Gallagher drops 33 in BeeGraphix win
By JEREMY SELLEW
jsellew@yourmvi.com
After BeeGraphix picked up a big win Thursday with only five players, the rest of the roster arrived Tuesday and helped head coach Tim Tyree’s team keep hold of first place in the boys division of the Mon Valley Independent Summer Basketball League.
Most notably, Rodney Gallagher III returned to the lineup and the Laurel Highlands product was a rolling highlight for the fans in attendance at Marx’s Court Time Sports Center.
Gallagher finished with 33 points and had six 3-pointerts to lead BeeGraphix (6-1) to a close 60-58 win over Campy’s Pizza.
“When Rod is here, other players really rely on him. Sometimes it’s a gift and a curse for a player like him because sometimes he needs some help and we’re just out there watching,” Tyree said. “But Rod’s a player who has so much talent. He’s just going to make everyone better, which shows how good this league is. You want young players to come and play with guys we have in this league.”
While BeeGraphix was missing Chartiers Valley’s Brayden Reynolds, the team got off to a bit of a slow start before Gallagher started heating up.
Campy’s (2-5) took an 8-3 lead behind consecutive baskets by Ringgold’s Demetrius Butler, McKeesport’s Travarese Rowe and Charleroi’s Will Wagner.
But Gallagher responded with seven straight points and Belle Vernon Area freshman Quinton Martin added four points as BeeGraphix took a 14-10 lead.
In that run, marked by multiple turnovers for Campy’s Pizza, BeeGraphix outscored Campy’s, 18-4, over a span of nearly seven minutes to take a 24-14 lead with 3:42 to go in the first half.
Gallagher hit a pair of 3-pointers and Trey Champine (Bishop Canevin) hit a jumper to close the run for BeeGraphix.
Head coach Naz Victoria’s crew responded, though, with an 8-0 run behind a balanced attack with baskets by Brandon Patterson (Washington), Butler, Nico Pugliano (East Allegheny) and Rowe.
“That’s one thing without Brayden, we had some young guys in there and we didn’t do a good job of closing out that first half,” Tyree said. “You have to give Coach Victoria’s team credit because they took advantage and played really well.”
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