at 6-foot, showed his athleticism on a fast break.

Helm finished with nine points. Junior Joel Lonigro led the Centurions with 15.

“(Kennedy) did a great job on defense and that dunk was explosive,” Batts said. “He’s a leader and in games like this, he’s going to come to play.”

Jackson Pruitt’s floater in the lane pushed the advantage to 41-28.

The pace slowed in the second half, but Jeannette maintained control.

The Jayhawks had eight blocks. GCC managed four points in the fourth.

Jeannette played without junior guard A.J. Sharp (concussion).

The Jayhawks have one more section game left, at 7:30 Saturday night against Riverview in Oakmont. They could be in position to get a top-2 seed with No. 2 Sewickley Academy defeating No. 1 OLSH on Friday night.

WPIAL playoff pairings come out Tuesday night.

Tags: Greensburg C.C., Jeannette