Karns City gets by Moniteau in 2OT again
CHERRY TWP — One side left with a precious rivalry win. The other feeling much more secure as it heads into the postseason.
In the teams’ second double-overtime affair of the go-round, visiting Karns City got past Moniteau, 48-46, to cap off the regular season schedule. A defensive stalemate early made way for drama in the late going in a playoff-type atmosphere.
Down by eight with 5:13 remaining in regulation, the Warriors (12-10) faced their largest deficit of the contest. Connor Ealy, David Dessicino, and Colten Thomas chipped at the Gremlins’ advantage before freshman Andrew Zepeda gave Moniteau its first lead of the night with 30 seconds left.
Right after, Taite Beighley snatched the edge back for Karns City (19-3) with a reverse layup. On the other end, Zepeda was fouled, putting him at the stripe. He made the first free throw and knotted things back up, but missed the second.
“I thought we were going to get it there with Drew on the line with eight seconds left (in regulation),” Moniteau coach Mike Jewart said. “I should’ve called a timeout when we got the rebound, but I don’t feel real good out of timeouts. I think we’re better just making plays, so I just wanted to let them go.
“We almost got it. We almost put that ball in to win the game.”
Thomas missed what would have been a buzzer-beating jumper at the end of the fourth frame. A spot-starter for most of the season, he’s a constant now with fellow senior Chason Delarosa-Rugg out for the rest of the year with a meniscus tear. Dessicino and Zepeda also made clutch shots in the narrow defeat.
“This is a big step for us,” Jewart said. “The last two games, we kind of just got in a funk and we didn’t have that leader out on the floor. Tonight, I saw a lot of growth. I saw a lot of fight.”
The Warriors opened the scoring in the initial overtime before the Gremlins’ Shane Peters and Beighley pushed their side ahead by five with 1:14 remaining. A trey by David Martino and free throw makes by Thomas extended the game another four minutes.
“No matter what the records are, it’s going to be a battle,” Kepple said. “We knew that coming in. We didn’t expect anything less than what we had tonight. They played a great game. They played intense. It was a great basketball game.”
The 35 points that Karns City put up in regulation tied for their second-lowest output of the campaign. At the midway point, the teams had combined for only 30 points. Neither scored again until almost five minutes had gone by in the second half.
“They played a phenomenal 3-2 zone,” Kepple said of the Warriors’ defense. “They’re very active out of it. In high school basketball, if you can keep the other team from getting to the hoop, you’re going to defend them well.”
The teams traded blows in the second overtime, but trips to the line by Hobie Bartoe and Beighly sealed the game and a sweep of the season series.
“Being from Karns City, every time you beat Moniteau, it’s a good feeling,” Kepple said. “I know it’s likewise for them. The kids, they’re always excited for these types of games ... They love the rivalry. They love the feel.
“You want the tough games at the end to see what your team’s made of. I think we’ve played some really tough games over the last couple of weeks. We’ve worked through some issues and we’ve done some good things, so I think it’s really helped us prepare for the playoffs.”
Jewart echoed the same sort of sentiment about his crew.
“After these last two games, there were probably a lot of people in the stands that were doubting us,” Jewart said. “They had something to prove tonight and I think they proved it.”
KARNS CITY 48
Taite Beighley 7 2-4 17, Jacob Callihan 5 0-2 10, Shane Peters 4 1-1 9, Micah Rupp 2 2-2 6, Braden Grossman 1 0-0 3, Hobie Bartoe 1 1-4 3. Totals: 20 6-13 48.
MONITEAU 46
David Dessicino 7 0-0 14, Andrew Zepeda 6 1-2 13, Colton Thomas 4 2-2 10, Connor Ealy 1 0-0 3, David Martino 1 0-0 3, Aydan Jackson 1 0-0 3. Totals: 20 3-4 46.
Karns City 11 6 7 11 7 6 — 48
Moniteau 7 6 10 12 7 4 — 46
3-point goals: Moniteau 3 (Ealy, Martino, Jackson); Karns City 2 (Beighley, Grossman)
Thursday: Karns City vs. Clarion (KSAC semifinals at Clarion University)
Feb. 21: Moniteau vs Brookville (District 9first round at Clarion University)
