Howard Hanna holds off Campy’s

By JEREMY SELLEW

jsellew@yourmvi.com

While just getting to the midway point of the Mon Valley Independent Summer Basketball League season, it’s hard to say a game is a must win.

But for Campy’s Pizza, a steady performer over the past few seasons, Tuesday’s game was exactly that. 

And the team couldn’t come through.

In a game alternating run after run, it was Howard Hanna Wilson Baum getting the final one in a 64-60 victory over Campy’s in the middle game of a tripleheader at Marx’s Court Time Sports Center.

Belle Vernon Area’s Daniel Gordon hit only one shot in the game but it was the biggest as his 3-pointer from the left wing game Howard Hanna a 59-58 lead just after Campy’s took a 58-56 seconds earlier.

“The guys are learning each other’s skill set and that’s something we saw a lot of tonight,” Howard Hanna coach Matt Loftis said. “Daniel didn’t get many shots tonight, but he hit the biggest one for us. It doesn’t matter that it was his only basket because he did so many other little things for us. He rebounded, he played great defense and he was hustling all over the floor.”

Gordon’s shot started a 7-0 run for Howard Hanna (3-2) as it was followed by baskets by Isayah Mosley (Montour) and Makhai Valentine (Steel Valley) to put their team up 63-58.

Campy’s Pizza had a chance to tie, but an ill-advised pass was stolen away and Mosley hit 1 of 2 from the line to make it a two-possession game as the final seconds ticked off.

“The biggest thing I wanted to see was us getting off to a better start,” Loftis said. “It kind of hurt us in our early games and I think we had a chance to win each one. We jumped out to a good lead but we let them get right back into it. We gave them a couple runs but we got one when we needed it there at the end.”

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