Leps stun Quakers, earn spot in 4A semis

By adam brewer

MVI Sports

All Belle Vernon Area boys basketball coach Joe Salvino wanted to see from his team Saturday in its WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinal contest against No. 3 Quaker Valley was a solid 32 minutes.

“If we play four full quarters,” Salvino said, “it gives us a chance to win against anybody.”

The Leopards battled some early adversity with foul trouble and a slow-developing offensive game in the first half, and even withstood one of their main scorers fouling out with 7:14 left to play, to put together a strong final quarter.

That fourth quarter pushed the sixth-seeded Leopards to an impactful 66-61 win over the Quakers at Plum High School. 

With the victory, BVA (18-6) will be making its second trip to the semifinals in three years. The Leps will face No. 7 New Castle at 6 p.m. Wednesday at North Allegheny. 

“The fourth quarter was big for us,” said BVA forward Mitch Pohlot, who finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds in the win. “It was all about being aggressive, bringing the intensity on defense and foul shooting. We always believed we could win and we never got down on each other. We battled through a lot today.”

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