MVISBL: Gallagher is a champion — and MVP — once again

By JEREMY SELLEW

jsellew@yourmvi.com

Along with wrapping up another Mon Valley Independent Summer Basketball League championship Thursday, Laurel Highlands and BeeGraphix guard Rodney Gallagher III claimed his second straight Most Valuable Player award.

This year, the competition in the league was as fierce as ever, but Gallagher showed the talent and leadership to help will his team to back-to-back championships.

Gallagher averaged more than 24 points per game, second in the league behind his LH teammate, Keondre DeShields. But it was his leadership on the floor that was critical in the championship run.

“My job is to facilitate,” Gallagher said. “Coach (Tim) Tyree did a great job in the draft. Yeah, we lost Brayden Reynolds, but we gained a lot of good players. It’s my job to get them the ball. I’m not worried about my points. I’m going to find the open man and let them work.”

Gallagher finished with 23 points in the championship game, while teammates Shea Champine, Jayden Pratt, Quinton Martin, Chris Barrish and Savion MD Stroud, each hit double figures in the 80-55 win over Elite Physical Therapy.

Gallagher included the MVI Summer Basketball League among a plethora of other summer activities. He played for NBA superstar Kevin Durant’s Team Durant 16u squad on the Nike Elite Youth Basketball circuit, on top of making a number of visits to Division I universities for football, including Ohio State, Pitt, West Virginia and Penn State.

“It’s been a busy summer, for sure,” Gallagher said. “But that’s the thing I love about this league. It’s comfortable. It’s just me getting to come out and play ball with my friends. That’s what I love about it. There’s no pressure here for me. I come and play ball, play with my friends, get great coaching from Coach Tyree and I go home.”

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