Yough boys rally in 4th quarter to defeat Jeannette, end losing skid
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Wednesday, December 28, 2022 | 6:26 PM
Yough’s Parker Rost makes a pass against Jeannette on Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2022, at Greensburg Salem High School.
Jeannette’s Isaiah Mallich drives to the basket as Yough’s Austin Matthews defends Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2022, at Greensburg Salem High School.
Yough’s Ty Travillion drives toward the basket against Jeannette on Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2022, at Greensburg Salem High School.
Jeannette’s Shane Mickens looks for an opening over Yough defender Terek Crosby on Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2022, at Greensburg Salem High School.
Yough’s Austin Matthews (right) defends against Jeannette on Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2022, at Greensburg Salem High School.
Yough coach Jim Nessar talks to his players during a timeout against Jeannette on Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2022, at Greensburg Salem High School.
Yough’s Ty Travillion dribbles around Jeannette defender Shane Mickens. Travillion had a couple of key baskets in the fourth quarter.
Jeannette coach Adrian Batts speaks with his players on Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2022, during their game against Yough at Greensburg Salem High School.
Collectively, Yough exhaled as a five-game losing streak got smaller in the rearview mirror.
Guard Terek Crosby adjusted the mirror so the team could see the troubling skid fade away.
Crosby scored eight of his game-high 18 points in the fourth quarter, including two big 3-pointers, as the Cougars rallied past Jeannette, 47-42, on Wednesday in the opening game of the Paul Sapotichne Holiday Tournament at Greensburg Salem.
“This feels amazing,” Crosby said. “It is huge for our confidence.”
Yough (4-5), which opened the season with three straight wins, dipped some in recent weeks. It was coming off a 48-47 loss to Monessen.
“We’ve been struggling,” Yough coach Jim Nesser said. “But we moved the ball better today. We talk about finishing games. Today, we did that.”
Jeannette (5-3), which had won five straight before falling to Leechburg, 60-56, had a nine-point lead in the third quarter against Yough, thanks for the effort of its post players, Shane Mickens, Lonnie Greene and Jalen Bass.
The trio helped Jeannette play a zone, something to which the Cougars have become accustomed.
“We’re getting more used to zone,” said Crosby, who has over 900 career points. “We’re playing more as a team again.”
Jeannette got 13 points from Greene, 10 in the first half, and Mickens added 10 to go with five rebounds and two blocks.
“We missed a lot of open layups,” Jeannette coach Adrian Batts said. “We had so many opportunities. Yough played hard, but we were in control and should have won that game. There have been stretches where we just fall apart.”
With Jeannette up 31-22, Ty Travillion made a 3-pointer, Austin Matthews put back a miss and Travillion made another 3 to close the gap to 31-30 with 3 minutes, 44 seconds left in the third.
Matthews had nine points.
“When Tyler hit that (second) 3, it got us going,” Crosby said. “We said, ‘OK, we’re in this.’ ”
Crosby’s 3 tied it at 33.
In the fourth, Crosby hit back-to-back 3s, the second from the wing at the 4:43 mark to put the Cougars ahead 39-37.
Jeannette tied it 39-39 on a cut-and-score by Bass and went up a point on a free throw by Kymone Brown.
The lead swung back and forth again briefly before baskets by Zander Aird and Crosby made it 45-42.
Aird capped the scoring with two free throws.
“We should expect to win,” Nesser said. “That’s nothing against Jeannette. They played physical. We just need to believe we’re the better team.”
Nesser used to be Jeannette’s coach. Batts was his assistant for three years during the Terrelle Pryor years. Jeannette led 24-21 at halftime.
“Hopefully, this is the kind of game that will help us get ready for section play,” Batts said. “It’s upsetting we didn’t finish what we started.”
Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.
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