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Fast-paced game ends with 91-80 victory against Aliquippa

Saturday, January 18, 2003

By Mike White, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

Aliquippa and Beaver Falls have a nice rivalry in sports. But when they get together on the basketball court, it's not the record books that go out the window. Organized basketball goes by the wayside.

	Aliquippa's Marques Council, and Beaver Falls' Jordan Potter battle for a loose ball. (Peter Diana, Post-Gazette)

"A rat race is what it is," said Beaver Falls Coach Doug Biega.

The ball goes up and down the court so fast it seems more like a tennis match. When the mayhem ended last night, Beaver Falls had a big 91-80 victory against the host Quips, the Post-Gazette's No. 1 WPIAL Class AA team.

The win ties Beaver Falls with Aliquippa for first place in WPIAL Class AA Section 6. Both teams are 6-1 in section. Aliquippa is 14-4 overall. Beaver Falls became the first Class AA team to defeat the Quips, and the Tigers are 9-4.

The game was much like the first meeting between the two teams in December, when Aliquippa pulled out a 95-93 overtime victory. Both teams used a full-court press almost the entire game. Both teams played tough man-to-man defense, although Beaver Falls used a box-and-one much of the second half on Aliquippa guard Darrelle Revis.

"That's the way we have to play. We don't have a big guy to post up in the middle," Biega said. "We have to make it a rat race. Aliquippa likes to play that way, too. But I've told people that Aliquippa doesn't have the market cornered on playing that way."

But the pace was too frenetic for Aliquippa Coach Mike Zmijanac's liking.

"We played too disorganized," he said. "My kids thought it was a one-on-five game a lot of times. Our team can't play that way. I don't know where we ever got the idea that we could play so much one-on-one. Maybe somewhere the NBA has caught up to them."

Beaver Falls got a gigantic game from senior guard Rodney Slappy, who scored 39 points. He made 16 of 27 shots from the field, including 4 of 8 from 3-point range. Slappy came in averaging 18 points.

"Slappy played the game of his life," Zmijanac said. "That's probably one of the best individual performances I've seen in a long time."

Slappy scored 23 points in the first half as Beaver Falls took a 53-39 lead after two quarters.

"I didn't know he had 39. Wow," Biega said when told of Slappy's point total. "But when we score a lot of points, that usually means Rodney is scoring."

Beaver Falls also got 19 points from standout freshman guard Lance Jeter.

"We've got a special one in Lance," Biega said. "For him to come into this environment [at Aliquippa] and handle things the way he did is impressive."

Beaver Falls also got 14 points from forward Jordan Potter and 11 from forward Regis Bolden.

Revis, the WPIAL's leading scorer, finished with 24 points, two below his average. But he was only 10 of 23 from the field.

Senior guard Jon Harvey had 17 points for Aliquippa and junior forward Jance Harvey 16.

Aliquippa led, 37-36, with three minutes left in the second quarter, but Jeter's 3-pointer ignited a 17-2 run to give Beaver Falls a 53-39 halftime lead.

Aliquippa came back and cut the lead to 71-69 on Revis' basket with 6:50 left in the game. But Beaver Falls scored six points in a row, and Aliquippa never got closer than five points the rest of the way.

"This is the best win I've had since I've been here," said Biega, who is in his third season. "To come into this place and win. ... This is like the Lambeau Field of high school basketball. There can't be a bigger win during the regular season than this."

Beaver Falls might get even better next week if star guard Kenny Johnson returns to the team. Johnson was suspended by the school before the start of the season.

"Kenny will give us even another option," Biega said.