Canevin Crushes North Catholic In Statement Win
A theme has emerged in the WPIAL during the 2021-2022 season--That the Bishop Canevin Crusaders are the "Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere" team of Pittsburgh basketball. The small Class A school, located in East Carnegie has a sports program that is on the rise and boys basketball is one of the marquee programs leading that charge.
This season, the Crusaders have "stepped up" outside the division to take on a "Who's Who" of Pittsburgh power programs: Penn Hills, Central Catholic, Chartiers Valley, Woodland Hills, Butler, Fox Chapel, Belle Vernon and Greensburg Central Catholic(Another hoops program on the rise). That continued on Monday night with the #4 team in Class 4A in the latest GymRat PT polls, North Catholic.
Canevin raced out to an early lead utilizing an active defense to create turnovers, alter shots and get out in transition on offense to explode to a 19-6 lead after the first quarter.
North Catholic made a big run midway through the second as 6'2" junior guard Max Rottmann dropped a trio of triples to cut the lead to just two scores. Canevin held on to a 32-26 lead at the break after Trey Champine hit a layup and blocked a shot to end the half.
Canevin was able to double the lead in the third to 56-44 going to the final quarter and then turned on the gas with a run to push their lead to 25 points early in the final stanza, putting North Catholic to bed after a pair of dunks by Jaden Gales and KeVaughn Price, cruising to a 76-49 victory.
Canevin was led by Gales(23) and Price(20), but also saw an efficient night from star freshman Amari Evans, scoring 10 points and who is perhaps the top freshman in the entire WPIAL. North Catholic was led by Rottman, who finished the contest with 15.
Both teams will now look to the WPIAL playoffs, but Canevin has one more mountain to climb as far as a game outside the division. They'll take a trip up the highway to tangle with the #7 team in the Gym Rat PT WPIAL Power Ranking, New Castle.
Coach Palmosina and his staff have prepared the Crusaders for anything that they could possibly face in the Class A playoffs by taking on the brutal slate they have had this season.
They will be one of the favorites, if not THE favorite, to win the Class A State Title, though Pottsville Nativity may have something to say about that.
The Boys from Lawton's Hill are 17-5 and have faced a slate outside the division that equals Canevin. Nativity has tangled with Bethlehem Freedom, Berks Catholic, Executive Education Charter from Allentown--A program with a meteoric rise to the regional level, Muhlenberg High outside Reading, traditional Lehigh Valley power Bethlehem Catholic and one of the top teams in the Commonwealth, Allentown Central Catholic. They'll be battled tested as well and should these two make it to the final, it could be a true classic.
Three Rivers Broadcasting would like to thank Gym Rat Performance Training, Carnegie Iron Werks, ReportIt and The Polish Falcons of America for their support of our sports programming and coverage in the winter season.
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