Butler shown the gate
WEXFORD — The drama was there. So were the defense, the effort, the intensity, even the shot.
The victory wasn't.
Butler's Zach Slater missed a 3-point shot from the right corner with four seconds left and Nate Snodgrass' desperation toss at the basket before the buzzer wasn't close.
The Golden Tornado's hopes of a WPIAL Class AAAA boys basketball title died at the hands of Gateway after a 47-45 loss Wednesday night at North Allegheny.
“I'll take Zach Slater taking that shot at the end 100 days in a row,” Golden Tornado coach Matt Clement said. “He's been our hot shooter. We don't get here without him.”
Neither team ever held a double-digit lead. Gateway (21-4) had the night's biggest lead, eight points, at halftime. The game was tied three times in the third quarter and the lead changed hands six times in the fourth.
“We got the kind of game we expected,” Gateway coach Mitch Adams said. “There are a lot of good teams in the WPIAL. That's a great team in that room down the hallway.”
Bobby Swartwout sank two free throws to give the Golden Tornado (14-10) their last lead at 45-44 with 2:21 remaining.
The Gators' Devon Cottrell stuck back an offensive rebound with 2:04 left and made a free throw with 52 seconds to play.
Trailing by two points, Butler saw the ball go out of bounds three times on its ensuing possession, but kept it each time.
With 8.7 seconds left, the Tornado brought the ball inbounds under their basket. A third pass found Slater open in the corner. His shot caromed off the back of the rim and Snodgrass outfought two defenders for it.
He was unable to get off a good shot, however.
“Gateway has three Division I-caliber basketball players in its lineup and we took them down to the last shot,” Clement said. “That says a lot about the kids I have.
“We're not going to be WPIAL champions, but I've got a bunch of champions in that room.”The 6-foot-7 Cottrell paced Gateway with 19 points and 10 rebounds. The 6-10 Barnett Harris had 12 points and 10 boards. Tyler Scott had 11 points for Gateway.Swartwout was doubled down low by Harris and Cottrell all night, but still produced 18 points and 12 rebounds for Butler. Slater had nine points for the Tornado.“That Swartwout kid is as advertised,” Adams said. “That kid is a helluva player.”“Bobby is a different player now compared to even back in January,” Clement said. “(College) coaches should see him play now. He's taken his game to another level.”Gateway will face Chartiers Valley — a 54-48 winner over Mount Lebanon — in the WPIAL title game Saturday at the Palumbo Center.Butler will play a PIAA play-in game Tuesday.“Our kids bought themselves another game. It will be single-elimination again. But we've got a long bus ride home first,” Clement said.<B>GATEWAY 47</B>Barnett Harris 3-6 6-11 12, Mike Corbett 0-3 0-0 0, Tyler Scott 4-7 1-1 11, Devon Cottrell 8-15 3-5 19, D.J. Boyce 1-2 3-7 5, Luke Kochka 0-1 0-0 0. <B>Totals:</B> 16-34 13-24 47.<B>BUTLER 45</B>Nate Snodgrass 2-10 0-0 5, Trevor Wideman 0-0 2-2 2, Cody Herald 2-9 0-0 6, Zach Slater 3-6 1-2 9, Bill Smith 0-1 0-0 0, Vinnie Schmidt 1-4 3-4 5, David Tompkins 0-1 0-0 0, Bobby Swartwout 6-12 6-6 18. <B>Totals:</B> 14-43 12-14 45.<B>Gateway 12 14 11 10—47Butler 7 11 19 8—453-point goals:</B> Gateway 2 (Scott 2); Butler 5 (Snodgrass, Herald 2, Slater 2).<B>Tuesday:</B> Butler in PIAA Tournament, opponent, site and time TBA
