Matt McDonough’s 41 Points Propels NA Past Hempfield, 79-64
The return of head coach Dave DeGregorio to North Allegheny was a winning one as the Tigers topped the host Spartans at the Hempfield Tip-Off Tournament, 79-64, in Greensburg. Coach DeGregorio, who won 232 games and led NA to five section titles from 2004-2016, began his second stint as Tigers head coach on Friday night with a non-section victory.
While the story line may have been Coach DeGregorio’s return, senior guard Matt McDonough stole the show and poured in a game-high 41 points to lead the Tigers to victory. McDonough buried seven 3-pointers and the Tigers collectively knocked down 13 triples on the night. The 41 points by McDonough is the most by a North Allegheny player since Curtis Aiken Jr. scored 41 against Butler on Dec. 22, 2015.
Joining McDonough in double figures was fellow sharpshooter Robby Jones, who netted 18 points and connected on three treys. Sophomore Ty Iwanonkiw drained a pair of 3-pointers and sophomore Joe Dopirak added one triple.
North Allegheny’s success from beyond the arc helped build a 38-26 lead at the half and 62-42 advantage after three quarters. The Tigers coasted to the season-opening win in the fourth.
Hempfield was paced by Joe Fiedor’s 16-point effort. Harrison Sowers and Chas Ewer each scored 12 points and Sean Gordon chipped in with 10.
North Allegheny looks for a second straight victory on Saturday against Penn-Trafford at 3:30 p.m. to close out the Hempfield Tip-Off Tournament.
Boys Basketball vs. Hempfield, 12-10-21
| GAME SUMMARY | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SCORE BY QUARTERS | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL |
| North Allegheny | 17 | 21 | 24 | 17 | 79 |
| Hempfield | 8 | 18 | 16 | 22 | 64 |
