BeeGraphix bounces back, beats Farmers
By JEREMY SELLEW
jsellew@yourmvi.com
With their star Rodney Gallagher missing Mon Valley Independent Summer Basketball League action for two weeks, the BeeGraphix coaching staff had a reasonable goal. Just go 2-2 over the four games.
In the words of Jon Bon Jovi, they’re halfway there.
The defending Boys Division champions rebounded from Tuesday’s loss to Elite Physical Therapy with a 70-64 win over Farmers Insurance to kick off Thursday’s tripleheader.
Both teams played with only five players.
“We really needed this win after Tuesday’s game,” BeeGraphix assistant Bobby Zynosky said. “We played good team ball and we were able to pull it out. I think the difference was the way we played inside.”
That went for both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor.
After the opening five minutes, BeeGraphix (4-2) found itself trailing 18-13 after Farmers Insurance’s Joey Zajicek scored inside.
From that point on, Belle Vernon Area sophomore Quinton Martin started asserting himself on the offensive end.
Martin used his speed and explosiveness to find his way to the rim in attacking fashion and score eight points during a 14-3 run that allowed BeeGraphix to take a 27-21 lead with 5:52 to go in the first half.
The final basket of the run was a monster slam by Laurel Highlands’ senior Jayden Pratt. Pratt finished with a season-high 20 points and added five blocks in the win.
Back-to-back baskets by Chartiers Valley’s Frank DerVanik and Ringgold’s Nick Peccon helped Farmers cut the lead back to one before Pratt showed his range and buried a 3-pointer from the corner. Martin followed the shot up with two baskets of his own to give BeeGraphix a 7-0 run and push the lead up to eight.
“We had that run and it started with our defense,” Zynosky said. “Having Pratt inside, he just alters just about everything he’s around. You could see a lot of their shots were off balance because they had to account for his size inside.”
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