CLARION — After a run to the state semifinals, one that included its fair share of comebacks and tense moments, the Elk County Catholic boys basketball team finally met an opponent that was simply too much.
Bishop Canevin’s speed and size shut down an often-potent ECC offense. With a multitude of scoring options and clear control of the inside paint, the District 7 champions defeated Elk, 47-21, Friday evening at Clarion University’s Tippin Gymnasium.
BC presented a lineup with size that gave ECC fits inside. The former’s suffocating man-to-man defense limited Elk’s outside shooting options, as well, and with nine different players on the score sheet, Canevin led wire-to-wire en route to a Class A state final appearance.
Charlie Breindel led ECC with a game-high 13 points, knocking down three 3-pointers along the way, while Michael Jacobs added four points. Jaden Gales scored 10 points for BC, while Kevaugh Price added eight points and Shea Champine and Amari Evens each tacked on six.
Canevin started the game by finding open 3-point shooters in the corners, knocking down two of three early attempts to build its initial lead. Breindel answered with a 3-pointer of his own, but early in the game, it was evident that Elk would struggle to score the basketball inside.
Price set the tone with a couple early shot rejections, and as the game went along, ECC struggled to find holes in Canevin’s suffocating man-to-man defense. BC realized early that its inside game would be tough to stop, and then deployed a group of forwards that shut down Elk’s dribble-drive attempts.
Gales, Price and Evens each played a role in BC’s domination of the paint. BC’s guards, meanwhile, exhibited speed and athleticism that allowed their team to score in transition.
Outside of a couple tough shots by Breindel, ECC failed to muster much offense in the first half.
The trends continued into the second half, when Canevin began wasting no time with its entry passes. BC knew it could score underneath, and despite ECC forward Adam Straub’s fair share of inside blocks, Canevin’s army of long, strong forwards overwhelmed the undersized Crusaders.
ECC’s early offensive possessions were marked by patience, often forced by BC’s defense. As time ticked away, however, ECC started to speed up its possessions while Canevin’s lead continued to grow.
A flurry of steals and layups broke the game open for BC in the third, as it showed off its speed by flying from one end of the court to the other. The lead eclipsed 20 points in the waning minutes of the third quarter and stayed there the rest of the way.
ECC’s season ends at 25-5 after a District 9 championship and three-game run into the depths of the PIAA playoffs. The Crusaders were the final remaining District 9 team in the postseason, and had made their first trip to the state semis since 2009.
AT CLARION Elk County Catholic (21)Jansen 1 0-0 2, Jacobs 1 0-0 2, Straub 1 0-0 2, Breindel 5 0-0 13. Totals:
Bishop Canevin (47)S. Champine 2 2-2 6, T. Champine 1 0-0 2, Evens 2 0-0 6, Spears 2 0-0 5, Sledge Jr. 2 1-1 5, Beard 1 0-1 2, Gales 5 0-2 10, Price 4 0-0 8, Ridilla 1 0-0 3. Totals:
Three-point goals: ECC 3 (Breindel 3), BC 4 (Evens 2, Spears, Ridilla); Total fouls: ECC 8, BC 7; fouled out: None.
