By Tom Robinson, NEPABasketball.com
EASTON – Cardinal O’Hara was the latest team to get a taste of what the Dallas offense can do when the Mountaineers get rolling.
Dallas raced up and down the floor, creating the quality shots it used to have its starting lineup shoot better than 70 percent from the floor in the second half and 60 percent for the game, a 75-57 victory in a Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Class 4A boys second-round state tournament game.
“We were able to get out and run,” Dallas coach Mark Belenski said. “We made the run instead of them making the run.
“I’m very proud of our guys.”
The Mountaineers ran with their second-half defensive rebounds and threw the ball over the top of the Lions press when Cardinal O’Hara managed to score.
“We just saw our openings, attacked them and finished at the rim,” said Michael Cumbo, who scored a game-high 23 points, including 10 during a 30-point fourth quarter.
Dallas has hit 30 or more in a quarter seven times this season, including six in the 20-game winning streak the Mountaineers (26-3) will take into Tuesday’s state quarterfinal against West Philadelphia at Bethlehem Liberty at 7:30 p.m.
The Mountaineers had never been to the state quarterfinals before the 2020 team, with current team leaders Austin Finarelli and Nick Nocito starting in the backcourt, made it that far in Class 5A.
Tuesday night will be the first time Dallas actually plays in a state quarterfinal because the 2020 tournament was stopped at that point with the initial wave of the COVID outbreak.
“We’ll never know the outcome of that,” Belenski said. “You say, ‘if this, if that’, but now we get to play Tuesday and we have a chance to determine the outcome of that game.”
Two years ago, Dallas would have proceeded as a distinct underdog.
This time around, the Mountaineers are one of the state’s hottest teams, averaging 72.8 points over the past 14 games, including 64- and 61-point halves.
The only thing preventing them from more is how many times Dallas has blown out opponents and either slowed down or turned to the bench late with the game decided.
Leading scorer Finarelli’s perimeter shot was likely hindered by the large padding and bandage he continues to wear on his right hand to protect an injury suffered in the district semifinals, so he ran the floor, using the transition game to hit his last seven shots to finish 9-for-12 with 21 points.
Nocito, who had 11 of his 15 points in the first half, pushed the ball to Finarelli and others. He had six of his nine assists and all three of his steals during the third quarter when the Mountaineers turned a one-point game into a 59-41 lead.
“It’s all about what they give you,” Nocito said. “They weren’t getting back so we went deep.”
Jackson Wydra went 5-for-6, including 4-for-4 in the second half, while adding 12 points and 3 steals.
Finarelli had nine points and Wydra seven during the third quarter.
“It’s on those guys,” Belenski said of his team. “They play so hard. They play fundamental basketball. They’re so fun to watch.”
Cardinal O’Hara was led by 6-foot-7 sophomore forward Pearse McGuinn with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
Neumann-Goretti 57, Scranton Prep 51
Scranton Prep put together a third-quarter rally at Bethlehem Freedom to pull into a tie with Neumann-Goretti, which has won state titles 8 of the last 11 times they were decided.
Rob Wright scored 22 points to lead the Saints, including going 4-for-5 from the foul line in the fourth quarter to help pull out the victory.
Andrew Ferguson scored 15 points and Robert Rossi 13 for Scranton Prep.
Ferguson had six points while James Pettinato and Noah Sorenson hit 3-pointers when the Cavaliers turned a 28-21 halftime deficit into a 40-40 tie going into the fourth quarter.
Rossi went 7-for-8 from the foul line while scoring nine of his points in the second half.
The Cavaliers finished their season 16-10.
