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ALBERT GALLATIN TOPS TIGERS, 74-59, IN FIRST ROUND OF WPIAL TOURNAMENT

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Led by 6-8 senior Jawaan Alston's 24 points, the Albert Gallatin Colonials knocked the Tigers from the WPIAL Tournament with a 74-59 victory at Ringgold on Tuesday night.  Senior Jon Masuga led the Tigers with 20 points including six triples with senior Ross Constantino adding four treys and 15 points.

The Colonials took control early scoring the first ten points of the game.  After Alston scored the game's first basket, Nate Turner followed with a hoop and three of four from the line.  Mark Marshall followed with two free throws, and Alston dropped in one of two as AG took a 10-0 with 4:53 remaining.  Senior Phil Hoffmann finally got the Tigers on the board with a strong move to the hoop, and Masuga hit his first trey to cut the lead to 10-5 with 1:23 left.  The Colonials answered with Alston tipping in his own rebound, Jake Magerko hitting two from the line, and Alston adding two more free throws to push the lead back to 16-5.  After Constantino hit his first triple, Ricky Knox scored on a layup to give AG an 18-8 advantage after one period.

The Colonials continued to increase the margin early in the second quarter.  After Hoffman scored to make it 18-10, AG scored the next 13 points on hoops by Turner, Knox, Marshall, a three by Magerko and a foul shot by Alston as Albert Gallatin took a commanding 31-10 lead with 3:28 remaining in the half.  Junior Dan Kusnyer came off the bench to spark an NA rally with a trey and a conventional three-point play to cut the margin to 31-16.  After Alston scored again, Kusnyer answered with a deuce to make it 33-18 with 1:08 on the first half clock.  Knox added another hoop on a fast break, but Masuga answered to cut the margin to 35-21.  Turner's basket with 8 seconds left closed out the first half scoring with AG holding a 37-21 advantage.

Early in the third quarter, the Colonials pushed the margin to 43-23 on a basket and two foul shots by Aaron Cromwell and an Alston jumper to offset a putback by junior Ted Connolly.  At this point, the Tigers mounted a furious rally to get back in the game.  NA scored sixteen straight points to cut the margin to 43-39 with 2:42 remaining in the period.  Constantino hit a trey to start things, and senior Adam Neugebauer followed with a deuce to cut the margin to 43-28.  Another triple by Constantino and two free throws by Connolly made it 43-33.  Masuga then took over hitting two straight treys to cut the lead to four and forcing a Colonial time out.  After the time out, AG regrouped and took control of the game again.  The Colonials went to a man-to-man defense and that sparked a 9-2 run to close out the quarter.  A basket by Alston, a triple by Magerko, and a hoop and two foul shots by Knox accounted by the AG points with Hoffmann scoring for NA.  The Colonials took a 52-41 lead into the final quarter.

The Tigers continued to battle in the final period with Hoffmann scoring again to cut the lead to 52-43 just eight seconds into the quarter.  After Alston scored, Masuga dropped in two free throws to cut the margin back to nine.  Two foul shots and an acrobatic dunk by Alston pushed the lead to 60-45 with 5:04 left in the game.  Masuga drained another trey to cut the lead to 60-48, and Constantino added a deuce to make it 60-50, with 4:19 remaining.  Turner answered with a conventional three-point play and Marshall scored to push the lead to 65-50 with 3:03 left.  The Tigers were not finished, however, as Constantino drained another trey to cut the lead to 65-53 at the 2:19 mark.  A basket by Cromwell and two free throws by Turner pushed the lead to 69-53 with just 1:40 left.  After Neugebauer scored on a put back, Knox answered to make it 71-55.  A fouls shot by Magerko and two by Knox pushed it to 74-55 before Constantino hit a free throw and Masuga hit his sixth trey before time ran out.  Albert Gallatin advanced to the quarterfinals with a 74-59 victory.

It was a case of too much size for the Tigers as AG controlled the boards on their way to the victory.  The Colonials outrebounded NA, 33-17, and made 24 of 31 from the line as the Tigers had to foul the taller AG squad.  NA was forced to shoot from long range, making 11 of 39 from beyond the arc.  Overall AG shot 24 of 49 (49.0 %) while NA was held to 21 of 62 (33.9%).  For his efforts, the North Allegheny Sports Network named Jon Masuga as the Player of the Game.

The loss ended the NA season as they finished with an overall record of 15-10.  The Tigers were the second place team in Section 3 with a section record of 9-3.

Box Score

WPIAL CLASS AAAA TOURNAMENT

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TIGERS EDGE NORTH HILLS,
39-37, ON HOFFMANN'S LATE BASKET

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Senior Phil Hoffmann's short jumper with 3:16 remaining put the Tigers on top by two, and NA was able to hold off rival North Hills for a 39-37 victory on Senior Night at the Senior High gym on Friday night.  Senior Jon Masuga scored nine points to lead the Tigers with senior Adam Neugebauer adding eight and junior Ted Connolly seven.  Dante Anglin paced the Indians with eleven points.

North Hills started quickly with David McIntyre scoring twice, the second on a putback on his own shot, as the Indians took an early 4-0 lead.  Neugebauer answered with a triple from the left side to cut the margin to 4-3 just 1:24 into the contest.  McIntyre came back to score again, but Masuga drove the lane and scored to cut the lead to 6-5.  After Anglin and Masuga both made one of two from the line, Connolly drove and scored to give the Tigers their first lead at 8-7 at the 4:19 mark.  After sophomore Damian Founds made one of two foul shots, Anglin tied the game on a putback.  Greg Sencak came off the North Hills bench to drop in a pair from the line, and Anglin scored again to give the Indians a 13-9 lead.  Neugebauer answered with his second trey of the game to cut the lead to 13-12 with 1:10 remaining in the quarter.  After Anglin scored his third hoop of the quarter, junior Dan Kusnyer drained a trey to tie the game at 15-15 with 31 seconds on the clock.  The Indians held for one and Sencak was able to drive for the go ahead basket as time ran out.  North Hills took a 17-15 lead after one quarter.

In the second quarter, the Tigers took two eight-point leads only to see the Indians rally to tie the game at halftime.  Early in the quarter, Connolly drove, scored and added the foul shot to put NA back on top, 18-17, just 20 seconds into the period.  Connelly followed with a triple to make it 21-17 with 7:15 still left in the quarter.  Neither scored in the next few minutes until Masuga got loose for a triple to give NA a 24-17 advantage.  After Cody Patton made two from the line, junior Jeff Finke drove, scored and dropped in the foul shot to make it a 27-19 game.  After Anglin hit a deuce, Connolly scored again to push the margin to 29-21 with 4:21 remaining in the half.  The Tigers would not score again as the Indians closed out the half on an 8-0 run.  After R.J. Miller hit one of two foul shots, Kyle Henny drained a trey from the corner to cut the lead to 29-25.  Patton also made one of two from the stripe to cut the lead to 29-26 with 1:48 left.  After the Tigers were unable to score, Miller hit a long triple from the left corner as time ran out.  The teams went to the intermission tied at 29-29.

In the second half, the up and down pace of the game slowed as did the scoring.  The Tigers went to more of a ball control offense trying to work for the good shot.  The NA inside game was hampered with Hoffman in foul trouble for much of the game.  Neither team scored in the first two minutes before Neugebauer drove for a hoop to put NA on top, 31-29, at the 5:50 mark.  A minute later, Masuga drained his second trey of the game to push the margin to 34-29 with 4:49 left.  Once again, NA would not score for over half a quarter.  Henny was able to drop in his second triple to cut the lead to 34-32 with 2:52 left.  With 1:07 remaining, McIntyre hit one of two foul shots as the Tigers took a 34-33 lead into the final period. 

Both teams were cautious in the final period with scoring at a premium.  Anglin put the Indians ahead, 35-34, early in the quarter.  Hoffmann answered with his first hoop of the game at the 6:47 mark to give NA the lead back at 36-35.  Patton's free throw tied the game at 36-36 with 5:31 left.  Neither team was able to score for over two minutes.  Finally, the Tigers found Hoffmann open on the baseline, and the NA senior hit the jumper to give the Tigers a 38-36 advantage with 3:16 remaining.  The Tiger defense continued to keep NH off the board, and the Indians were forced to foul.  Down the stretch, the Tigers missed five straight free throws, including three one and ones to keep the Indians in the game.  NH could not convert, however, and the Tigers were able to rebound the misses.  With 18 seconds left, Hoffmann picked up his fifth foul sending Miller to the line for two.  Miller made the first but missed the second.  After a Tiger turnover, Patton drove the lane but slipped and was called for traveling with six seconds left.  Kusyner was fouled and made one of two to give NA a two-point lead with 4.6 on  the clock.  The Indians tried to set up Henny for the game winner in the left corner but his shot missed.   The referees ruled that it came after the buzzer and would not have counted, and the Tigers took home a hard-fought 39-37 victory.

It was another strange game with both teams running and gunning in the first half, and slowing the pace in the second.  The Tigers outscored NH, 10-8, in the second half to win the game.  Statistically, the Indians made only 12 of 43 shots (27.9%) from the field while NA was 14 of 37 (37.8%) including six of 14 from beyond the arc for 42.9%.  Foul shooting hurt the Tigers who made only 5 of 14 (35.7%).  For his efforts both offensively and defensively the North Allegheny Sports Network named senior Adam Neugebauer as the Player of the Game.

With the win, the Tigers finished with a section record of 9-3, an overall mark of 15-9.  The Tigers will enter the WPIAL Class AAAA playoffs as the second place team from Section 3. The WPIAL Basketball Committee will meet on Tuesday night to present the pairings.  You will be able to listen to the pairings show on the MSA Sports Network.

Box Score

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 39  NORTH HILLS - 37

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BUTLER HOLDS OFF TIGERS, 41-37

Box Score

A late Tiger rally fell short as the Butler Golden Tornado downed NA, 41-37, at Butler on Tuesday night.  Juniors Ted Connolly and Jeff Finke had nine points each to pace the Tigers.  Mike Pratkanis posted eleven to lead the Tornado.

After Butler took a 10-6 lead after one quarter, the Tigers came back to lead, 15-14, at halftime.  The Tornado opened a 28-23 lead after three quarters.  After Butler scored the next basket, the Tigers rallied.  Sophomore Damian Founds stole the ball and scored on a driving layup to cut the lead to 30-25 with 2:57 remaining.  After Butler hit two free throws, Finke hit his third trey of the game to cut the lead to 32-28.  Senior Phil Hoffmann was fouled on a put back and made one of two to make it 32-29.  After Butler hit two foul shots, senior Ross Constantino drained a trey to cut the margin to 34-32 with 1:08 remaining.  Zack Cuffman converted a one-and-one to push the lead to 36-32 with 45 seconds left.  Junior Steve Kirsch dropped in a long trey to cut the lead to one at 36-35 with 33 seconds left.  The Tigers were then called for an intentional foul, and Clark Liebler made both free throws.  Connolly stole the inbounds pass and scored to cut it to 38-37 with 16 seconds remaining.  Liebler was fouled and made both shots again to make it 40-37.  The Tigers tried a long three to tie the game but the shot was short.  The Tornado made one of two foul shots to make the final score, 41-37.        

With the loss, the Tiger section record fell to 8-3 dropping them into second place in Section 3.  The Tigers will complete section play on Friday night against rival North Hills.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 7:45 pm.  Game time is scheduled for 8:00 pm for the second game of the girl/boy doubleheader.

GAME SUMMARY
BUTLER - 41  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 37

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FINKE'S TRIPLE IN OVERTIME BEATS
NEW CASTLE, 40-37

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Junior Jeff Finke hit a trey from the corner as time ran out in overtime to give the Tigers a come from behind 40-37 victory over New Castle.  Finke had 19 points to lead NA with senior forward Phil Hoffmann adding twelve.  Nick Colella recorded twelve points to pace the 'Canes.

New Castle took an early 2-0 lead when Tyrone Steals drove to the hoop just 1:34 into the contest.  Finke answered with his first trey of the game to put NA on top, 3-2, but Steals came back with a triple to make it a 5-3 NC lead.  Anthony Harvey drained a trey and a jumper to extend the margin to 10-3 before junior Ted Connolly scored on a drive at the 3:40 mark.  After Colella dropped in a pair from the line, Finke hit his second triple of the game with 28 seconds remaining as New Castle took a 12-8 lead into the second period.

Neither team could score early in the second quarter.  Senior Ross Constantino broke the drought with a long three to cut the lead to 12-11 with 5:51 on the second quarter clock. Junior Michael Andrews came off the New Castle bench to drop in a put back to push the margin to 14-11 with 5:14 remaining in the half.  Sophomore Damian Founds drew a foul on a drive to the hoop and converted both free throws to cut the lead to one.  Hoffman then got loose under the basket to put NA back on top, 15-14, at the 2:08 mark.  Colella's jumper was the only scoring in the remaining time as the 'Canes took a 16-15 advantage to the halftime break.

Early in the third quarter, Finke drained his third trey of the game to give the Tigers an 18-16 lead just 1:17 into the period.  Chris Richards answered for New Castle with a triple to push the 'Canes back on top at 19-18.  After Finke hit one of two from the stripe, Richards again answered, this time with a deuce.  Founds tied the game for NA, but Andrews was able to put back a rebound after two misses to regain the lead for NC at 23-21.  Two free throws by Harvey and a basket by Steals gave the 'Canes a six-point lead with 28 seconds remaining.  The Tigers could not score as time ran out in the third period.  New Castle took a 27-21 advantage into the final quarter.

Hoffmann scored early to cut the lead to four, but Steals hit a baseline jumper to push the margin back to six at 29-23.  Finke brought NA to within three with his fourth trey of the game with 3:37 remaining.  Colella came back with a deuce to make it 31-26 at the 3:02 mark.  The Tigers rallied with Hoffmann leading with way with a short jumper and two from the line to make it a 31-30 game.  Finke then stole the ball, scored and added the free throw to give the Tigers a two point lead with 1:23 left in the quarter.  Colella came back with another jumper to tie the game at the 1:04 mark.  NA ran the clock down and called a time out with 13.7 remaining.  A long three-point attempt by senior Jon Masuga hit the rim as time ran out to send the game to overtime.

Steals gave New Castle an early two-point lead in the extra session scoring with 1:10 gone.  The Tigers patiently worked the ball into Hoffmann who tied the game with 1:36 remaining.  Richards put NC back ahead with a basket at the 1:17 mark.  Once again, NA went in to Hoffmann who tied the game with 38 seconds left.  New Castle elected to go for the lead but missed with Hoffmann pulling down the rebound.  This time, NA Coach Dave DeGregorio elected to not call a time out as he directed traffic from the sideline.  With seconds remaining, the ball went into Hoffmann who kicked it out to Finke in the corner.  The NA junior sent it down for his fifth three of the game to give the Tigers the exciting victory by a 40-37 margin.

It was a key victory for the Tigers in front of a loud Friday night crowd.  NA won in spite of not shooting well from the field.  The Tigers converted on 14-51 from the field (27.5%) and only 6 of 26 from behind the arc (23.1%).  Finke, however, was five for eight including the game winner.  The Tiger defense came through again holding NC to just 17 second half points and four in the overtime.  The 'Canes shot just 15-45 from the field for 33.3%.  For his efforts, the North Allegheny Sports Network named Jeff Finke as the Player of the Game.

With the win, the Tigers increased their section record to 8-2 to take a one-half game lead over Pine-Richland who will play Butler this afternoon.  The overall NA mark improved to 14-8 on the season.  The Tigers will travel to Butler on Tuesday night to meet the Tornado in a section contest with game time set for 7:30 pm.

Box Score
Photo Gallery

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 40  NEW CASTLE - 37

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MT. LEBANON DROPS TIGERS, 44-37

The Tigers traveled to Mt. Lebanon for a non-section contest on Tuesday night and were defeated by the Blue Devils, 44-37.  Senior Jon Masuga scored fourteen points to pace NA while Shane Phillips had 14 for Lebo.

The Tigers played the Blue Devils even in the first half.  After NA took a 10-9 lead after one quarter, Lebo came back to tie the game, 18-18, at halftime.  The game was won in the third quarter when Mt. Lebanon outscored NA, 16-7, to take a 34-25 advantage into the final period. 

With the loss, the NA overall record fell to 13-8 on the season.  The Tigers will host New Castle on Friday night in a key Section 3 battle.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 7:45 pm.  Game time is scheduled for 8:00pm.

GAME SUMMARY
MT. LEBANON - 44  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 37

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PINE-RICHLAND CONTROLS TIGERS, 51-32

The Pine-Richland Rams took an early lead and never trailed as they defeated the Tigers, 51-32, at Pine-Richland on Friday night.  Senior Phil Hoffmann led the Tigers with 13 points.  Brett Matson had 18 and Eric Duerr added 16 to pace the Rams.

The Rams scored the first six points of the game and kept the Tigers off the board for the first 4:27 of the contest on their way to a 13-5 lead after one quarter.  Pine-Richland built a 21-11 lead at the intermission and extended the margin to 34-21 after three quarters.  The Tigers rallied to cut the lead to 37-29 with 4:45 remaining but could get no closer.

The Tigers had a poor shooting night (28.6%) and had problems on the boards with the taller Rams, particularly when Hoffmann got into foul trouble early in the game.  NA won the first game between the two neighborhood rivals and had won five straight against the Rams.

With the loss, the NA lead in Section 3 fell to one half game.  The Tigers are now 7-2, the Rams, 6-2, in section play.  NA will travel to Mt. Lebanon on Tuesday night for a non-section game against the Blue Devils.  Game time is scheduled for 7:30 pm.

GAME SUMMARY
PINE-RICHLAND - 51  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 32

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TIGERS OUTLAST SENECA VALLEY FOR
60-56 VICTORY

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Senior Phil Hoffmann scored 20 points, 16 in the second half, to lead the Tigers to a hard-fought 60-56 victory over Seneca Valley at the Senior High gym on Tuesday night.  Senior Jon Masuga added 15 points and junior Ted Connolly twelve as NA won their third straight game.  Pat Heery had 17 points to pace the Raiders.

Junior Jeff Finke got the Tigers off and running with a triple just 21 seconds into the game.  The Raiders came back with a pair of hoops by Heery and a basket by Shawn Eagle to take a 6-3 lead.  Masuga answered with a long trey to tie the game at the 4:41 mark.  Heery scored again and Gabe Grinder drained a trey to push the Raiders back on top, 11-6.  After Masuga drove for a deuce, Heery scored his sixth point of the quarter to make it 13-8, before another trey by Masuga cut the lead to two.  Grinder was fouled on a three-point attempt but made only one of three from the line.  John Fitzgerald came off the Seneca bench to score on a driving layup, and Heery hit a jumper to push the margin to 18-11.  Hoffmann was able to get loose under the basket for a score to cut the margin to 18-13 after one quarter of play.

The Tigers came out strong in the second quarter with Connolly driving for a basket to cut the lead to three.  After Fitzgerald scored for the Raiders, Masuga stepped back for another long trey to make it a 20-18 game.  Connolly drove again to tie the score, but Fitzgerald answered to put SV back on top.  The Tigers kept battling back and Connolly's two free throws tied the game again, this time at 22-22.  Fitzgerald's put back regained the lead for the Raiders, but a drive by Masuga and one of two from the line by Connolly put the Tigers ahead, 25-24, with 4:27 left in the half.  After Connolly scored again, Grinder hit a triple to tie it at 27-27.  Connolly continued to get loose and drove for another basket to push NA ahead, 29-27.  Fitzgerald then hit his fourth hoop of the quarter to tie the game at 29-29 with 2:02 left.  C.J. Brown was able to hit a jumper to regain the lead for Seneca, but Hoffmann tied the game with a nice move under the hoop.  The teams went to the intermission tied at 31-31.

The teams traded hoops in the third quarter as neither squad could gain an advantage.  After Brown scored ten seconds into the quarter, Finke tied the game at 33-33.  After Hoffmann gave NA the lead, Finke hit a triple to put the Tigers ahead 38-33 at the 6:07 mark.  Seneca came back with hoops by Heery and Jarrett Shotts to cut the lead back to one.  After senior Adam Neugebauer drove the lane for two, Grinder nailed an NBA three to tie the game at 40-40 at the halfway point of the period.  Two free throws by Shotts put SV back on top, but Hoffmann answered to tie the game again with 1:30 remaining in the quarter.  Hoffmann's third hoop of the quarter gave NA the lead, and one of two from the line by Kevin Mayberry left the Tigers on top, 44-43, after three quarters of play.

Masuga and Brown traded baskets in the first minute of the fourth quarter as the Tigers continued to hold the one-point lead.  Hoffmann then took over under the basket scoring a deuce and completing a conventional three-point play to extend the NA advantage to six at 51-45 with 5:12 remaining in the game.  Hoffmann scored again a minute later as the Tigers took their biggest lead of the game at 53-45.  The Raiders were not finished, however, as they rallied to cut the lead to two.  A three by Brown and a three-point play by Heery made it a 53-51 game with 3:22 still on the clock.  With the Tigers slowing the pace, the Raiders began to foul.  Connolly made one of two free throws, and senior Ross Constantino made a pair from the stripe to push the lead to 56-51 with 1:36 left.  A hoop by Brown cut the lead to three, but Hoffmann answered with another pair from the line to push the margin back to five with 43.9 remaining.  A foul shot by Fitzpatrick and a basket by Heery cut the lead to two, 58-56, with 16.2 remaining.  After Hoffmann dropped in one of two from the line, the Raiders failed to score.  Finke was fouled on the rebound and made one of two from the line with 4.8 seconds on the clock to secure the victory.  It wasn't easy but the Tigers prevailed with a 60-56 win.

Both teams shot well in the first half with the Tigers hitting 14 of 25 (56.0%) and the Raiders making 12-21 (57.1%).  The shooting cooled somewhat in the second half with NA finishing with a total of 23 for 54 (42.6%) and SV 22 of 46 (47.8%).  It was a well played game with each team committing only seven turnovers despite full court pressure throughout the game.  For his efforts, particularly in the second half, the North Allegheny Sports Network named Phil Hoffmann as the Player of the Game. 

With the win, the Tigers improved their section record to 7-1, the overall mark to 13-6 on the season.  NA will travel to Pine-Richland on Friday night to meet the Rams in a key section battle.  Game time is set for 7:30 pm.

Box Score

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 60  SENECA VALLEY - 56

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TIGERS HOLD OFF SHALER, 51-40, TO
MAINTAIN SECTION LEAD

Box Score

The Tigers traveled to Shaler on Friday night and picked up an important road win with a 51-40 victory over the Titans.  Senior Ross Constantino scored 12 points and senior Phil Hoffmann added 10 as the Tigers rallied in the third quarter.  Dan Wirkowski had 14 points to pace the Titans.

The first half was a game of two completely different quarters.  The Tigers came out strong and took a 16-4 lead after one quarter.  The Titans came back, however, to take a 24-21 lead at halftime.  As has been the case in many of the games this year, the Tiger defense proved to be the difference in the second half as they held Shaler to just 16 points, eight in each quarter.  In the third quarter, it was NA retaking the lead, 41-32, going into the final period.  In a defensive fourth quarter, the Tigers outscored Shaler, 10-8, to preserve the victory.

With the win, the Tigers improved their section record to 6-1, the overall mark to 12-6 on the year.  In section play, NA now holds a one-game lead over Pine-Richland and leads both Shaler and North Hills by two games.  The Tigers will host Seneca Valley on Tuesday night at the Senior High gym as section play continues.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 7:15 pm.  Game time is scheduled for 7:30 pm.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 51  SHALER - 40

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TIGERS EDGE HEMPFIELD, 57-56

Junior Jeff Finke's block with seconds remaining preserved the Tigers' 57-56 non-section victory at Hempfield on Tuesday night.  Junior Ted Connolly scored 19 points and senior Jon Masuga added 12 to pace the Tigers.  Center Joe Sunder tallied 23 points to lead the Spartans.

It was a wild game with six ties, nine lead changes and 19 three-point baskets by the two teams.  Hempfield took an early 12-9 lead after one quarter, but the Tigers cut it to 28-27 at halftime.  A strong third quarter put NA on top, 49-41, going into the final period.  The lead went to 13 early in the fourth quarter, but Hempfield battled back.  Sunder made one of two from the line with 12.8 seconds left to cut the lead to one.  After three turnovers in the last seconds of the game, Hempfield got the ball in the NA end with a chance to win.  Sunder took the inbounds pass but Finke came from behind to bat the ball away and secure the victory.

With the win, the Tigers improved their overall record to 11-6 on the year.  NA will travel to Shaler on Friday night as second half action begins in Section 3.  Game time is scheduled for 7:30 pm for this important section contest.

(Thanks to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Pittsburgh Tribune-Review for information in this report!)

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 57  HEMPFIELD - 56

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McKEESPORT TOPS TIGERS, 63-49

To listen to a replay of the game, click here!

The McKeesport Tigers took the lead early in the first quarter on their way to a 63-49 victory over NA at the Senior High gym on Monday night.  Senior Jon Masuga and junior Jeff Finke both hit four triples good for 12 points as the Tigers totaled eleven treys.  Devon Alexander led McKeesport with 14 points.

Masuga hit his opening trey to give NA a 3-0 lead, but McKeesport came back with two quick hoops by Quinton Harding and Alexander to take the lead for good at 4-3.  Harding hit a trey and a drive to make it 9-3 with 5:03 remaining.  Hoffmann drove into the lane for a short jumper, and junior Steve Kirsch hit a long triple to cut the lead to 9-8 with 3:56 left.  It would be the closest the Tigers would come for the remainder of the game.  Vince Wassall scored on a short banker, Shadrae King hit a baseline jumper, Alexander scored again and 6-10 sophomore Zeke Marshall scored from in close as they lead went to 17-9.  Masuga hit another long trey as time ran out in the first quarter, but McKeesport took a 17-12 lead after one period of play.

Dontel Sayles came off the McKeesport bench to drain a trey just 17 seconds into the second quarter.  After Kirsch dropped in two free throws, Marshall answered with two from the line to make it 22-14.  Sophomore Damian Founds was fouled on a drive and made one of two, and Hoffman followed with his second hoop of the game to cut the lead to 22-17 at the 3:56 mark.  A dunk by Harding, a basket by Wassall and a foul shot by Alexander gave McKeesport a ten point lead at 27-27.  After junior Ted Connolly converted on one of two free throws, another free throw by Alexander and a hoop by King pushed the margin to 30-18.  Senior Ross Constantino answered with a triple, but Sayles second trey with 34.5 left gave McKeesport a 33-21 advantage at the intermission.

The Tigers came out hard in the third quarter and threatened to get back in the game.  After Wassell opened the scoring, Finke hit his first triple to cut the lead to 35-24 at the 5:12 mark.  Harding made one of two from the line, but Finke followed with his second trey to cut the lead to single digits at 36-27.  Junior point guard Marvese Byrd answered with a triple, but Hoffman came back with a conventional three-point play on a putback and a foul shot to cut the margin to 39-30 with 2:43 remaining in the period.  Alexander scored from under the basket, but Masuga then hit another trey to make it a 41-33 game.  After a McKeesport miss, the Tigers had a chance to get closer.  A turnover gave the ball back and Jordan Harper drove for a layup to restore the ten point advantage at 43-33 as the quarter ended.

In the fourth quarter, the Tigers kept battling but could get no closer than eight points.  Baskets by Harper and Sayles gave McKeesport its biggest lead at 47-33, but Finke drained a trey to cut it to 47-36 with 5:52 remaining.  After Harper hit two foul shots, Finke answered with another triple to make it a 49-39 game.  Alexander got loose under the basket to score, but again the Tigers answered with a triple by Masuga to cut the margin to 51-42.  A hoop by Alexander was matched by a basket by junior Jeff Haus.  After two foul shots by Alexander, Masuga drained his fourth trey of the game to cut the lead to 55-47 with 2:15 remaining.  After King scored, Haus scored again to make it a 57-49 game with 1:45 remaining.  NA would not score again as McKeesport closed out the contest with field goals by King and Harper along with two free throws by Byrd.  McKeesport finished with a 63-49 victory.

It was a tough game for the Tigers against a much taller McKeesport squad.  McKeesport finished shooting 50.0% from the field on 24 for 48.  McKeesport also outrebounded the Tigers, 46-28, for the game.  For his efforts in keeping the Tigers in the game, the North Allegheny Sports Network selected Jeff Finke as the Player of the Game.

With the loss, the Tigers' overall mark dropped to 10-6 on the season.  NA will travel to Hempfield tonight to meet the Spartans in a 7:30 pm non-section contest.

Box Score

GAME SUMMARY
McKEESPORT - 63  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 49

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NORTH HILLS RALLIES TO UPSET TIGERS, 38-33

North Hills used a 12-3 fourth quarter run to defeat the Tigers, 38-33, at North Hills on Friday night.  Junior Ted Connolly led NA with 13 points as the Tigers dropped their first section game.  Dante Anglin paced North Hills with 13 points.

The Tigers built a 12-5 lead after one quarter and extended the margin to 22-13 at halftime.  The third quarter was big for the Indians as they held NA to just 3 points and cut the lead to 25-21. In the final minutes of the game, Cody Patton scored seven points to lead a NH rally that pulled out the victory.

With the loss, the NA section record fell to 5-1, the overall mark to 10-5.  The Tigers will host McKeesport on Monday night in a non-section game.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 7:45 pm.  Game time is scheduled for 8:00 pm.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH HILLS - 38  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 33

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TIGERS TOPPLE BUTLER, 49-39, FOR FIFTH STRAIGHT SECTION WIN

To listen to a replay of the game, click here!

Senior Jon Masuga scored 12 points and senior Phil Hoffmann added eleven to lead the Tigers to a 49-39 victory over Butler at the Senior High gym on Tuesday night.  The win was the fifth straight for the Tigers in section play without a loss.  Mike Pratkanis scored 17 to pace Butler.

Pratkanis got Butler off to a quick start with a hoop just 23 seconds into the game, but Hoffmann answered to tie the game.  After Sean Lowry put the Tornado ahead again, Masuga drove and tied the game at 4-4.  Again, Pratkanis scored from under the basket but Hoffmann answered again to tie the game.  Christos Klutinoty drained a trey to give Butler a 9-6 advantage at the 2:40 mark.  Junior Jeff Finke came off the NA bench to hit a triple to tie the game, and senior Ross Constantino knocked down another three to put NA on top, 12-9.  Lowry came back with a conventional three-point play with 1:35 remaining to tie the game at 12-12.  With 12.5 on the clock, Hoffmann scored his third hoop of the contest to put the Tigers on top, 14-12, after one quarter.

The teams played on even terms in the second quarter.  After Pratkanis made two from the line, Hoffmann tipped in a rebound to put NA ahead, 16-14.  Pratkanis stepped behind the line to hit a trey to push Butler back on top, 17-16.  Junior Ted Connolly drove the lane for two to regain the lead for the Tigers with 5:20 remaining in the half.  Two more free throws by Pratkanis and a triple by Lowry gave Butler a 22-18 lead.  The Tigers rallied, however, as Connelly scored again and junior Steve Kirsch dropped in one of two from the line to cut the lead to 22-21.  With 18.6 left in the quarter, Masuga hit a long trey to give NA a 24-22 lead at the intermission.

Once again, the Tigers turned up the second half defensive pressure holding Butler to just six third quarter points.  NA came out strong after the break and scored the first seven points of the period on a triple by Masuga and two-point baskets by sophomore Damian Founds and Hoffmann as the Tiger lead went to 31-22.  After a Butler time out, Pratkanis dropped in a pair of baskets to cut the NA advantage to 31-26.  Kirsch came back with a hoop, but Nick Rossmiller answered for Butler as the score went to 33-28 with 1:57 remaining in the quarter.  Founds finished off the scoring in the period with three of four from the stripe as the Tigers took a 36-28 advantage into the final quarter.

The Tigers slowed the pace in the fourth quarter.  After Pratkanis hit two free throws early, NA did not score until Masuga hit a triple to push the margin to 39-30 with 4:36 remaining in the game.  One of two from the line by Cory Fleeger cut it to 39-31, but Hoffman answered with one of two foul shots, and Finke hit two more to give the Tigers a 42-31 lead with just 1:07 remaining.  The game became a foul shooting contest over the final minute with the Tigers making 7 of 11 down the stretch to secure the victory.

It was a good team effort by the Tigers particularly on the defensive end.  NA held Butler to 15 of 41 from the floor for 30.1%.  In addition, the NA full court press forced 18 Butler turnovers.  For his efforts at both ends of the court, the North Allegheny Sports Network selected Phil Hoffmann as the Player of the Game.

The win improved the NA section record to 5-0, the overall mark to 10-4 on the season.  The Tigers will travel to North Hills on Friday night to meet the rival Indians in a 7:30 pm section contest.

Box Score

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 49  BUTLER - 39

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TIGERS KNOCK OFF NEW CASTLE, 44-29, TO
REMAIN UNBEATEN IN SECTION

Box Score

The Tigers ran their section record to 4-0 with a 44-29 victory at New Castle on Friday night.  Junior Jeff Finke led NA with fifteen points on five triples.  Nick Colella had 11 to pace the 'Canes.

After the first quarter ended in a 9-9 tie, the Tigers took a 24-19 lead at halftime.  In the second half, the NA defense took over, holding New Castle to just three points in the third quarter and seven in the fourth.  The Tigers extended the halftime margin to 33-22 after three quarters.  A last quarter advantage of 11-7 gave NA a 44-29 victory.

The Tigers will host Butler in a section game on Tuesday night.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 7:15 pm.  Game time at the Senior High gym is set for 7:30 pm.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 44  NEW CASTLE - 29

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TIGERS ROLL OVER WOODLAND HILLS, 68-43

To listen to a replay of the game, click here!

Senior forward Phil Hoffmann scored 17 points to lead the Tigers to an easy 68-43 non-section victory over Woodland Hills at the Senior High gym on Tuesday night.  Junior Ted Connolly added ten points with senior Adam Neugebauer and junior Steve Kirsch chipping in with nine each.  Ryan Lee and Michael Dykes had ten each to pace the Wolverines.

The Tigers had trouble scoring early with Hoffmann's hoop the only points NA scored in the first 4:36 of the contest.  Two baskets by Dykes and one of two from the line by Antoine Flowers put the Wolverines on top, 5-2, at the 4:37 mark.  After Hoffman scored again to cut the lead to 5-4, Kirsch hit a trey, was fouled, and converted on the four-point play to put the Tigers ahead, 8-5.  Tyron Manns and Robert Mitchell answered for WH as the Wolverines went back on top, 9-8.  After junior Jeff Finke scored on a driving layup, Lee drove for a hoop to give Woody High their last lead of the game at 11-10 at the 1:48 mark.  Hoffman scored on a reverse layup and added the foul shot for a three-point play that put NA on top for good, 13-11.  The Tigers scored the next seven points on a three by senior Ross Constantino and two-pointers by sophomore Jeff Haus and Connolly as NA opened a 20-11 lead after one quarter.

The Tigers opened the second quarter on an 11-0 run to extend the lead to 31-11 midway through the period.  Hoffman scored a pair of hoops, Connolly intercepted a pass and took it the length of the court, senior Jon Masuga drove for a basket, and Finke drained a trey during the run.  The Wolverines came back to score the next six, as Dykes dropped in four straight foul shots, two on an NA technical foul.  Manns' basket at the 2:04 mark cut the margin to 31-17.  After junior Dan Kusnyer scored from just inside the arc, Mitchell answered to make it 33-19.  Hoffman drove for yet another basket before Lee's two foul shots cut the margin to 35-21 with just 55.7 left in the half.  Sophomore Damian Founds drove the lane and scored, and Neugebauer hit a triple as time ran out to push the Tiger advantage to 40-21 at the intermission.  In the first half, Woodland Hills committed 18 turnovers to help the NA cause.

The scoring slowed in the third quarter.  After Lee drove for a short banker, Neugebauer banked in a rebound, and Hoffman scored from under the hoop to make it a 44-23 game.  After Lee scored again, Kirsch drained a trey to push the margin to 47-25, the largest NA lead of the game to this point with 4:35 remaining.  The Wolverines rallied behind two hoops by Mitchell, and two free throws by Dykes to cut the lead to 47-31.  After Kusnyer hit a deuce, Daryl Jones came off the bench to score on a driving layup and Lee scored again to make it a 49-35 game with 1:32 remaining in the quarter.  Masuga then hit a layup and a foul shot, and Connolly drove for two as the Tigers took a commanding 54-35 lead into the final period.

Baskets by Neugebauer and Masuga pushed the lead to 58-35 before Antoine Flowers knocked down a triple to cut the lead to twenty.  It was the only three of the game for WH in thirteen tries.  Hoops by Hoffmann, Neugebauer and Connolly extended the lead to 64-38 with 5:19 remaining.  The Wolverines came back with two free throws by Dorian Lane and a Hoop by Tom Dinkens as the score went to 64-42.  Connolly added another field goal and Kirsch two free throws as the Tigers went on to the easy 68-43 victory.

Statistically, the Tigers dominated, making 29 of 67 from the floor hitting at a 43.3% clip.  Woodland Hills made 15 of 44 for 34.1% although the Wolverines were 12 of 14 from the foul line.  The key stat was in the 27 turnovers committed by the visitors.  For his efforts, the North Allegheny Sports Network named Phil Hoffmann as the Player of the Game.

With the win, the Tigers improved their overall record to 8-4 on the season.  NA will travel to New Castle on Friday night to meet the 'Canes as section play resumes.  Game time is scheduled for 7:30 pm.

Box Score

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 68  WOODLAND HILLS - 43

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

WPIAL BOYS' BASKETBALL - 2006-2007

The Tigers will compete again in Class AAAA along with 28 other teams.  WPIAL boys' basketball section competition will begin on December 4-5, 2006, and must be completed according to the schedule.  In Quad A, four teams from each section will enter the WPIAL tournament.  The top four teams and ties for fourth place will enter the team tournament set to begin on February 16th.  If two teams tie for fourth place but one of the teams has won both head to head contests, that team will enter the tournament.  Three way or multiple ties will be broken in the following manner:

1.  The cumulative section won-lost records of the tied teams will be totaled.
2.  The team that has the best numerical record among the tied teams will enter post-season play.
3.  If the tie cannot clearly be broken, all will enter post-season play.

In Quad A, six teams will enter the PIAA tournament.  PIAA bracket placement will be determined on a "Follow the winner" basis.

WPIAL BOYS' BASKETBALL ALIGNMENT

QUAD-A - 29 TEAMS

Any questions or comments should be directed to Athletic Director Bob Bozzuto at:  bbozzuto@northallegheny.org