East Spotlight: Gateway boys' basketball
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Senior guard Tyler Scott leads Gateway in scoring with a 17-points-per-game average.
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If there's one thing the Gateway boys basketball team won't have to worry about come playoff time, it is playing on the road.
The Gators have traveled just about every plane, train and automobile path imaginable this season.
Besides going west to play St. Vincent-St. Mary of Akron, Ohio, in the first game of the season, Gateway visited the Sunshine State in December to participate in the Bright House Tournament in Clearwater, Fla.
More recently, the Gators went east for a matchup with Altoona on Feb. 4 and will head back to Blair County to face Hollidaysburg Saturday
Nevertheless, Gateway coach Mitch Adams believes the constant traveling will only benefit his team during the WPIAL tournament.
"We are not wearing down," Adams said. "These kids are used to this type of schedule. They play basketball year-round and play AAU during the summer. They're used to playing six to seven games a day.
"We want to live for the moment and they are doing just that. We talk about production and they are continuing to produce."
Gateway is ranked No. 5 in the Post-Gazette's Class AAAA rankings and the Gators record stands at 14-5 overall following a 58-52 upset loss to section rival Plum on Tuesday.
The Gators sit behind No. 4 Woodland Hills (15-5, 9-2) in Section 2-AAAA with an 8-3 mark. Gateway was poised to join the Wolverines atop the section standings before that loss to Plum Tuesday in an important section contest.
"We're picking up our play and playing together as a team," 6-foot-10 senior forward Barnett Harris said. "We're playing better every day, every practice and every game."
Going into tonight's section finales, the Gators still have a shot to grab a share of the section title. They close their section schedule tonight at home against McKeesport Area while Woodland Hills plays at arch-rival Penn Hills.
"No one gives our section a lot of respect," Adams said. "Day-in and day-out, we go against good teams. When you look at what these teams do outside of the section, it's hard to understand [the lack of respect]. They're all good.
"We all know each other, playing during the season and against one another again in the summer. It's a war every night and you either have to get used to it or end up at the bottom [of the standings]."
First Published February 10, 2012 12:00 am
