Welcome to the
NORTH ALLEGHENY SPORTS NETWORK

The Official Source of North Allegheny Sports
 

File Photo Courtesy of NA Men's Basketball Website

TIGER COACH DE GREGORIO NAMED CO-COACH OF THE YEAR

Tiger Head Coach Dave DeGregorio was named as the Co-Coach of the Year in the PIAA Quad A along with Chad Landis of Bethlehem Liberty.  DeGregorio led the Tigers to their best ever finish in the state tournament as they reached the semifinals before losing to eventual champion, Plymouth-Whitemarsh.  Sophomore guard Anthony Dallier was selected to the PG North Fabulous Five for his play throughout the season.

CONGRATULATIONS TO COACH DE GREGORIO AND TO ANTHONY DALLIER!

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

COUNAHAN SCORES 30, GRABS MVP AT ALL-STAR GAME

Senior guard Jack Counahan scored 30 points for the WPIAL All-Stars in the Hoops for the Cure All-Star game at Chartiers Valley on Friday night.  The Class AAA All-Stars defeated the WPIAL Stars, 124-106, in the contest.  Counahan was named the MVP for the WPIAL team.

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

STRONG SECOND HALF BY PLYMOUTH-WHITEMARSH ENDS TIGERS' SEASON

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

The Tigers trailed by only two at halftime of the PIAA Quad A Semifinals at Chambersburg High School on Wednesday night, but a strong second half surge by Plymouth-Whitemarsh gave the Colonials a 71-47 victory a a berth in the state final.  Sophomore guard Anthony Dallier led NA with 18 points with senior guard Jack Counahan adding 12 and junior guard Steve Ferringer eight for the Tigers. 

Neither team shot well in the early going, but the Colonials took advantage of several NA turnovers to take a 5-0 lead.  Jaylen Bond opened the scoring with one of two from the line and added a air of layups as P-W led by five at the 2:50 mark of the contest.  Dallier finally got the Tigers off and running with a pair of foul shots.  With NA trailing 5-2, the Tigers forced some Colonial turnovers.  Dallier came back with a long triple to tie the game at 5-5 and then gave NA its first and only lead of the game at 8-5 with another long trey.  Brandon Dixon stole and ball and scored to cut the margin to 8-7.  6-10 Senior center C.J. Dixon followed with a layup to put the Colonials back ahead at 9-8 with 2:10 remaining in the quarter.  NA continued to turn the ball over and Whis Grant made the Tigers pay with a triple from the left side to make it a 12-8 game.  Aiken added another layup to close out the first quarter scoring with Plymouth-Whitemarsh holding a 14-8 advantage.  NA committed ten turnovers in the first quarter.

The Tigers settled down in the second quarter and committed just one more miscue by halftime.  Ferringer drove the baseline and scored on a reverse layup to cut the lead to 14-10 early in the quarter, but Sam Pygatt answered with a trey.  Senior forward Ryan Besonson came back with a triple from the left corner to cut the margin to 17-13.  After Grant scored on a layup, Counahan hit one of two from the line, and Dallier tipped in a rebound to make it a 19-16 game.  Bond answered with one of two from the line, and Pygatt scored on a driving layup to push the lead to 22-16.  The Tigers came back again, however, to tie the game.  Counahan drained a long trey and Ferringer put back a rebound to cut the lead to 22-21.  Junior guard Anton Constantino followed with one of two from the stripe to tie the game at 22-22 with 1:31 left in the half.  Bond was able to put back a rebound with 1:10 remaining to give the Colonials a 24-22 lead at the intermission.  In the first half, NA was 7 of 19 from the field including 4 of 11 from beyond the arc.  P-W was just 10 of 26.

The second half belonged to Jaylen Bond who scored 18 of his game high 26 points in the half, including 12 in the third quarter when the P-W junior took control of the game.  The Colonials scored the first eight points of the half to take a 32-22 lead.  Two layups and a jumper from the foul line by Bond and a dunk by Aiken accounted for the 8-0 advantage.  After Ferringer scored to end the run, the Colonials were at it again scoring the next eight points.  A pair of layups and put back by Bond and a layup by Pygatt gave P-W a 40-24 lead with 2:00 still remaining in the period.  Constantino ended this run with a trey but there was no stopping the Colonial fast break.  Fast break layups by Pygatt and Marcus Badger in the last minute of play gave the Colonials a commanding 44-27 edge with time running out in the period.  Ferringer finally got the Tigers on the board with five seconds left to close out the scoring with P-W ahead, 44-29, going into the final quarter.

After a layup by Jaylen Bond and a free throw by Julian Bond opened the fourth quarter scoring, Counahan hit a short jumper to make it a 47-31 game.  After Jaylen Bond scored again from in close, Dallier drained a trey to cut the margin to 49-34 as NA began to close the margin.  A layup by Pygatt was answered by a driving layup from Counahan.  After Grant hit one of two from the line to make it 52-36, Dallier drove and scored to cut the lead to fourteen.  Dallier followed with a traditional three-point play to make it 52-41 with 4:08 still left.  Aiken was fouled and missed the front end of the one and one.  The Tigers had two chances to cut the lead into single digits but failed to convert.  In the last four minutes, the Colonials recaptured the momentum and went on to the 24-point victory.  During the stretch, Aiken had a pair of dunks and missed another that rebounded all the way into the P-W bench.  Besonson added a put back and Counahan hit four straight from the line, but P-W was able to close out the victory with a 71-47 win.  The Colonials were 20 of 25 from the field in the second half in pulling away for the win.

The size of the Colonials hurt the Tigers particularly in the second half.  NA finished with 16 for 48 (33.3%) from the field with 6 for 19 (31.6%) from beyond the arc.  From the line, NA converted 9 of 13 (69.2%).  P-W made 30 of 51 (58.8%), many from close range.  From three-point land, the Colonials were 2 of 7 (28.6%).  Foul shooting may hurt P-W in the state final as they were just 9 for 21 (42.9%).  NA committed 18 turnovers and forced 15, but the Colonials were able to score 24 points off miscues while the Tigers converted only 10 points.  The biggest discrepancy was in the paint were P-W outscored NA, 50-16, while outrebounding the Tigers, 47-37.  Nineteen of the Colonial rebounds was on the offensive boards.  P-W also outran the Tigers , outscoring NA, 18-0, in fast break points.  Individually, Dallier was six for 14 from the field, 3 for 5 from three-point range, while pulling down eight rebounds.  For his efforts, Anthony Dallier was named the Player of the Game by the North Allegheny Sports Network.  Jaylen Bond hit on 12 of 13 from the field and posted 12 rebounds and three steals for the winning Colonials.

The loss ended a great run by the Tigers in the state playoffs and gave them a final record of 23-6 on the season.  The trip to the PIAA semifinals marked the farthest that any NA team had gone in the state playoffs.

Box Score

GAME SUMMARY
PLYMOUTH-WHITEMARSH - 71  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 47

PIAA CLASS AAAA PLAYOFFS

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

TIGERS KNOCK OFF GATEWAY, 64-52,
TO ADVANCE TO PIAA SEMIFINALS

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

The Tigers continued their PIAA playoff run with a 64-52 victory over Gateway in the Quad A quarterfinals at Chartiers Valley on Saturday afternoon.  Four Tigers recorded double figures led by senior forward Ryan Besonson's 15.  Junior guard Anton Constantino added 13, senior guard Jack Counahan and sophomore guard Anthony Dallier 10 each for the winning Tigers.

Both teams had trouble scoring early as defenses dominated.  Besonson got loose for a layup to give NA a 2-0 lead, but Craig Banks answered with another layup to tie the game less than a minute into the contest.  Besonson drove and scored on a reverse layup to put the Tigers back on top before Gateway scored the next eight points to take a 10-4 lead.  A layup by Matt Miles, a hoop by Devon Cottrell, a put back by Mike Kromka and a layup by Tyler Scott sparked the Gator run.  The Tigers finally broke the streak with Constantino drilling a long trey with 1:13 remaining.  Dallier's two free throws cut the margin to 10-9 after one quarter.

The Tiger defense continued to stymie Gateway holding them off the board for a period of over five minutes starting with 3:20 remaining in the first period allowing NA to retake the lead.  A reverse layup by Counahan put the Tigers back ahead, 11-10, with 6:08 left in the quarter.  On the play, Cottrell left the game with an ankle injury and did not return in the first half.  Less than a minute later, Counahan hit a jumper to push the margin to 13-10.  The Gators rallied, however, to regain the lead on a dunk by 6-9 sophomore Barnett Harris, two free throws and a layup by Scott to make it a 16-13 game.  The NA long range game came to life at this point to give the Tigers the lead for good.  After making only one of their first eleven three-point attempts, senior guard Ben Colabrese tied the game with a triple from the left corner.  Senior guard Jake Wrigley followed with another trey from the right corner to put the Tigers on top, 19-16.  Harris came back with a tip in to cut the lead to one.  A put back by Besonson extended the lead to three.  With 1:19 remaining, Dallier drilled a three from NBA range to give the Tigers a 24-18 advantage at the intermission.

The Gators came out strong in the third quarter and made several runs at the NA lead.  Cottrell returned but was ineffective in the half.  After Besonson drove and scored to push the lead to 26-18, Scott hit a triple and Harris scored on a driving layup to cut the margin to three just 1:13 into the quarter.  NA answered with two quick hoops by Besonson on a pair of layups as the lead went back to seven at 30-23.  Scott came back with a layup, but junior guard Steve Ferringer hit a triple from the right corner to push the margin to 33-26.  After Dallier made one of two from the line, Harris' dunk cut the lead back to six.  The three-ball continued to be a big weapon for NA as Constantino found the range from the right corner to give the Tigers their biggest lead of the game at 37-28 with 3:42 remaining in the period.  A layup by Kromka and a triple by Scott brought the Gators back to within four at 37-33.  As they did all afternoon, the Tigers had the answer again as Constantino drained another trey to push the lead to 40-33 with 1:50 remaining.  The Gators stayed closed, however, as Anthony Keel drove for a layup and added one for two from the line as the Tiger lead was reduced to 40-36 after three quarters of play. 

Early in the fourth quarter, Ferringer drove and scored with Colabrese putting back a rebound to push the lead to 44-36 just 1:03 into the final stanza.  Foul shots by Kromka and Keel, along with a put back by Harris, brought the Gators to within four at 44-40.  Dallier stole the ball and scored to extend the margin to six with 5:42 remaining.  A pair of layups by Scott and Keel made it a two-point game.  Once again, the Tigers answered quickly with Ferringer scoring a layup and adding the free throw to make it a 49-44 game with 4:33 still left.  Banks had a chance to cut into the lead but missed a dunk with the rebound caroming all the way to the middle of the court.  A put back by Dallier and one of two from the stripe by Counahan gave the Tigers an eight point advantage, 52-44, with 3:39 left.   After Harris dropped in a pair of foul shots and Banks hit one of two from the line, the Tigers slowed the pace forcing Gateway to foul.  Down the stretch, NA made 12 of 14 free throws to secure the victory.  Counahan and Besonson both hit five of six from the line with Constantino adding a pair as NA extended the lead to 64-50 with 15.7 remaining in the game.  Scott finished the scoring with a spectacular dunk but it was too little, too late for the Gators as the Tigers moved on to the semifinals with the 64-52 victory. 

It was another hard-fought team victory for the Tigers who used tough defense to slow a bigger, stronger Gateway team.  The Tigers forced 21 turnovers that gave NA numerous chances at layups and easy scores.  On offense, the Tigers kept the ball away from the Gateway shot blockers that had swatted away 19 NA attempts in the first game.  On this occasion, only Harris had a pair of blocks for the Gators.  For his efforts throughout the game, the North Allegheny Sports Network named Ryan Besonson as the Player of the Game.   

The win was sweet revenge against a Gateway team that had ended the Tigers' hopes for a WPIAL title in the semifinals.  With the victory, the overall NA victory improved to 23-5 on the season.  The Tigers will play eastern power Plymouth-Whitemarsh, a 54-46 winner of Philadelphia Roman Catholic in the other Western Region semifinal.  The site and time for Wednesday's game have not been announced.

Box Score
Photo Gallery

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 64  GATEWAY - 52

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

TIGERS UPSET #1 LEBO, 52-48, TO ADVANCE
TO PIAA QUARTERFINALS

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

The Tigers rallied late in the fourth quarter to overtake #1 Mt. Lebanon and defeat the Blue Devils, 52-48, in the PIAA Second Round at Baldwin High School on Wednesday night.  Senior Jack Counahan led NA with 18 points with sophomore guard Anthony Dallier adding 14 and junior guard Steve Ferringer nine for the winning Tigers.  NA led for most of the game until a Lebo rally led to a four-point lead with 2:38 left.  After Counahan's triple cut the margin to one, Ferringer's layup gave NA the lead for good with 1:15 remaining as NA scored the game's last eight points.

As they did in the first round, the Tigers jumped off to an early lead.  Senior Ben Colabrese got NA off an running with a driving layup and Dallier drilled a three from the right corner to make it a 5-0 NA lead just 1:15 into the contest.  After Lebo point guard Luke Hagy drove for a layup, Dallier tipped in a rebound to make it a 7-2 game.  Mt. Lebanon's 6-8 center Deion Turman added one of two from the line, but junior guard Anton Contantino drove for a hoop to push the margin to 9-3.  Ferringer followed with a triple from the right corner to extend the margin to 12-3 with 2:40 remaining.  Lebo answered with a fast break layup by Evan Pierce and a put back by 6-8 Grant Latus to cut the lead to 12-7 with 1:40 on the first quarter clock.  After senior guard Jake Wrigley hit one of two from the stripe, Latus put back another rebound to cut the NA lead to 13-9 after one quarter of play.

The Tigers continued to lead in the second quarter although Lebo came back to play the Tigers on even terms.  The Blue Devils' Evan Eaton opened the scoring in the period with a driving layup to cut the lead to two.  Counhan answered with his first trey of the game to make it 16-11 at the 1:18 mark of the stanza.  Hagy followed with a drive down the middle, but Counahan drained another long trey to push the margin to 19-13.  Pierce followed with an underhanded scoop shot and added the foul shot to make it a three-point game.  Lebo's Paul Lang was fouled but missed the front of a one-and one.  Turman was able to get loose under the hoop for a layup to cut the NA lead to one at 19-18.  Once again, the Tigers had the answer as Ferringer hit his second triple from the right corner to push the lead to 22-18 with 2:42 remaining in the half.  Once again, Lang was fouled but missed both attempts.  Dallier came back with a driving layup to make it 24-18 with 2:12 left.  Hagy was able to drop in one of two from the line but the half ended with the Tigers holding a 24-20 advantage.

Early in the second half, Counahan banked in a short jumper along the base line to push the lead to six just ten seconds into the third quarter.  After Turman put back a rebound, Hagy stole the ball and scored to make it a 26-24 game.  The Tigers answered with a Dallier steal and layup along with another triple by Counahan as NA increased the margin to 31-24.  After a Lebo time out, a free throw by Eaton and a jumper by Pierce cut the lead to 31-27.  After Dallier hit a pair from the line, Pierce drilled a triple and Latus threw down a dunk to cut the margin to one with 2:48 left in the half.  Senior Ryan Besonson answered with one of two foul shots, and Dallier scored in the paint to restore a four-point lead with 1:50 left.  Lebo was not finished, however, as Turman stuffed a deuce, Lang made one of two from the line, and Eaton drove the middle to score on a layup as the Blue Devils took their first lead of the game at 37-36 with 10 seconds remaining.  The Tigers were unable to score in the remaining time as Mt. Lebanon took a one-point lead into the final quarter. 

After Eaton opened the scoring with a driving layup early in the fourth quarter, Ferringer converted on one of two from the line.  After a Lebo miss, Constantino drilled a triple from the left corner to put NA back on top at 40-39 with 5:57 left.  Peirce answered with a trey from straight away to regain the lead for Lebo at 42-40.  Turman had a chance to increase the margin but missed two free throws with 4:58 remaining.  Pierce followed with a jumper to push the margin to four at 44-40 .  Counahan came back with a jumper in the paint, but Pierce again had the answer to make it a 46-42 game with 3:12 on the clock.  Constantino brought NA back to within two with a driving layup as the clock dipped under three minutes to go.  Pierce continued to be a one-man Lebo attack as he scored again on a drive to extend the lead to 48-44 with 2:35 remaining in the game.  Mt. Lebanon would not score again.  With 1:55 left and Lebo playing an extended 1-3-1 zone, Counahan hit a key triple to cut the lead to one at 48-47.  On the next NA possession, Counahan drove and dropped the ball off to Ferringer who scored on the layup to push the Tigers back ahead by one.  After a Lebo miss, Dallier could not convert the front end of a one-and-one as the Blue Devils got another chance to tie.  Good defense on Pierce forced a pass to Hagy who missed a three.  A long rebound gave Mike Martin another chance to tie the game but his shot also missed.  Dallier grabbed the rebound with 1.2 left and was fouled.  This time, the NA sophomore hit the first to secure the victory.

The win may have been the biggest in NA basketball history.  The Tigers advanced to the WPIAL final twice, in 1995 and 1999, but did not win the title.  NA has never won three PIAA games in the same year and has never gone on to the PIAA quarterfinals.  It was a great team effort by the Tigers as they move on to the next round.

Several statistics were key in the win.  The Tigers hit 8 of 19 (42.1%) from three point range and 8 for 13 (61.5%) from the line. From the field, NA was 18 of 49 (36.7%). Lebo outrebounded NA but only by a 40-33 margin.  Also, Lebo was just 6 for 21 (28.6%) from the line and two for 14 (14.3%) from beyond the arc.  NA forced 15 Mt. Lebanon turnovers in the game.  Individually, Counahan was six for 16 form the field, 4 for 10 from three point land, and two for two from the stripe.  With his seven points key in the fourth quarter, the North Allegheny Sports Network named Jack Counahan as the Player of the Game.  Special kudos to the NA defense, particularly Ferringer and Wrigley.  Lebo's Paul Lang was held to one point, point guard Luke Hagy to just 4 and 6-8 center Deion Turman to eight.  

With the win, NA improved to 22-5 on the season and advanced to the PIAA quarterfinals against Gateway on Saturday.  The site and time of game have not been announced.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet with the pre-game show scheduled for fifteen minutes before the opening tip.

Box Score
Photo Gallery

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY  - 52  MT. LEBANON - 48

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

TIGERS ROLL OVER ERIE STRONG VINCENT, 74-59, IN FIRST ROUND OF PIAA PLAYOFFS

Box Score

The Tigers jumped off to a 23-7 lead after one quarter and never looked back on their way to a 74-59 victory over Erie Strong Vincent in the first round of the PIAA Quad A playoffs at Edinboro on Saturday night.  Sophomore guard Anthony Dallier tallied 26 to to pace NA with senior forward Ryan Besonson adding 15 for the winning Tigers.

It was all NA early as the Tiger press earned them an early 13-1 lead mainly from turnovers.  After the 16 point edge in the first quarter, the Colonels rebounded in the second period to outscore the Tigers, 21-18, but NA still held a commanding 41-28 lead at the intermission.  In the third quarter, the Tigers increased the margin to 55-39 going into the final period.  With the NA bench seeing a lot of playing time in the final stanza, the Colonels outscored the Tigers, 20-18, but it was not close to enough as NA coasted to the victory.

Turnovers proved to be key, particularly early in the game when the Tigers built the big lead.  In the first quarter, NA scored 15 points off Strong Vincent miscues and finished with a 24-15 edge in that category.  The Tigers shot well from the field making 24- of 57 (41.2%)although they hit on only5 of 18 (27.8%) from three-point land.  NA was tough on the boards as well outrebounding the Colonels, 59 to 35, with a 38-26 edge in points in the paint.  The Tiger bench outscored the Erie team, 15-7.  Dallier recorded another double double with 13 rebounds to go with his 26 points.  Dallier also converted 11 of 12 from the line.  Besonson made 7 of 8 from the field, with junior guard Anton Constantino leading with five steals and senior guard Ben Colabrese adding four takeaways.  Constantino also added 8 rebounds and four assists to the Tiger cause.

With the win, the Tigers advanced to the second round of the playoffs against WPIAL Champion Mt. Lebanon.  at Baldwin High School on Wednesday night at 7:00 pm.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet with the pre-game show at 6:45 pm.

Photo Gallery

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 74  ERIE STRONG VINCENT - 59

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

COUNAHAN LEADS TIGERS OVER CARRICK,
74-57, IN PIAA OPENER

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

Senior guard Jack Counahan sent home 29 points, including eight three-point field goals, to lead the Tigers to a 74-57 victory over City League opponent Carrick in the preliminary round of the PIAA Quad A playoffs at the Senior High gym on Tuesday night.  Sophomore guard Anthony Dallier added 17 and junior guard Anton Constantino 12 as NA improved their overall record to 20-5 on the season.

Carrick came into the game ready to play and took an early lead.  Michael Talton put back a rebound to give the Raiders the early 2-0 lead before Constantino drained a trey from the left side.  Talton answered with a layup to make it a 4-3 Carrick lead just 1:10 into the contest.  After Rasheed McKamey hit a baseline jumper, Dallier made two from the line to cut the margin to 6-5.  Jordan Wilson came back with a triple to give the Raiders their biggest lead of the game at 9-5.  After Dallier hit two more from the line, Counahan drained his first trey of the game to give NA their first lead at 10-9 with 3:30 remaining in the period.  Senior forward Ryan Besonson stole the ball and scored to push the margin to 12-9.  Talton came back with a layup and added a pair of free throws to push Carrick back ahead by one.  It would be the last lead of the game for the visitors.  Counahan hit another triple to regain the lead, but Talton dropped in a short jumper from under the hoop to tie the score at 15-15.  After Dallier scored to put NA up two, Talton came back with a pair of foul shots to tie the score again.  A triple by Constantino gave the Tigers the lead for good with a three-point field goal to make it a 20-17 game.  Counahan followed with his third trey of the quarter with 44.8 left as the NA took a 23-17 lead after one quarter of play.

The Tigers continued to pressure Carrick early in the second quarter and it paid off in turnovers.  After Nate Morton hit a short baseline jumper, Dallier answered with a triple to push the margin to 26-19.  Besonson followed with a layup, and junior guard Steve Ferringer rolled in a three from the left corner to extend the lead to 33-19 with 5:40 remaining.  NA then went cold and did not score again until 2:01 was left in the half.  Carrick got a free throw from McKamey, another from Morton, and a jumper by Jajuan Thomas but could only cut the margin to 33-23.  Constantino finally broke the drought with one of two from the line, but Counahan dropped in his fourth trey of the game and Dallier hit a baseline jumper after an NA steal as the Tigers pushed the margin to 39-23 with 1:23 left in the half.  Thomas came back with one of two from the line, but junior guard Kevin Cope answered with a free throw to close out the first half scoring as NA took a 40-24 lead to the intermission.

Counahan hit his fifth trey of the game early in the fourth quarter, but Carrick did not fold.  The Raiders went on a 7-0 run behind two free throws by Wilson, a layup by McKamey, a tip in by Talton, and one of two from the line by McKamey to make it a 43-31 game.  Besonson came back with a left-handed runner in the paint, but Talton answered with a layup to keep the margin at twelve.  After Cope hit a triple from the left corner, Morton came back with a trey to cut the lead to 48-36.   A steal and layup by Robert Fields cut the margin to ten.  The Tigers answered quickly with a put back by Dallier and a triple by Constantino, his third of the game, as NA regained a fifteen-point lead at 53-38 with 2:31 left in the quarter.  Carrick kept battling back as Mortin dropped in a jumper with Cope making one of two from the line as the score went to 54-40.  Leo Johnson scored on a layup down the middle to close out the third quarter scoring with NA holding a 54-42 lead.

Wilson scored on a jumper early in the fourth quarter to once again bring the Raiders within ten at 54-44.  This time, the Tigers had the final answer as they went on a 12-1 run to take control of the game for good.  Counahan drained his sixth triple of the game, Dallier stole the ball and hit a jumper and then added a pair of foul shots, Counahan put in another trey and Dallier scored on a layup with Carrick’s only point during the run a foul shot by McKamey as the score went to 66-45.  Wilson followed with a layup, but Counahan drove, scored and dropped in a foul shot to give NA their biggest lead of the game at 69-47.  To Carrick’s credit, they continued to play hard with the outcome decided.  A hoop by Chad Loftion, a coast to coast layup and jumper by Wilson cut the margin to 69-53 with 2:16 remaining.  Once again, Counahan had the answer with his eighth trey of the game to push the lead back to 72-53.  After two foul shots by Johnson, junior guard Chris Conti got loose on a fast break layup as they score went to 74-55.  A jumper by Morton after he recovered his own rebound completed the scoring as NA went on to the 74-57 victory.

The Tigers won the game from beyond the three-point line making 14 of 40 (35.0%) attempts.  From the field overall, NA was 25 for 63 (39.7%) while converting 10 of 16 (62.5%) from the line.  Carrick hit on 21 of 50 (42.0%) but just 2 of 11 (18.2%) from beyond the arc.  From the foul line, the Raiders made 13 of 24 (54.2%).  The NA defense forced 25 Carrick turnovers while the Tigers committed only ten.  Individually, Counahan hit 8 of 18 from three-point land in posting his game high 29 points.  For his efforts, the North Allegheny Sports Network named Jack Counahan as the Player of the Game.

With the win, the Tigers advance to the PIAA First Round against Erie Strong Vincent on Saturday night.  The game will be played at Edinboro University with game time scheduled for 6:30 pm.

Box Score
Photo Gallery

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

GATEWAY'S SIZE TOO MUCH FOR
TIGERS IN 65-56 LOSS

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

The tall Gateway Gators dominated the Tigers on the boards on their way to a 65-56 victory in the semifinals of the WPIAL Class AAAA tournament at Fox Chapel on Wednesday night.  Sophomore guard Anthony Dallier led NA with 24 points with senior guard Jack Counahan adding 12 on four three-point field goals.  The Tigers made only 7 of 34 attempts from beyond the arc, however, and shot just 26.5% from the field.

Dallier gave NA an early lead with a pair of foul shots just 24 seconds into the game.  Gateway's 6-5 sophomore Tyler Scott answered with a dunk to tie the score.  Counahan came back with a triple before 6-7 senior Mike Kromka scored on another dunk to cut the margin to 5-4 still early in the period.  Anthony Keel scored on a steal and layup to put the Gators ahead for the first time at 6-5 with 5:30 left.  Two free throws by junior guard Anton Constantino regained the lead for the Tigers.  Kromka scored again from under the basket before senior forward Ryan Besonson drained a trey from the corner to make it a 10-8 NA lead with 3:26 remaining in the period.  Craig Banks answered with a jumper to tie the game, but Dallier came back with a jump shot from the paint to put the Tigers ahead at 12-10.  It would be the last NA lead of the game.  A layup by Keel tied the game and Banks hit one of two from the stripe as Gateway took the lead for good at 13-12.  Another layup by Keel pushed the margin to three before junior guard Steve Ferringer made a nice move in the lane to cut the lead back to one with 26 seconds left.  Kromka was able to put back a rebound with 11 seconds left to give Gateway a 17-14 advantage after one quarter of play.

The Gators' Banks opened the second quarter scoring with a jump shot to push the lead to 19-14 just 19 seconds into the period.  6-9 sophomore Barrnett Harris came off the Gateway bench to score a deuce to extend the margin to seven.  The Tigers battled back on a hoop and a triple by Dallier to cut the lead to two at 21-19 with 5:41 still left in the half.  Two foul shots by Banks restored a four-point lead, but Dallier scored again to make it a 23-21 game.  After Banks drove for two, Counahan drilled his second triple of the game to bring NA to within one.  It was the closest the Tigers would get.  A conventional three-point play by Kromka, one of two from the line by Banks, and two more free throws by Kromka gave Gateway a 31-24 lead with 34 seconds remaining.  Dallier hit a jumper with 15 seconds on the clock with Gateway completing the first half with a 31-26 lead.  Dallier scored nine in the quarter with Banks recording seven for Gateway.

In the third quarter, the Gators broke the game open with a 12-4 run at the beginning of the period.  NA had held Scott to just two points in the first half, but he scored ten in the third quarter to spark the run.  After 6-6 junior Devon Cottrell opened the scoring with his only basket of the game, Scott hit a layup and added two foul shots to push the lead to 37-26.  Dallier finally got NA on the board with 5:22 left in the quarter with a pair of free throws.  Scott answered with a deuce on a putback and a steal and added a layup to extend the margin to 13 at 41-28.  Dallier again answered with two free throws, but Scott hit a jumper to push the margin back to thirteen.  Counahan came back with triple from NBA range to cut the lead to ten at 43-33 halfway through the period.  Two foul shots by Banks and a layup by Harris extended the margin to 16 at 49-33.  Constantino came alive at the end of the quarter with a triple and a driving layup as NA cut the lead to 49-38 with 18 seconds left in the period.  Banks jumper from the foul line with time running out gave the Gators a 51-38 lead going into the fourth quarter.

Harris hit one of two from the line to open the scoring in the fourth quarter, but Besonson answered with a jumper from the corner to cut the margin to 52-40.  A putback by Scott pushed the lead back to twelve, but Counahan drained his fourth triple of the game to make it a 54-43 game with 6:08 still left in the game.  Scott then took over as he scored the next seven points on a a drive, a conventional three-point play, and another layup as Gateway took its biggest lead at 61-43.  The Tigers did not quit, however, and rallied to get back in the game.  After Ferringer made one of two foul shots, the Tiger junior stole the ball, scored and added a free throw to cut the lead to 61-47.  After a Gateway turnover, Dallier scored on a fast break layup.  Ferringer came back with a pair of free throws after another Gator miscue to cut the lead to 61-52 with 2:42 remaining.  The Gators continued to give the ball back to the Tigers and Dallier made them pay with another layup as NA got within seven at 61-54 with 2:54 remaining.  The Tigers got the ball back three more times but could not find the basket with Banks finally ending the 11-0 NA run with a pair of foul shots to make it 63-54 with 1:11 left on the clock.  After another NA miss, the Tigers were forced to foul and Harris dropped in a pair to give Gateway a 65-54 lead with 44 seconds left.  Dallier was able to drive for a layup but time ran out as Gateway advanced to the WPIAL Championship game against Mt. Lebanon with the 65-56 victory.

Gateway dominated the statistics with several key numbers indicating the reasons for the Gators' success in the game.  Gateway outrebounded NA, 41-32, but outscored the Tigers, 36-16, in the paint.  In addition, the Gators blocked 15 NA shots with Cottrell accounting for nine.  From the field, Gateway made 24 of 40 (60.0%), many from close range including a number of dunks.  From three-point range, the Gators were 0 for 6 but did not need to score from outside.  From the line, Gateway made 17 of 23 (73.9%).  The NA defense did their job forcing 26 turnovers including 16 in the first half.  The Tigers converted the turnovers to 25 points.  From the field, however, NA made only 18 of 68 (26.5%) including the 7 for 34 (20.6%) from beyond the arc.  From the line, NA hit 13 of 15 (86.7%).  Individually, Dallier was 8 for 22 from the field along with 7 for 8 from the line.  Dallier also pulled down 8 rebounds to lead NA in that category.  For his efforts, the North Allegheny Sports Network named Anthony Dallier as the Player of the Game.

The loss dropped the NA overall record to 19-5 as they await play in the PIAA tournament next week.  The Tigers will play at home on Tuesday night against Carrick from the Pittsburgh City League.  The game time will be announced later.

Box Score

GAME SUMMARY
GATEWAY - 65  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 56

WPIAL QUAD A TOURNAMENT

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

TIGERS HOLD OFF PETERS TOWNSHIP, 58-47,
TO ADVANCE TO WPIAL SEMIFINALS

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

The Tigers took the lead early and hold off several determined rallies by defending champion Peters Township to defeat the Indians, 58-47, in the Quad A Quarterfinals at Ambridge on Saturday afternoon.  Sophomore guard Anthony Dallier led NA with 17 points with senior forward Ryan Besonson adding 12 and junior guard Steve Ferringer 10 for the winning Tigers.

Senior guard Jack Counahan scored on a runner early in the first quarter to put NA ahead and spark a 14-4 run.  After PT's Corey Wilcox made one of two from the line, Dallier stole the ball and dropped in a layup to make it a 4-1 game with 5:10 left in the quarter.  Dallier followed with a coast to coast layup to extend the lead to 6-1.  The Tigers continued to pressure the Indians and force turnovers.  Ferringer got loose in the paint and scored in a turning shot to a make it an 8-1 game with 3:08 left.  After Counahan drove for another layup, Indian leading scorer Craig Wolcott drove for a hoop.  The Tigers answered with a putback by Besonson and a hoop by junior guard Anton Constantino to push the margin to 14-3.  The Indians' Phil Horensky hit one of two free throws with 41 seconds remaining but the Tigers took a 14-4 advantage into the second quarter.

After Wolcott made one of two from the line, Ferringer got loose down low for another field goal to make it a 16-5 NA lead.  Horensky then sparked a 14-2 Peters Township run that gave them a brief lead.  After Jon Kovac hit a triple, Horensky nailed the first of four treys in the quarter to bring PT to within five at 16-11.  Dallier's driving layup pushed the margin back to seven, but Horensky hit two straight from long range to cut the NA lead to one.  After an NA turnover, Wilcox drove and scored to give the Indians their only lead of the game at 19-18 with 3:42 remaining in the half.  Senior guard Ben Colabrese came back with a layup to give NA the lead for good just seconds later.  Dallier added a long triple to push the lead to 23-19.  Horensky wasn't finished, however, as he drilled another triple to cut the margin to one.  It was a close as the Indians would get.  A drive by Dallier and another triple by the Tiger sophomore gave NA a 28-22 lead at the intermission.  In the quarter, Horensky scored 12 and Dallier ten.

The third quarter turned into a defensive struggle with NA extending the lead but the Indians rallying to stay in the game.  After Wilcox drove for a layup early in the period, Besonson answered with a layup and Counahan made one of two from the line to make it a 31-24 game.  Besonson followed with a jumper from the foul line to push the margin to nine, but Peters came back on a free throw by Horensky and a field goal by Ross Wickstrom to cut the lead to 33-27.  A layup by Ferringer and a driving hoop by Colabrese extended the lead to ten at 37-27 with 2:37 remaining in the quarter.  Once again, the Indians came back on baskets by Horensky and Wolcott to cut the margin to six.  Besonson scored again with 45 seconds left to give the Tigers a 39-31 lead going into the final stanza.

After Constantino drove for a layup to push the NA lead back to ten early in the fourth quarter, Trenton McPherson gave off the PT bench to drain a trey from the left corner to cut the margin to 41-34.  Two foul shots by Ferringer made it a nine-point game but the Indians kept battling back as Wolcott hit a triple to cut the margin to 43-37.  Junior Kevin Cope answered with a driving layup along the baseline, but Kovac drilled a long trey to cut the lead to 45-40 with 4:47 still left in the quarter.  After an NA time out, the Tigers regrouped to score the next six points.  A layup by Besonson off an out of bounds play, another layin by Besonson, and a jumper by Dallier put the Tigers on top, 51-40, with 2:46 remaining.  Two free throws by Wolcott were answered by a pair from the stripe by Counahan as the lead stayed at eleven at 53-42.  Peters Township had one last rally on a drive and foul shot by Horensky and two more from the line by Wilcox to cut the NA lead to 53-47 but time was running out with only 1:33 on the clock.  The Tigers spread the floor forcing PT to foul with Dallier making one of two with 1:16 left.  Colabrese saw an opening to drive and score with a foul shot completing the conventional three-point play to push the margin to 57-47 with 1:05 left.  One of two from the line by senior guard Jake Wrigley completed the scoring as the Tigers finished off the 58-47 victory.  It was on to the semifinals for the first time since the late '90s. 

Good shooting was a key to victory for the Tigers who made 24 of 40 (60.0%) from the field.  NA attempted only 3 three-point baskets and made two (66.7%).  From the line, the Tigers were just 8 of 18 (44.4%) but made seven free throws in the last quarter.  On the other hand, Peters Township hit on only 15 of 43 (34.9%) from the field and just 8 of 26 (30.8%) from three-point land.  The Indians made 9 of 17 (52.9%) from the line.  Other key statistics show the Tigers outscoring PT by a 36-14 count in the paint and 16-2 on fast break points.  The NA bench outscored the Indian reserves by a 13-3 count.  Individually, Anthony Dallier recorded 10 rebounds to go with his 17 points and with the double-double was named as the Player of the Game by the North Allegheny Sports Network.  Besonson was 6 of 7 from the floor with Ferringer hitting all four of his shots and and senior guard Ben Colabrese all three of his attempts.

With the win, the Tigers advance to the WPIAL Quad A semifinals against Gateway, a 55-43 winner of Kiski Area in the quarterfinals.  The game will be played at Fox Chapel High School with game time set for 8:00 pm.  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.

Box Score
Photo Gallery

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 58  PETERS TOWNSHIP - 47

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

TIGERS TROUNCE CANON-McMILLAN, 80-51, TO ADVANCE TO WPIAL QUARTERFINALS

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

The Tigers dropped in 11 three-point field goals on their way to an easy 80-51 victory over Canon-Macmillan in the first round of the McDonalds/WPIAL Quad A tournament at Fox Chapel High School on Saturday afternoon.  After leading by just a point after one quarter, a 30-10 run in the second quarter gave NA the lead for good.  Senior guard Jack Counahan led the way with 18 points, including five from beyond the arc, with sophomore guard Anthony Dallier adding 16, senior forward Ryan Besonson 14, and junior guard Anton Constantino 10 for the winning Tigers.

The Big Macs got off to a good start behind the shooting of Chad Hagan, who missed much of the season with a heart problem.  Hagan hit a pair of early treys to give Canon-Mac a 6-0 lead just 1:20 into the game.  After Constantino got NA on the board with one of two from the line, Counahan drained the first of his five triples to cut the lead to 6-4.  Constantino followed with another trey from the left side to give NA its first lead of the game at 7-6.  Hagan answered with a jumper but Dallier dropped in a pair of foul shots to make it 9-8 with 4:33 remaining.  Kenyatta Brown came off the C-M bench to score on a driving layup to regain the lead for the Big Macs.  It would be their last lead of the game!  Counahan's second triple put NA ahead for good and Dallier added two more free throws to make it a 14-10 game.  Besonson put back a rebound to increase the lead to six.  Hagan's third trey of the quarter and a driving layup by Justin Robinson at the buzzer cut the margin to 16-15 after one quarter of play.

The Tigers took control of the game in the second quarter.  NA went on a 12-0 run at the beginning of the period as Constantino hit his second trey of the game, junior guard Steve Ferringer converted a pair of free throws, Counahan drained another trey and added one of two from the line, and Constantino drilled another triple as NA took a commanding 28-15 lead with 5:17 still left in the half.  The Big Macs finally ended the run as Kionte Davis drove for a hoop.  A driving layup by Dallier and one of two from the stripe by senior guard Jake Wrigley made it a 31-17 game.  After Robinson drove for a basket, Besonson put back another rebound and added a foul shot as the lead went to 34-19.  C-M rallied briefly on two free throws by Will Glendenning and a basket by Robinson, but NA again had the answer.  A drive by Counahan and another hoop by Besonson restored a 38-23 advantage.  After Hagan hit two from the line, senior guard Ben Colabrese calmly drained another NA triple from the right side.  Colabrese followed with a layup and Wrigley drilled a triple as NA closed the half with an 8-0 run to take a 46-25 lead to the intermission.

Dallier opened the second half scoring with two free throws before Robinson drove for a basket.  Dallier got loose in the paint for a jumper before Hagan put back a rebound as NA led by a 50-29 score with 6:12 still left in the period.  Counahan followed with his third trey of the game to make it a 53-29 NA lead before Robinson was able to put back a rebound.  Two foul shots by Dallier and two more by Ferringer increased the margin to 57-31 as the Tigers continued to dominate the game.  A triple and two free throws by Besonson and two more free throws by Ferringer continued the run as NA took a 64-31 lead with 2:32 remaining.  Glendenning finally scored for the Big Macs with a triple from the left corner but Counahan came right back with his fourth trey of the game to make it a 67-37 game.  The third quarter ended with the Tigers holding a thirty-point lead.

Both teams substituted liberally in the fourth quarter with several starters remaining in the lineup with the outcome no longer in doubt.  Hagan stayed in the game to hit a jumper early but Besonson answered with a putback and Dallier tipped in a rebound to make it 71-41.  Glendenning followed with a pair of foul shots but Dallier and Ferringer answered with layups to push the margin to 75-43.  Tyler Chardello hit a triple for C-M. but sophomore guard J.C. Howard came in to make one of two form the line.  Hagan came back with a hoop that gave him a game high of 22 points.  After Brett Haney made two free throws, sophomore Ricky Minsterman stole the ball and drove for a layup to complete the scoring as NA took the 80-51 victory to advance to the quarterfinals.

The Tigers dominated the statistics as they made 24 of 50 (48.0%) from the field including 11 of 25 (44.0%) from three-point land.  From the foul line, NA converted 21 of 28 (75.0%).  The Big Macs hit on 18 of 45 (40.0%) from the field including 6 of 19 (31.6%) from beyond the arc.  From the stripe, C-M was 9 of 12 (75.0%).  The key statistic came from turnovers as NA forced 23 C-M errors resulting in a 39-6 advantage for NA.  The Tigers also led by a 26-16 count n the paint with the NA bench also outscoring the C-M reserves by a 17-9 score.  Individually, Counahan was 6 of 10 from the field including five of nine three-point attempts.  For his efforts, the North Allegheny Sports Network named Jack Counahan as the Player of the Game.  Dallier led in rebounds with nine and also made eight of eight from the line.

With the win, NA improved to 18-4 overall as they advanced to the WPIAL quarterfinals next Saturday.  The Tigers will meet defending WPIAL Champion Peters Township, an upset winner over Butler in the first round.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 1:15 pm.  Game time is scheduled for 1:30 pm at Ambridge High School.

Box Score

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 80  CANON-McMILLAN - 51

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

TIGERS TOP SENECA VALLEY, 71-64, TO CLAIM AT LEAST A TIE FOR SECTION TITLE

Box Score

Junior guard Anton Constantino scored 26 points, including five from three-point range, to lead the Tigers to a 71-64 victory at Seneca Valley on Monday night as section play ended.  Senior guard Jack Counahan drilled six three-pointers and scored 19 points and sophomore guard Anthony Dallier added 14 as the Tigers finished the regular season with eight wins in their last nine games.

The Tigers took a 15-9 lead after one quarter and extended the margin to 35-28 at the intermission.  Seneca played NA even in the second half and managed to cut the Tiger lead to 48-43 after three quarters.  In a high scoring final period, NA outlasted SV , outscoring them, 24-21, on their way to the 71-64 victory.

Statistically, the Tigers made 20 of 48 (41.7%) from the field and 13 of 27 (48.1%) from beyond the arc.  From the line, NA was 18 of 29 (62.1%).  The Raiders were good on 19 of 61 (31.1%) but just 3 of 16 (18.8%).  From the foul line, SV converted 23 of 33 (69.7%) including 12 of 12 by Christian Durbin.  Individually, Constantino was 8 of 12 from the field including 5 of 8 from three-point range and 5 of 7 from the stripe along with pulling down seven rebounds.  Counahan added six of eleven from beyond the arc.  Junior guard Steve Ferringer also posted seven rebounds.

With the win, NA completed section play with a 10-2 mark and a half-game lead over Central Catholic.   Butler will play at Central tonight to complete the section season.  The Tigers finished with a final overall record of 17-4 as they await the upcoming WPIAL playoffs.  The WPIAL pairings meeting is still scheduled for tomorrow night.  We will post the playoff information as soon as it is available.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 71  SENECA VALLEY - 64

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

TIGERS OUTLAST CENTRAL, 71-64,
IN TWO OVERTIMES

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

Sophomore guard Anthony Dallier scored a career high 34 points to lead the Tigers to a 71-64 double overtime victory over Central Catholic at the Senior High gym on Saturday night.  Senior guard Jack Counahan added 16 points, including four three-point field goals, as the Tigers moved into a first place tie with the Vikings.

Central's Will Burgess drove for a layup early to give the Vikings the first lead of the game just 1:03 into the contest.  After Dallier answered with a driving layup, Tim Lackner hit a long trey to put Central up 5-2.  NA came back to take the lead on a jumper by Dallier and two free throws by senior forward Ryan Besonson.  The Vikings followed with a 7 point run on a pair of foul shots and a triple by 6-5 Central forward Bryan Ward along with Lackner's second triple of the game.  Trailing 13-6, junior Steve Ferringer dropped in one of two from the line, but Dylan Layton scored to push the Central lead to 15-7.  This would be the biggest lead of the game for either team.  Junior guard Anton Constantino scored on a driving layup and Counahan hit his first trey of the game to bring NA within three at 15-12 with 1:57 remaining in the quarter.  A drive by Lackner and a free throw by Burgess pushed the margin to 18-12 with 1:00 on the clock.  Dallier followed with a runner in the lane and Constantino added a conventional three-point play with 6.5 seconds remaining as the Tigers cut the Central advantage to 18-17 at the end of the first quarter.

Both teams turned up the defensive pressure in the second quarter.  A putback by Dallier early in the stanza gave NA a 19-18 lead.  With the Tiger defense keeping the Vikings off the board, Dallier hit two free throws to make it 21-18.  Central finally scored with 3:49 left in the half when Ward hit a pair of foul shots.  Dallier answered with a jumper, but the Vikings came back on a pair of field goals by Lincoln Davis to jump ahead 24-23 with 1:34 left.  Senior guard Jake Wrigley sent one of two in from the line to tie the score.  With 33.4 remaining, Dallier put back another rebound to give the Tigers a 26-24 advantage at the intermission.

Dallier wasted little time extending the lead with a jumper just 33 seconds into the quarter.  After Burgess converted one of two from the line, Lackner stole the ball and scored on a layup to cut the margin to 28-27.  Constantino had the answer with a three from deep in the left corner to push the margin to 31-27.  A jumper by Layton and a free throw by Davis cut the lead to one with 5:19 remaining.  Counahan followed with a jumper in the paint and Ferringer hit another foul shot to extend the lead to 34-30.  Senior guard Ben Colabrese added a fast break layup to give the Tigers a six-point lead with 3:34 left in the period.  After a time out, Central scored the next eight points to regain the lead.  A layup by Ward, another layin by Ryan Fish, two foul shots by Ward and another layup by Fish accounted for the scoring during the run as the Vikings took a 38-36 lead.  NA then finished out the quarter by scoring the last six points.  Colabrese drove and scored and added the free throw to put the Tigers back on top, 39-38.  With 1:05 left, Dallier drained a trey from the right side to give NA a 42-38 lead going into the final quarter.

Counahan opened the fourth quarter scoring with a long trey from the right side to make it a 45-40 game just 1:03 into the period.  Once again, Central came right back on two free throws by Lackner and two more by Ward to cut the margin to one.  Burgess then drove and scored to put the Vikings ahead, 46-45.  Ferringer's foul shot tied the game and two more from the line by Dallier jumped the Tigers back ahead by two.  A free throw by Davis and another by Ward tied the game with 2:42 remaining.  Counahan followed with his third trey of the game to give the Tigers a 51-48 lead with 2:26 left in regulation time.  After Lackner scored on a fast break layup, Counahan drained another triple to make it a 54-50 NA lead with 1:34 on the clock.  Burgess cut the margin to two with a pair from the line, but Dallier matched CC with two free throws to push the margin to 56-52 with 40.3 left.  The Vikings battled back again to cut the lead to two on two foul shots by Lackner.  With 29.4 left, Dallier could not convert the first of a one-and-one.  After a Central time out, the Vikings held the ball for a final attempt.  Davis drilled a long shot from the right corner that looked like a game winner.  After a consultation by the officials, however, the basket was ruled to be only a two, not a game winning three.  Regulation time ended with the scored tied at 56-56.  We were going to OT!!!!

Both teams played cautiously early in the first extra period.  Besonson made one of two from the line to put NA ahead, but Ward answered with a pair of free throws to give Central a 58-57 lead.  Once again, Besonson was one of two from the stripe to tie the game.  With 1:10 remaining, Lackner drove and scored to put Central on top, 60-58.  Ten seconds later, Counahan converted a pair of free throws to tie the contest again.  On the play, Burgess was called for his fifth foul and had to leave the game.  After a Central miss, the Tigers held the ball and Counahan was fouled with 5.1 on the clock.  The NA senior was unable to convert either attempt, but the Tigers battled for the rebound with Ferringer coming down with it with just .5 left.  After an NA time out, Ferringer lobbed the ball near the basket but Dallier's tip hit the rim and fell off.   We were headed to a second extra period!

Dallier gave NA an early lead with a jump shot just 47 seconds into the period.  A minute later, Dallier added a pair of free throws to push the lead to 64-60 with 2:35 remaining.  One of two from the line by Ward cut the margin to three, but Besonson answered with two more foul shots to make it a 66-61 game.  As they had done all game long, Central battled back on a pair of foul shots by Layton, and another by Lackner.  With 56.1 left in the game, Dallier was fouled yet again and came through with a pair of free throws to push the lead to 68-64.  Central was unable to score and Dallier was fouled on the rebound.  This time, the NA sophomore hit only one of two but the lead went to 69-64 with 41.2 left.  The Tiger defense again stopped the Vikings with Dallier being sent once more to the foul line.  Two more free throws with just 25.5 on the clock sealed the deal.  Central could not score with the Tigers pulling down the rebound and running out the remaining time.  A great performance by both teams, but in the end, the night belonged to NA with the 71-64 victory.

It was a hard-fought battle until the end with a total 44 fouls called, 22 on each team.  From the line, Central made 26 of 32 (81.3%) while the Tigers converted on 19 of 33 (71.1%).  In the second overtime, however, NA was 9 for 10 with Dallier making 7 of 8 with the game on the line.  For his overall efforts, the North Allegheny Sports Network named Anthony Dallier as the Player of the Game.

With the win, the NA section record improved to 9-2, the overall mark to 16-4 on the season.  The Tigers will complete section play tomorrow night with a visit to Seneca Valley to meet the Raiders.  Game time is now set for 8:00 pm at Seneca.

Box Score

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 71  CENTRAL CATHOLIC - 64

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

TIGERS RALLY TO DOWN RIVAL NORTH HILLS, 62-49

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

After trailing by a 26-23 score at halftime, the Tigers rallied in the third quarter to take control of the game on their way to a 62-49 section victory over rival North Hills at the Senior High gym on Friday night.  On Senior Night, senior guard Jack Counahan led NA with 16 points with senior guard Jake Wrigley adding 13 for the winning Tigers.

Both teams got off to a slow start shooting the ball.  After Counahan gave NA the early 2-0 lead on a layup, D.J. Scott hit a short jumper in the paint to tie the game.  Jeff Witt added a free throw to put NH ahead, but a driving layup by junior guard Anton Constantino and a trey by Wrigley gave the Tigers a 7-3 lead with 4:18 left in the quarter.  A pair of hoops by Scott Zubik tied the game, but junior Kevin Cope came off the NA bench to drain a trey from the corner to put the Tigers ahead, 10-7.  North Hills then scored the next eleven points to take the lead.  A steal and coast-to-coast layup by Zubik cut the margin to one.  Zubik followed with a triple as the Indians took a 12-10 lead.  After Witt scored from under the hoop, Nate Marx put back a rebound at the buzzer to give NH a 16-10 advantage after one period of play.

The Indians continued the run early in the second quarter on a basket by Scott as NH took their biggest lead of the game at 18-10.  Wrigley started the NA comeback with his second triple of the game, and sophomore guard Anthony Dallier added a pair of free throws to cut the margin to 18-15 with 6:21 still left in the half.  Sophomore J.C. Howard followed with a fast break layup to cut the lead to one.  After missing three straight free throws, Scott dropped in a pair to push the margin back to three at 20-17.  Senior forward Ryan Besonson hit a jumper to once again cut the lead to one before Witt put in another layup.  The Tigers kept battling back as Counahan drove and scored on a reverse underhand layup to make it a 22-21 game.  Two more foul shots by Scott and a steal and layup by Nate Marx pushed the lead back to 26-21.  Senior guard Ben Colabrese followed with a driving layup to reduce the margin to 26-23 with 1:19 remaining.  Neither team scored again as the Indians took the three-point lead to the intermission.

The third quarter belonged to the Tigers.  Just 32 seconds into the half, Besonson tied the game with a triple.  Counahan followed with a conventional three-point game to put NA back ahead, 29-26.  The lead did not last long as Zubik answered with a triple to tie the game again.  Dallier gave the Tigers the lead back with a put back and a trey by Counahan quickly put NA on top by a 34-29 score.  After two foul shots by Counahan pushed the lead to seven, Scott scored the next five points on two foul shots and a driving layup as NH closed to within three at 36-33 with 3:24 left in the quarter.  Colabrese came back with a big three to push the margin back to six.  After two from the line by Witt, Dallier hit a jumper and Wrigley drove for a basket as time was running out in the period to make it a 43-35 NA advantage after three quarters of play. 

The fourth quarter featured a lot of fouls and even more foul shots.  NA made 11 of 18 in the quarter with the Indians dropping in 7 of 13.  A put back by Counahan gave NA a double digit lead at 45-35 early in the quarter.  After junior guard Steve Ferringer scored from under the hoop, Scott made one of two.  Colabrese followed with a layup to give the Tigers a 49-36 lead.  A layup by Witt and another from the line by Brody Zangaro cut the margin to ten with 5:22 left.  The Tigers slowed the pace forcing NH to foul.  Constantino drove the middle, scored and added a free throw to push the margin to 52-39.  Zangaro came back with an underhand layup that somehow found the basket.  After Scott hit yet another foul shot, Wrigley added a pair from the line.  Scott's put back cut the lead to ten once again, but time was running out on the Indians.  After Wrigley made one of two from the line, Zubik matched it with a free throw in two attempts.  Three of four from the stripe by Dallier pushed the lead to 58-45 with 2:19 left.  Marx continued the march to the line with two more to cut th lead to eleven.  Two free throws by Wrigley and two more by Counahan finished the scoring for NA.  Marx hit a pair of free throws and scored on a driving layup with 1:25 left as the Tigers went on to the 62-49 victory.  Senior Ryan Rupert came in for the last minute and barely missed a long three as time ran out.

Statistically, North Hills outshot NA percentage wise, one reason why the Indians took the first half lead.  For the game, NH was 16 of 33 (48.5%) from the field but only 2 for 8 (25.0%) from beyond the arc.  From the foul line, the Indians made 15 of 26 (57.7%) with D.J. Scott converting 8 of 14 attempts.  NA made 20 of 53 (37.7%) but only 6 of 24 (25.0%) from three point range.  From the line, the Tigers were 16 of 23 (69.6%).  A key statistic involved turnovers with NA scoring 28 points off 22 Indian miscues.  The Tiger bench outscored the NH reserves by a 20-8 count.  Individually, Counahan was five for nine from the field and 5 fo 5 from the line.  Dallier led NA with 7 total rebounds.  Wrigley was three of four from the field, two of three from three-point range, five of 8 from the line, and posted two steals and three rebounds.  For his effort, senior Jake Wrigley was named the Player of the Game.

With the win, NA improved to 8-2 in section, 15-4 overall. The Tigers will host Central Catholic tonight in a battle for first place.  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 set for 7:30 pm.

Box Score
Photo Gallery

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 62  NORTH HILLS - 49

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

TIGERS CRUSH BUTLER, 92-64,
TO TAKE OVER SECOND PLACE

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

The Tigers took an early lead and never looked back on their way to a convincing 92-64 section victory at Butler on Tuesday night.  Five Tigers scored in double figures led by junior guard Anton Constantino and sophomore guard Anthony Dallier with 21 each.  Senior forward Ryan Besonson added 16, junior guard Steve Ferringer 12 and senior guard Jack Counahan 11 for the winning Tigers.

In the first quarter, the Tigers grabbed an early 9-2 lead.  Dallier scored on a layup to give NA a 2-0 lead before Bobby Swartout tied the game on a short jumper.  Dallier answered with a baseline jumper to give the Tigers the lead for good at 4-2.  Besonson followed with a layup and foul shot and Dallier drove for another hoop to push the margin to 9-2.  Butler rallied briefly behind the shooting of Cody Herald who hit a short jumper and added a triple to cut the margin to 9-7.  It was as close as the Tornado would get in the game.  Constantino came back with a driving layup, and Ferringer drove across the middle for another layin to push the margin to 13-7.  Counahan followed with a runner before Herald answered with another trey to cut the lead to 15-10 with 2:49 remaining in the quarter.  After Besonson dropped in a pair from the line, Constantino put back his own rebound to make it a 19-10 game.  Butler narrowed the lead on hoops by Vinnie Schmidt and Nate Snodgrass before Counahan drove the lane and scored to extend the lead to 21-14.  Another putback by Constantino made it 23-14.  With time running out, Brian Jendesky was fouled and made both attempts to cut the margin to 23-16 after one quarter of play.

The Tigers again started quickly at the beginning of the period as Besonson made two free throws and Ferringer drove the middle to push the lead to 25-16 one minute into the second quarter.  After Snodgrass made two foul shots, Ferringer again scored on a driving layup.  Logan Renwick followed with one of two from the stripe, but Dallier drove and scored to push the margin to 31-19 with 4:25 still remaining in the half.  Once again, Snodgrass dropped in a pair of free throws to make it 31-21.  After Besonson and Snodgrass exchanged foul shots, sophomore J.C. Howard made two from the line to push the margin to 34-22.  Jendesky's layup cut the lead to ten, but junior Kevin Cope drilled a three to extend the lead to 37-24 with 3:17 left in the quarter.  After Jeff Tompkins was one of two from the foul line, Dallier answered with a pair of free throws as the score went to 39-25.  Jendeskly followed with a long triple, but Besonson came back with a short jumper to bring the score to 41-28.  Snodgrass answered with another pair of free throws, but Besonson dropped in another layup to keep the NA lead at thirteen.  Dallier drove and scored and Cope hit one of two free throw attempts to push the lead to 46-30.  Counahan finished the scoring with a runner at the buzzer to give the Tigers a commanding 48-30 lead at the intermission.

As they had done in the first two quarters, the Tigers started quickly again early in the third stanza.  After an NA steal, Constantino drained a long trey and Dallier followed with a layup after another Tiger steal to make it a 53-30 game.  Butler coach Matt Clement called a full 60-second time out to slow the NA momentum.  Swartout drove and scored and added a free throw to cut the lead back to twenty.  Constantino had a quick answer with another triple, but Swartout came right back with a trey to make it a 56-36 game still early in the period.  Besonson followed with a putback but Snodgrass came back with a runner as the score went to 58-38.  After Swartout hit a short jumper, Dallier drove and scored.  Senior guard Jake Wrigley then drilled a long triple to push the lead to 63-42.  Jendesky came back with a short jumper, but senior guard Ben Colabrese tossed in an underhand layup to make it 65-44.  After Dallier hit one of two from the line, Counahan added a trey to push the margin to 69-44.  A hoop by Jendesky and two foul shots by Eli Christy made it a 20-point game with 40 seconds left in the quarter.  After a Butler turnover, the Tigers had the ball for an out of bounds throw in with 0.6 seconds remaining.  Constantino took the in bounds pass and sent a long banker in from mid court to give the Tigers a 72-44 advantage after three quarters of play. It was the shot of the year so far for the Tigers!!!

The Tigers slowed the pace somewhat in the fourth quarter with the big lead.  Two free throws by Jendesky and a triple by Snodgrass cut the NA lead to 72-53 with 6:02 remaining.  After Dallier got free for a layup, Snodgrass answered with a runner in the lane to make it a 74-55 game.  Constantino then drove and scored, but again Snodgrass came back with another drive down the middle.  Ferringer got open for a layup and Constantino stole the ball and drove for another score to increase the lead to 80-57.  Ferringer followed with two more foul shots and Besonson another basket to make it an 84-57 game with 3:48 remaining.  Snodgrass added a point from the line, but Ferringer scored on a driving layup to push the lead to 86-58.  Swartout followed with a tip in, but Dallier answered to push the margin to 88-60.  Herald came back with a deuce, but Counahan scored to put NA at 90 points in the game.  Constantino finished the Tiger scoring for the night with a field goal that gave the Tigers a 92-62 advantage.  Jeff Tompkins scored for Butler with 51 seconds left as the NA reserves finished the game and ran out the clock.  The Tigers left Butler with a key 92-64 section victory.

Statistically, it was NA all the way!  The Tigers made 36 of 62 (58.1%) from the field with 6 of 21 (28.6%) from beyond the arc.  From the line, NA converted 14 of 19 (73.7%).  Butler also shot well from the field making 21 of 43 (48.8%) and 5 of 11 (45.5%) from three point land.  From the foul line, the Tornado made 17 of 25 (68.0%).  The Tiger defense forced 25 Butler turnovers good for 29 points.  In the paint, NA held an amazing 56-26 edge.  Individually, Anton Constantino was 9 of 17 from the field including three three-point field goals, had three rebounds, two blocked shots and three steals and was named the Player of the Game by the North Allegheny Sports Network.  Besonson was five for seven from the field, 6 for seven from the foul line with two steals.  Dallier was 9 for 15 from the field and led the Tigers with 10 rebounds to complete a double-double. 

With the win, the NA section record improved to 7-2, the overall mark to 14-4 on the season.  The Tigers are one game behind section lead Central Catholic and will host the Vikings on Saturday night in a game rescheduled several times.  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.

Box Score

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 92  BUTLER - 64

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

HOPEWELL TOPS TIGERS, 57-45,
 IN NON-SECTION CONTEST

Box Score

The Tigers dropped a 57-45 non-section game on the road at Hopewell on Friday night.  Senior guard Jack Counahan scored 16 points, including four three-point field goals, to pace NA with sophomore guard Anthony Dallier adding 15.  Mark Ross had 30 for the winning Vikings.

The Tigers fell behind early as Hopewell took a 12-7 lead after one quarter.  The Viking lead went to 27-18 at the intermission.  After a 15-7 edge in the third period, the Tigers went into the final stanza trailing by a 42-27 count.  A fourth quarter rally brought NA a little closer but Hopewell held off NA to take the win by the 57-45 score.

Statistically, the Tigers made 18 of 49 (36.7%) including 6 for 20 (30.0%) from beyond the arc.  From the line, NA was only 3 for 8.  Hopewell, on the other hand, was 18 for 29 (62.1%) from the stripe.  The Vikings hit on 19 of 43 (44.2%) from the field and 1 for 3 (33.3%) from three-point land.  NA forced 24 turnovers resulting in 20 points, but the Hopewell converted 22 Tiger turnovers into 21 points.  Hopewell outscored NA, 18-0, in fast break points.

With the loss, the overall NA record fell to 13-4 on the season.  The Tigers will travel to Butler on Tuesday night for a key section game against the Tornado.  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
HOPEWELL - 57  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 45

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

TIGERS USE STRONG SECOND HALF TO
DOWN PINE-RICHLAND, 66-55

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

Trailing by one at halftime, the Tigers again came on strong in the second half to defeat Pine-Richland, 66-55, at the Senior High gym on Tuesday night.  Sophomore guard Anthony Dallier tallied 23 points to pace NA while junior guard Anton Constantino added 17 and senior guard Jack Counahan 14 for the winning Tigers.  Eric Holmes scored 20 to lead the Rams.

Pine-Richland started quickly with a hoop by Eddie Baranowski and a triple by Collin Ryan to take an early 5-0 lead.  After Constantino hit a pair of free throws, Holmes dropped in a layup to make it 7-2.  Dallier answered with a pair of field goals and one of two from the line to tie the game at 7-7 with 4:45 remaining in the quarter.  Andrle hit a triple for P-R but Constantino came right back with a three to tie the game at 10-10.  After Baranowski scored again, Dallier put back a rebound to tie the game again.  The Rams then scored the next seven points to take a 19-12 lead on a triple by Holmes, and a pair of layups by Rader.  A long trey by Counahan cut the margin to 19-15 as time ran out in the first quarter.

A basket by senior forward Ryan Besonson and a free throw by Counahan cut the lead to 19-18 early in the second quarter.  Ryan answered with a driving layup along the baseline and then added the free throw to make it a 22-18 lead for the Rams.  Junior Kevin Cope came off the NA bench to toss in a driving scoop shot in the lane to cut the margin to two.  Once again, the Rams went on a 7-0 run on two free throws by Holmes, a triple by Baranowski, and two foul shots by Rader to take a 29-20 lead.  The Tigers rallied for eight points in the last minute to cut the lead to one at halftime.  Dallier started the run with a pair of free throws at the 1:00 minute mark.  After a Ram miss, Constantino hit a trey with 24 seconds left.  After a P-R turnover, Dallier drilled a long triple from the right corner with time running out to make it a 29-28 Ram lead at the intermission.

The third quarter belonged to the Tigers as they outscored the Rams, 19-12, to take the lead.  After Baranowski dropped in an early layup, Counahan drained a trey to tie the game at 31-31 with 56 seconds gone in the period.  Rader answered with a triple and Andrle drove for a hoop as the Rams built a five-point lead.  NA came right back with a pair of layups by Constantino to cut the margin to one at 36-35.  After Rader stole the ball and scored, it was Counahan again with a long triple to tie the game at 38-38.  Sophomore J.C. Howard gave NA the lead with a drive to the hoop, and Counahan followed with an underhand layup to push the margin to 42-38.  After Holmes hit a pair from the line, junior Kevin Cope drilled a triple to extend the lead to 45-40 with 1:14 remaining in the quarter.  After another steal by Rader who hit one of two from the stripe, Dallier scored on a driving layup as time again was running out to give the Tigers a 47-41 advantage going into the final quarter.

Early in the fourth quarter, Dallier nailed a jumper from the foul line to make it a 49-41 NA lead.  The Rams kept battling back behind Holmes who scored on a conventional three-point play to cut the margin to five.  Two free throws by Constantino and a layup by senior Ben Colabrese gave NA a 53-44 advantage with 5:29 still remaining.  A put back by Holmes and a layup by Andrle cut the lead to five before Dallier scored along the baseline to restore a seven-point advantage at 55-48.  The Rams continued to stay close as Holmes hit another triple to cut the lead to 55-51 with 3:40 on the fourth quarter clock.  Constantino answered with a long trey after the Tigers moved the ball successfully to get the open look.  Holmes was not finished, however, as he tossed in his third three of the game to cut the margin to 58-54 with 1:40 left.  The Tigers then went to a ball control offense that forced the Rams to foul.  Dallier hit one of two with 1:12 left to increase the lead to five.  Rader came back with one of two from the line to make it 59-55 with 1:03 left.  The Rams could not make anything fall in the last minute and senior guard Jake Wrigley stole a pair of P-R passes with NA making foul shots to secure the victory.  Two by Dallier, one by Wrigley, two more by Dallier and a pair by Counahan finished the scoring as the Tigers completed the 66-55 section victory.

Statistically, the Tigers overcame a poor shooting first half to finish 21 for 55 (38.2%) including 8 for 22  (36.4%) from three-point range.  From the line, the Tigers converted 16 of 24 (66.7%) but made 7 of 9 down the stretch in the fourth quarter.  The Rams shot well and finished with 19 of 46 (41.3%) with 7 for 18 (38.9%) from beyond the arc.  From the foul line, P-R hit on 10 of 16 (62.5%).  The Tigers forced 16 turnovers with full court pressure.  Individually, Anthony Dallier finished with a double-double with 23 points and 10 rebounds and was named the Player of the Game by the North Allegheny Sports Network.  Defensively, Colabrese and Wrigley had four steals each to lead the team.

With the win, NA remained a game behind first place as they improved their section record to 6-2, the overall mark to 13-3.  The Tigers will travel to Hopewell on Friday night for a 7:30 pm section contest.

Box Score
Photo Gallery

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 66  PINE-RICHLAND - 55

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

FOURTH QUARTER RALLY LIFTS TIGERS
OVER SHALER, 52-49

Box Score

Trailing by a 43-32 margin after three quarters, the Tigers came alive in the fourth quarter to earn a 52-49 victory at Shaler on Friday night.  Sophomore guard Anthony Dallier led NA with 13 points with junior guard Steve Ferringer adding 11 for the winning Tigers.

Shaler jumped out to a 14-7 lead after one quarter and built a 24-14 advantage midway through the second quarter.  A 10-0 NA run cut the deficit to two at halftime.  The Titans used a big 19-9 advantage in the third quarter to take the eleven-point lead into the final stanza.  The Tiger rally outscored SA by a 20-6 count to give NA the key section victory.

Statistically, NA made 19 of 45 (42.2%) from the field including 4 of 14 (28.6%) from beyond the arc.  From the line, the Tigers converted 10 of 16 (62.5%).  The Titans hit on 18 of 42 (42.9%) from the field and also made 4 of 14 from three-point land.  At the line, however, the Titans converted on just 9 of 18 (50.0%).  The NA defense forced 16 Shaler turnovers while the Tigers committed just eight.  Individually, Dallier was 5 of 9 from the field and pulled down a game high 10 rebounds.  Ferringer hit 4 of 8 from the field and recorded five rebounds.

With the win, the Tigers improved to 5-2 in section play, 12-3 overall on the season.  NA will host Pine-Richland on Tuesday night at the Senior High gym.  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 - 52  SHALER - 49

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

TIGERS ROLL OVER RIVAL NORTH HILLS, 64-40

Box Score

The Tigers had little trouble with neighborhood rival North Hills on Tuesday night with a 64-40 victory at North Hills.  Sophomore guard Anthony Dallier led the way with 25 points including four three-point field goals.  Junior guard Steve Ferringer tallied 14 and junior guard Anton Constantino added 11 for the winning Tigers.

After taking an 18-13 after one quarter of play, the Tigers extended the margin to 32-19 at halftime.  In the third quarter, NA outscored the Indians, 17-12, to take a 49-31 advantage into the final period.  With a 15-9 edge in the fourth quarter, the Tigers completed the 24-point victory.

Statistically, the Tigers shot well from the floor making 25 of 47 (53.2%) including 10 of 21 (47.6%) from beyond the arc.  From the line, NA was only 4 for 9 (44.4%).  North Hills was held to just 12 field goals in 37 attempts (32.4%) with 4 of 13 (30.8%) from three-point range.  From the line, the Indians converted 12 of 18 (66.7%). NA led in most other categories including points in the paint (26-14), points off turnovers (17-8), and bench points (19-6).  Individually, Dallier was 9 of 13 including 4 of 7 three point baskets.  Constantino hit 4 of seven from the field including all three three-point attempts.  Ferringer and senior forward Ryan Besonson pulled down six rebounds each to lead NA.  Besonson also recorded two blocked shots.

With the win, NA improved to 4-2 in section, 11-3 overall on the season.  The Tigers will travel to Shaler on Friday night to meet the Titans in a 7:30 pm section contest.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 64  NORTH HILLS - 40

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

WPIAL BOYS' BASKETBALL 2009-10

The Tigers will compete again in the WPIAL in Class AAAA along with 27 other teams.  The top four teams in each section will enter the WPIAL Basketball Tournament scheduled to begin on February 19, 2010.  All playoff entries will be determined by section record only and will be determined by the best section won-lost record.  Teams that tie for first place will not have the tie broken and ALL tied teams will be declared section champions, will receive a section winner's plaque and will be entered into the WPIAL tournament.  If four or more teams tie for first place, only those teams will qualify for post-season play.

In the event of a multiple tie (two or more teams) for a playoff position, head-to-head competition will be the first determinant.  If head-to head does not break the tie, the following tie-breaking system will be used.  If three or more teams are tied for third place and the tie breaking system identifies one team as the third place team, the remaining teams will then be tied for fourth place and the process begins all over with head-to-head competition being the first determinant for establishing the fourth place team.  If a tie cannot be broken, all tied teams will enter the playoffs.

TIE-BREAKER SYSTEM

1)  Section won-loss records of the tied teams will be compiled.
2) The team(s) with the best numerical head-to-head section record among the tied teams will enter post-season play.
3) If the tie cannot be broken, all tied teams will enter post-season play.

Section play must be completed by SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2010.  All teams (qualifying playoff teams or non-qualifying teams) that complete their section scheduled by the prescribed date may play exhibition games provided they do not exceed their limit of 22 competitions.  No play-off qualifying team may play a game after Monday, February 15, 2010.  Teams that qualify for the WPIAL playoffs may scrimmage any other team that has qualified for post-season play beginning on Tuesday, February 16, 1010.

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

WPIAL BOYS' BASKETBALL ALIGNMENT
QUAD A - 28 TEAMS

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