MEADVILLE —
As Superman fans will tell you, Clark Kent had to find a phone booth before he could turn into the Man of Steel. Allegheny’s Clark Tritto just needed to step out of the locker room.
In a showdown with Oberlin on Wednesday, the Gators captured a key 79-75 victory over the Yeomen. And Tritto was a big reason the Gators were able to hold on for the win.
“Clark is playing very, very well for us,” said Allegheny head coach Jim Driggs. “He is kind of a 3.5 man for us — he is not really a forward and not really a guard. But he has a high basketball IQ. He is a good passer, rebounds the ball and shoots the ball well. I am happy he is having some success.”
The junior did a little bit of everything to help his team win. And none of it was loud. Tritto didn’t have the game-altering 3-pointer or the momentum changing dunk. But he did put himself in the right place at the right time and, when he got the ball, knew just what to do with it. The end result: game highs for points (21) and rebounds (14). The junior also dished out four assists, most of them from the high post, an area that gave the Yeomen trouble all night.
“Our plays space the guys out real well,” said Tritto. “(Oberlin was playing a zone and did not cover the high post real well. So I had good time to fins the open man or take my shot.”
The game opened up with a back-and-forth effort that saw eight lead changes and a tie within the first seven-and-a-half minutes. Tritto ended that tango with a 3-pointer to give Allegheny a 17-15 lead. It was the final lead change of the half as the Gators continued on a 10-0 run to open a 24-14 advantage. Marco Corona was key during the spurt, scoring five of the points.
“We really focused on rebounding this past week,” said Tritto. “We were able to keep them from getting second shots and that allowed us to get on a couple runs.”
The Yeomen didn’t go quietly, however.
Led by the inside play of freshman center Randy Ollie, Oberlin slowly cut into the deficit. Ollie only scored four points during the run, but his defensive presence helped the Gators (8-6, 2-3 NCAC) go into a bit of a cold slump. As a result, the Yeomen were able to cut the lead down to just one point at 35-32. That is when the center picked up his third foul and had to go to the bench.
Allegheny took advantage, with a 6-2 run the rest of the way to go into the break with a 41-34 lead.
“Ollie is a heck of a player,” said Driggs. “I don’t like that we have to play against him for three more years. He had a good game, so having to sit on the bench really helped us.”
Oberlin came out firing again in the second half.
The Yeomen opened with a 10-2 run in the first four minutes regain the lead 44-43. That led to a spurt of six straight lead changes, the last coming at the six minute mark. That is when Josh Valentic gave the Gators a 49-48 lead they would never relinquish.
The Allegheny lead grew to as much as 10 (73-63) with 3:35 left in the game. Oberlin again battled back, but Ryan Stanko went 4-for-4 from the free throw line as the Gators hung on for the four-point victory.
“We have to concentrate on rebounding the basketball and taking care of the ball,” said Driggs. “If we can do that and take care of the ball, get a shot each time down, we are going to make shots.”
Valentic tallied 16 points for the Gators, while Corona added 13. Stanko contributed 12 in the win.
Austin Little dropped in 20 for the Yeomen (4-9, 2-3 NCAC), while Ollie added 19. Geoff Simpson tallied 13.
Local Sports
Tritto’s double-double lifts Allegheny over Oberlin
- Local Sports
-
-
DISTRICT 10 BASEBALL: Panthers roll into D-10 final
ERIE — The Saegertown baseball team took another confident step forward in the hunt for a District 10 three-peat, downing Wilmington 10-0 in five innings in the semifinals of the D-10 Class AA playoffs, Friday at Ainsworth Field.
-
DISTRICT 10 VOLLEYBALL: Saegertown topples MASH
It has been a whirlwind season for the Saegertown boys volleyball team.
But luckily in boys volleyball what you do throughout the regular season doesn’t much matter. It’s what you do on the big stage in May in front of hundreds of fans at Meadville Area High School that counts.
And, well, the Panthers know how to perform in the limelight. -
TRACK AND FIELD: Sternby focused on the little details heading into state meet
The 100-meter dash. Of any athletic endeavor, the 100-meter probably goes by the quickest — around 10 to 13 seconds from start to finish. The difference between winning and losing can sometimes be measured by a blink of an eye.
Yet, there is a lot that goes on in that 10 to 13 seconds. A runner has a lot of T’s to carefully cross and I’s to precisely dot to be on the winning side of one of those eye-blink moments. -
BOYS VOLLEYBALL: Cats, 'Dogs to battle it out for D-10 crown
Meadville is still playing like a team on fire. Saegertown is putting together a stingy defense to go along with its big hitters. And those two forces of nature will collide today at 7 p.m. at Meadville’s House of Thrills in the District 10 Class AA boys volleyball championship match.
-
Northcott stellar as Cardinals upend Eagles
Welcome to the Ryan Express II, Kennedy Catholic.
Resembling the original Ryan Express (Hall of Fame baseball pitcher Nolan Ryan), Cochranton ace hurler Ryan Northcott handcuffed the Golden Eagles with a three-hit 1-0 shutout Wednesday night in the opening round of the District 10 Class A baseball playoffs on the beautiful Northwestern High School baseball diamond. -
H.S. SOFTBALL: Panthers set to begin defense of District 10 title
The Saegertown softball team has some big-time goals this postseason.
But the Lady Panthers are fully aware of what can happen if you look too far ahead and have the utmost respect for each and every team they may encounter, beginning with Reynolds. -
NBA PLAYOFFS: LeBron saves Heat at buzzer
LeBron James caught the inbounds pass, changed direction and immediately attacked the rim.
There was no one in his way.
There was no stopping him, either.
James made a layup as time expired in overtime, capping a 30-point, 10-rebound, 10-assist effort as the Miami Heat found a way to outlast the Indiana Pacers 103-102 in a wildly back-and-forth Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals Wednesday night. There were 18 ties and 17 lead changes, the last two of those coming in the final 2.2 seconds. -
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: Cabrera, Tigers down Indians 11-7 on rainy night
Justin Verlander overcame a rocky start and rain delay to get his fifth win and Miguel Cabrera hit another homer as the Detroit Tigers beat the Cleveland Indians 11-7 on Wednesday night, sweeping the two-game series between the AL Central’s top teams.
-
D-10 BASEBALL: Back-to-back homers highlight Panthers’ rain-shortened win
The Saegertown Swat Club can hurt an opponent in a hurry.
Just ask Franklin. -
D-10 SOFTBALL: Solid effort not enough in Tigers’ loss to Fairview
The Maplewood softball team nearly got that complete seven-inning effort it’s been striving for all season long. But it still wasn’t enough to keep up with undefeated Fairview, which bounced the ’Wood from the District 10 Class AA quarterfinals with an 8-1 verdict on Tuesday at Penn State-Behrend.
- More Local Sports Headlines
-
DISTRICT 10 BASEBALL: Panthers roll into D-10 final
Raw: Trucker Bumps I-5 Bridge Before Collapse
Raw: Texas Deputy Shot by Colo. Suspect Honored
Major Detours Following Wash. Bridge Collapse
American Held in Grisly Czech Murders
Raw: Jersey Shore Reopens for Summer
UK-bound Pakistan Plane Diverted, 2 Men Arrested
Officials: Tsarnaev Friend Linked to Slaying
Obama:Sexual Assault Threatens Trust in Military
Bridge Collapse Survivor: 'Rough Day'
Jersey Shore Open for Business
Raw: Memorial Day Flags Placed at Arlington
New Wheelchair Lift Promises More Access
First Person: Mom Discusses Famous Tornado Photo
Raw Video: Washington State Bridge Collapse
Boy Scouts Approve Plan to Accept Gay Boys
