Gateway was supposed to play a team with one of the top players in the country in the Pittsburgh Basketball Club Classic. But due to a snowstorm, Bishop O'Connell of Virginia couldn't make it to the event.

Gateway got no bargain with Bishop O'Connell's replacement.

Oliver of the City League shot its way past Gateway, 54-44, in the third of seven games Sunday at Robert Morris University's Sewall Center.

Replacement players, huh? These were just some tough Bears who shot well and had their way with a Gateway team that was ranked No. 5 in WPIAL Class AAAA by the Post-Gazette. Evan Schell had seven 3-pointers, Oliver (11-4) made 12 as a team and won despite two starters not showing up until halftime because they were on a football recruiting trip.

"Thank God we weren't playing Bishop O'Connell. Who knows what it might have been like?" said a disappointed Mitch Adams, Gateway's coach.

Bishop O'Connell featured guard Kendall Marshall, a North Carolina recruit ranked among the top players in the country. When Oliver coach Carey White got a phone call Saturday afternoon from Classic director John Giammarco, White was first asked what he was doing Sunday afternoon. "Watching the Penguin game," White said.

Giammarco asked if White's team would like to play Gateway and White gladly accepted the invitation.

"Our type of kids will show up and play no matter who, when or where it is," White said.

White's 3-year-old son, Garett, sat next to him the entire game and even stood sometimes when his father stood. Who said only one coach is allowed to stand during high school games?

"I had to have him sit with me because I didn't have any baby sitting lined up for today because I didn't know we'd be playing," White said with a laugh.

Schell, a 6-foot-2 senior, left-handed guard, had 26 points and made some long 3-pointers. Delvon Murray added 12 and Phil Ferguson 11. Shane Phillips and Tawayne Steele arrived at halftime from their football recruiting visit to Lock Haven.

Craig Banks and Tyler Scott had 11 points apiece for Gateway, which played without forward Devon Cottrell (13.5 ppg), who was ill.

"Today we made shots, defended well and we just played," White said. "That's the fun part about basketball. A lot of coaches put in all this time with film sessions, or techniques or whatever to make their team win. But we like to just play and whatever happens, happens."

• Chartiers Valley (16-1) jumped to a 23-point halftime lead and cruised to a 72-45 win against Beaver Falls (10-7). Beaver Falls had trouble with Chartiers Valley's pressure defense and committed 28 turnovers. Chartiers Valley's T.J. McConnell made only 2 of 10 from 3-point range, but still finished with 33 points.

• Tom Droney scored 24 points to lead Sewickley Academy (13-2) to a 56-47 victory against South Fayette (12-3).

• Troy Wilson's 20 points helped Washington (13-4) run its winning streak to 10 with a 66-50 victory against Lincoln Park (12-5).

• Quinton Burton's two free throws late in the game gave Ambridge (10-7) a 47-45 victory against Canon-McMillan (7-9).

• Upper St. Clair (12-6) outscored Aliquippa (10-6) by 16 points in the second half en route to a 52-35 victory.

Mike White's "High School Sports Edition" videos are featured exclusively on PG+, a members-only web site from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.