In what might have come as a surprise to some, Monday’s meeting between section rivals Chartiers Valley and Montour produced the same winner as the third matchup between the two just two weeks earlier.
Only this time the Colts didn’t need to mount a huge comeback to seize a gigantic postseason win.
Jayden Davis scored a game-high 18 points and WPIAL champion Chartiers Valley started strong and finished even stronger on its way to a 48-38 win against Montour in a PIAA Class 5A second-round game at Bethel Park.
After falling to Montour by margins of 6 and 11 points in the regular season, Chartiers Valley rallied back from a 15-point deficit to stun No. 1 Montour, 47-44, in the WPIAL semifinals before going on to win the title. For anyone who thought that was a fluke, the Colts proved otherwise Tuesday. They took the lead less than two minutes into the game and never gave it up. The Colts had a 9-point edge after one quarter, led by as many as 13 in the game, and held on for the win after Montour trimmed its deficit to 1 in the final minutes.
“We kind of took offense to that,” Davis said. “We heard them say they got us on a bad night, but we knew it wasn’t a fluke. We knew that we’re a good team and that we could keep up with them, and we knew that we could beat them if we executed.”
It was the 10th win in a row for Chartiers Valley (25-3), which will play in the quarterfinals for the first time since 2013. The Colts will meet District 6 winner Johnstown (26-1) on Friday. Those teams actually scrimmaged one another in the preseason. Montour (25-3) closed its season with losses in two of its final four games after starting the season 23-1.
On an unseasonably warm day that saw the temperature climb into the 70s, Montour either didn’t spend much time outside or failed to see the weather report, because the Spartans were ice cold shooting the ball. Typically an excellent perimeter shooting team, Montour failed to connect on a 3-pointer the entire game, and its 38 points were its fewest of the season.
“It comes down to makes and misses,” Montour coach Bill Minear said. “We didn’t hit one 3 for the first time all season. That was the difference in the game.”
Adding to Montour’s struggles was that 6-10 star center Ama Sow didn’t score until the 2:47 mark of the second quarter and finished with just 10 points to go along with 12 rebounds and 3 blocked shots. Minear said that some of Sow’s struggles came because he hadn’t eaten anything for the majority of the day. Sow is Muslim, and being that it’s Ramadan, he doesn’t eat between sunrise and sunset. Minear said that Sow had a protein bar and an electrolyte drink at halftime.
“You could see his energy, it was a little bit better in the second half. That’s how it was last game, too,” Minear said.
Chartiers Valley led Montour, 36-29, early in the fourth quarter before Montour began to slice into that advantage. The Spartans used an 8-2 run capped by two Sow free throws to pull within 38-37 with 2:08 left. But Chartiers Valley responded in a big way on its next possession. After Julian Semplice misfired on a 3-pointer, Logan Helfrick followed the miss by tipping it in while being fouled. Helfrick finished off the 3-point play — those were his only points of the game — to extend the Colts’ lead to 41-37 with 1:51 left.
“The guys all season have stepped up when we needed them,” Chartiers Valley coach Corey Dotchin said. “Logan missed a lot of key shots. He’s one of our best 3-point shooters. To not let the misses from the first quarter, the second quarter and the third quarter affect him, and to go in and make a play like that, is a true testament to why this team is as special as they are.”
Sow made 1 of 2 at the line to pull Montour within 41-38, but Chartiers Valley scored the final 7 points of the game, the final 3 coming on a Davis heave from halfcourt just before the buzzer.
Davis finished 7 of 13 from the field with two 3-pointers and was 2 of 2 from the line. He was the only Chartiers Valley player to score in double figures, but Danny Slizik added 8 points and Semplice 7.
Colton Straight scored a team-high 14 points for Montour before fouling out after being whistled for a charge with 49 seconds left. Kaleb Platz chipped in 12. Those two, along with Sow, combined for all but 2 of Montour’s points.
So, after going 0 for 2 against Montour in the regular season, Chartiers Valley improved to 2-0 against the Spartans in the postseason.
“It’s great because I don’t think anybody is going to remember those two in the season,” Dotchin said. “They’re going to remember these two at the end, and I’m glad we’re on the winning end of it.”
Other Class 5A
• Amere Robinson scored 20 points and Dom Alberter added 18 to help District 6 champion Johnstown (26-1) roll to a 67-41 win against WPIAL sixth-place finisher Latrobe (21-7) at Pitt-Johnstown. Johnstown, which beat Moon in the first round, led Latrobe, 39-13, at the half. John Wetzel scored 16 points and Max Butler chipped in 12 for the Wildcats, who were coming off of their first PIAA win since 1990.
• WPIAL runner-up Peters Township (19-9) fell behind by 11 points at the half and could never recover on its way to a 75-49 loss to District 3 third-place finisher West York (22-6) at Altoona. The Indians led by 3 points after one quarter, but West York used a 25-11 second-quarter edge to take a 35-25 halftime lead. Nick McCullough led Peters Township with 19 points, while Chase Cristofoletti paced West York with 18 points. West York defeated Mars in the first round.
Class 4A
• Joe Salvino saw his legendary coaching career come to an end, as WPIAL champion Belle Vernon (22-5) fell to District 10 runner-up Sharon (20-8), 69-64, at North Allegheny. Salvino finished with 745 career wins, second most in WPIAL history, to go along with seven WPIAL titles and two PIAA titles. Belle Vernon led, 28-26, at the half before Sharon used an 18-10 edge in the third quarter to surge ahead. Derek Douglas scored 19 of his 26 points in the second half for Sharon, while Zion Moore led Belle Vernon with 24 points and Tommy Davis had 18. Sharon finished 24 of 34 from the free-throw line, where Belle Vernon was just 6 of 9.
• WPIAL runner-up North Catholic (21-6) cruised to a lopsided win against WPIAL fourth-place finisher Beaver (20-7) for the second time this postseason, 84-53, at North Allegheny. North Catholic led, 32-8, after one quarter. The Trojans, who advanced to the quarterfinals for the third year in a row, knocked down 16 3-pointers, with Jason Fredericks making five of them and Jude Rottmann four. Rottmann scored 25 points and Fredericks 24. Junior Marino led Beaver with 15 points and Jake Peluso tacked on 14, including four of the team’s six 3-pointers. Brady Mayo scored 11. North Catholic defeated Beaver, 71-42, in the WPIAL semifinals.
Class 1A
• Courtney Wallace reached 2,000 career points and WPIAL champion Neighborhood Academy (26-1) moved onto the quarterfinals for the first time following a 63-44 win against District 9 runner-up Elk County Catholic (25-2) at Clarion University. Wallace, a senior guard and Yale recruit, finished with a triple-double of 25 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists. Shamar Simpson added 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Bulldogs, who led, 29-20, at the half before outscoring Elk County Catholic, 23-11, in the third quarter. Lance O’Neill led Elk County Catholic with 16 points. Neighborhood Academy will meet District 3 sixth-place finisher LaAcademia Charter (14-12) in the quarterfinals.
• Four days after winning a PIAA playoff game for the first time, WPIAL fourth-place finisher Aquinas Academy (20-7) won a second, this one being an 85-56 triumph against District 5 champion Turkeyfoot Valley (23-4) at Norwin. No 14-point, fourth-quarter rally was needed in this one, though. Aquinas Academy, which jumped to a 28-13 first-quarter lead, held a 75-47 lead after three quarters. Sam Duer drilled five 3-pointers and finished with a game-high 36 points for the Crusaders, who also got 25 points from Jake Guillen. Lance Jones paced Turkeyfoot Valley with 14 points. Aquinas Academy will next meet District 9 champion Otto-Eldred.
• Owen Dumbroski scored 21 points, but it wasn’t enough for WPIAL runner-up Serra Catholic (22-5), which saw its season come to an end following a 64-54 loss to Otto-Eldred (27-1) at Clarion University. Serra played even with Otto-Eldred in the second half, but the 30-20 lead Otto-Eldred took into the half held up. Kris Sharp added 14 points for Serra, which had won 6 of 7. The Eagles were trying to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2009.
Scoreboard
PIAA Class 5A second round
Chartiers Valley 48, Montour 38
Johnstown 67, Latrobe 41
West York 75, Peters Township 49
PIAA Class 4A second round
North Catholic 84, Beaver 53
Sharon 69, Belle Vernon 64
PIAA Class 1A second round
Aquinas Academy 85, Turkeyfoot Valley 56
Neighborhood Academy 63, Elk County Catholic 44
Otto-Eldred 64, Serra Catholic 54
Brad is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at beverett@unionprogress.com.