DISTRICT 4 BOYS BASKETBALL: DANVILLE SLIPS PAST ATHENS, 52-48, IN CLASS 4A SEMIFINALS (24 PHOTOS) (2023-02-28)
By TIM BIRNEYValley Sports ReportMONTOURSVILLE — Danville used a 14-5 run to start the fourth quarter, and break open a tie game on its way to a 52-48 win over Athens here Tuesday night in the semifinals of the District 4, Class 4A boys basketball playoffs.
The Wildcats’ hopes of a return trip to States are still alive, however, as the top three teams from District 4, Class 4A qualify for the PIAA tournament. They will face top-seeded Shamokin, which dropped a 54-52 decision to fourth-seeded Lewisburg Tuesday, in the consolation game at a site and time to be determined.
The Ironmen nullified a pair of the Athens’ strengths in the win. They out-rebounded the Wildcats, and also did a good job against their penetration to the bucket.
"We’re not use to the physical play down here," said Athens coach Jim Lister. "They let us play a lot more down here than we do at home, and we need to get use to it — we have to see more of it.
"We need to be more physical underneath. We should not be out-rebounded, that’s going to bother me for a little bit.
"We’re not a big 3-point shooting team," noted Lister. "We go inside, and we’re normally able to score underneath. We were going to the bucket tonight, and we were getting hit, but they’re not going to call touch fouls. You have to go to the hole strong.
"We were looking for fouls, and you’re not going to get them; we’re going to have to fix that moving on," added Lister.
The game started at a frenetic pace that neither team was really able to keep up with, resulting in several turnovers by both teams.
The Wildcats did get an up-and-under lay-up by sophomore Xavier Watson, and a 3-pointer by junior Korey Miller to make it 5-0 with 6:35 remaining in the first quarter.
Once the game evolved into a more manageable pace for both teams, Danville closed the gap to 5-4, but sophomore Kolsen Keathley drained a 3-pointer to make it 8-4 with 5:09 left in the first quarter.
After an old-fashion three-point play by Danville’s Luke Hurin made it 8-7, Athens senior Lucas Horton knocked down a 3-pointer, and senior Chris Mitchell added a pair of free throws to make it 13-7 with 2:30 left in the first quarter.
The Ironmen used a 9-0 run that bridged the first two quarters to take a 16-13 lead with 6:52 remaining in the first half, but the Wildcats answered with an 8-3 spurt, capped by a 3-pointer by senior Mason Lister, to take a 21-19 lead with 3:25 remaining in the second quarter.
After both teams missed a pair of free throws, junior Connor Mosher scored on a drive to the bucket to make it 23-19, and Keathley added two free throws to make it 25-19 with 1:50 left in the first half.
The Ironmen closed the gap to 25-24, but a free throw by Lister, and a fast-break lay-up by Horton made it 28-24 with 4.2 seconds left in the half.
Danville opened the second half with eight straight points — four apiece by Hurin and Cade Cush — to take a 32-28 lead with 4:10 remaining in the third quarter.
Keathley put Athens on the board in the second half with a short jumper to close the gap to 32-30, but the Wildcats missed out on a chance to take the lead with three straight missed free throws.
With 2:53 left in the third quarter, Lister came up with a steal near midcourt, and found Keathley alone for an uncontested lay-up to tie the game at 32-32.
After two free throws by Hurin, Lister’s driving lay-up tied the game at 34-all, which is where it stood heading into the final eight minutes.
Lister scored on a putback on the offensive glass in the opening moments of the fourth quarter to give the Wildcats a 36-34 advantage, but it was their last lead of the game.
Carson Persing scored off a feed from Hurin with 6:50 remaining in the game, then buried a 3-pointer about 35 seconds later to give the Ironmen the lead for good, at 39-36.
A pair of free throws by Mitchell closed the gap to 39-38, but Hurin buried a 3-pointer, then converted a coast-to-coast lay-up to make it 44-38 with 5:01 remaining in the contest.
After a free throw by Lister made it 44-39, Danville scored four straight points to take its biggest lead, at 48-39, with 3:10 remaining.
After the teams traded buckets to make it 50-41, Danville made just 2 of 8 free throws down the stretch, but continued to stymie Athens’ offense and maintained at least a six-point lead until Horton’s 3-pointer in the closing seconds provided the final margin.
Lister said the difference in the second half was pretty simple.
"(Danville) made their shots in the second half, and we didn’t.
"I don’t think we got good shots in the second half," said Lister. "(Danville) made some defensive adjustments, and it slowed us down.
"They made a couple big threes in the second half that really hurt us," he added.
Lister led Athens with 11 points, 12 rebounds, and three steals, while Horton scored 11 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, and Keathley had nine points, and four rebounds.
Mitchell had six points and six boards for the Wildcats, while Miller added five points, five steals, and two assists, and Watson had four points, three rebounds, and one blocked shot.
Hurin led all scorers with 27 points, including a trio of 3-pointers, and Persing added nine points.
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IN PHOTO 1: Athens senior Mason Lister. … PHOTOS BY TIM BIRNEY.
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