Farmers tops BeeGraphix in early battle of unbeatens
By Jose Negron
jnegron@yourmvi.com
A minute and a half into the second half of Tuesday’s game against BeeGraphix, Farmers Insurance coach Dana Zajicek thought he’d see a lopsided score become larger in an instant.
BeeGraphix began the second half on a quick 9-0 run, and Zajicek wasn’t entirely convinced it would end.
“I was worried we’d go down by 18 and that they’d go on another 9-0 run,” Zajicek said. “We were able to weather the storm, though.”
Zajicek called a timeout to regroup with 14:23 left in the half and watched as his team mounted a comeback to capture a 79-72 victory and claim sole possession of first place in the Mon Valley Independent Summer Basketball League’s boys division at Marx’s Court Time Sports Center in Elizabeth Township.
In the final 13:50 of the second half, Farmers (3-0) outscored BeeGraphix, 42-26.
“They showed perseverance,” said Zajicek, who guided a shorthanded group of just six players. “I subbed them in and out, and everybody got their minutes. A couple of guys really stepped up.”
One of the players who stepped up in a big way was Laurel Highlands senior guard Caleb Palumbo.
Zajicek’s fourth-round pick in this year’s MVISBL draft, Palumbo drained six 3-pointers and poured in a game-high 25 points to lead Farmers. He scored 16 in the final 16 minutes.
“Caleb shot the ball real well tonight,” Zajicek said. “The guys did a really good job of finding him.”
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