Short-handed Jeannette boys make quick work of Purchase Line

By: HSSN Staff
Saturday, March 10, 2018 | 9:03 PM

EBENSBURG — Nobody was ejected this time for Jeannette, but it didn't take the Jayhawks long to show Purchase Line the door in a convincing first-round state playoff win.

Even down another starter, they returned to form.

Behind a hounding pressure defense, crisp ball movement and a commanding presence on the boards, Jeannette cruised to its first PIAA playoff win since 2012 with a 63-45 victory over Purchase Line on Saturday at Central Cambria.

The Jayhawks (20-4), clear-headed and rested after a lost to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in the WPIAL Class 2A semifinals, sprinted to a 31-15 halftime lead and stretched the margin to 29 in the third before dispatching the Red Dragons (20-6), who were bothered by Jeannette's quickness and intense pressure.

Jeannette, ousted in the first round in four of the last five PIAA tournaments, advances to the second round to face District 10 runner-up Cambridge Springs on Wednesday. Cambridge Springs (21-5) defeated Leechburg, a team from Jeannette's section, 77-54.

“Watching them on film, I thought our ball pressure would be a problem for them,” Jeannette coach Adrian Batts said of Purchase Line, the runner-up from District 6. “I thought our kids executed defensively, great. They had a lot of one-and-dones. We contested shots. We helped. We did everything we talked about leading up to the game. I thought our effort was unbelievable.”

Jeannette played without junior Anthony Johnson, the team's leading scorer, who sat out after receiving two technical fouls in the WPIAL semifinal loss.

Johnson, who averages 21 points a game, will return against Cambridge Springs and gives Jeannette a full lineup for the first time in weeks.

The Jayhawks played with more poise and a key reserve that also missed time of late made his presence known.

Sophomore Jackson Pruitt was outstanding in Johnson's absence, scoring a career-high 19 points. Pruitt missed time recently with the flu but showed no ill-effects against Purchase Line.

“Being out last game, it showed me they needed me to come off the bench,” Pruitt said. “I felt like I needed to believe in myself, shoot the ball, dribble, don't be nervous. I went into the game with that mentality, and it really helped us out.”

Steady senior leader Tre Cunningham led all scorers with 20 points, and Robert Kennedy added 16 points and six assists, including a no-look feed to Pruitt midway through the fourth after Purchase Line cut into the lead. But the Red Dragons could only get to within 16 in the fourth.

Pruitt scored nine in the second quarter, giving instant offense off the bench.

“He has been doing a great job all season,” Batts said of Pruitt. “Unfortunately, he got sick and never recovered. He didn't play against OLSH. If we had him, maybe the outcome of the OLSH game is different, even if Anthony gets ejected.

“I hope we continue to do the same things, and we can get another one.”

Kennedy scored 11 in the second half and made several defensive plays that flipped the court for Jeannette.

Jeannette, in the state playoffs for the 14th time in 15 years, used its press and a sizable rebounding advantage to build a 31-12 advantage late in the first half. Cunningham went coast-to-coast for a layup, and Kennedy followed with a steal-and-score during an 11-2 run.

“With Tre and Poogie throwing it up the floor, it really set us up with the lead,” Pruitt said. “It's great for the team and the seniors. They have been working their butts off.”

The Jayhawks shot 1 for 9 from the free-throw line in the first two quarters and missed numerous layups. The inability to finish at the rim did not matter, but it could have led to a much larger lead by the break.

Jeannette struggled at the free-throw line again, making just 13 of 29.

“If we make our free throws early, it's a 30-point lead going into halftime,” Batts said. “Our defense, rebounding and pressure was great. I couldn't be more proud of our kids.”

Melvin Sanchez banked in a half-court buzzer-beater just before the half to get the Red Dragons within 16.

Dominique Campbell led Purchase Line with 19 points, including 12 in the fourth.

Sanchez finished with 13.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at bbeckner@tribweb.com or via Twitter @BillBeckner.

Tags: Jeannette