NEW KENSINGTON, Pa. - The Penn State New Kensington men's basketball team defeated Penn State Fayette at home on Saturday to move forward into the next round of playoffs.
It was all New Kensington all game long in the Athletic Center Saturday afternoon. Jovan Kojic (Subotica, Serbia / Canterbury) opened up the scoring early and Fayette was incapable of stopping the momentum for the remainder of the game.
The men did not only manage to outplay Fayette but whatever energy they brought to the game was quickly stolen by the likes of a favorable home crowd. Overall, the great defense of New Kensington prevented any possibility of breaking through. Offensively, New Kensington outscored Fayette by 22 in the first 20 minutes.
New Kensington scored with ease in the opening minutes. The men's extreme tempo forced Penn State Fayette to call a full timeout at 15:54 to collect themselves. The timeouts proved inadequate as the spirit of Penn State New Kensington radiated from the crowd to the court and back.
In essence, the game was over at the half. New Kensington put up 48 total points and showed no signs of stopping. All of the players of New Kensington's team produced performances worthy of being deemed game standouts. More specifically, Kojic, Benjamin Cunningham (Woodbridge, Va. / Christ Chapel Academy), Aubrey Feaster II (Buffalo, N.Y. / William B. Travis), Shyheim Flanagan (St. Martinville, La. / Westside), Sammy Carey (Springdale, Pa. / Springdale), and Evan Clarke (Aston, Pa. / Garnet Valley), just to name a few.
New Kensington kept up their velocity earning 52.6% of shots from the field and a 50% free throw rate. The men also took 24 total rebounds, five blocks, and six steals all in the first. Feaster II led the scoring with 16 points. He was followed closely by Cunningham with 13, and Flanagan with eight. New Kensington lead at the half 48-26.
The rest was history as they say. Penn State Fayette increased their offensive work rate in the second half but the deficit was too much to overcome. New Kensington led by 36 with under 10 minutes left in the game. Jared Sidwell (Apollo, Pa. / Harvest Baptist Academy) achieved yet another dunk in the final minutes and Joseph Dusabe (Toronto, Ont. / Fox Chapel) put up his share of points by physical layups.
Game leaders include a remarkable presentation by Feaster II with 32 points, Cunningham remained consistent with 17, and an aggressive performance by Shyheim Flanagan with 12. Incidentally, New Kensington kept the lead the entire game and there were never any or ties. New Kensington also led by 39 at their highest point of the game. Needless to say, New Kensington finished victorious, 95-69.
The players were cheered off the court as they now prepare to move into the second round of playoffs in the coming week.
The men have an excellent tolerance for hurdles and hindrances. Their practices are mostly comprised of fixing small mistakes, adding new schemes, and preparing for the upcoming games. In this way, the versatile components of practices mold a team that is tougher and has much more depth than a crew with a few plays and effort. This is to say that the men do not have to rely strictly on effort for their confidence, or confidence for their effort. Everything is fused into one.
The latest production of the men has been more than encouraging. We hear over and over again that they are dependable, durable, and unchanging in their gameplay. Ostensibly, the men are at their best when all of their players are available. On occasion, a few players earn a period of rest in which they do not have to play, but the game must go on.
A few of the players who tip the scale for this team are Jiaan Sehhat, Jared Sidwell, and Sammy Carey. All well over six feet tall, they have proven to be adaptable and powerful in and out of the paint. Sidwell for example averages 15 minutes per game and has 104 points. Each of these players also plays a violent defense, Sehhat taking 15 total steals and 28 rebounds. Carey is also in the mix with 70 defensive rebounds and 21 steals.
This week, the usual late-season practice proceeds. The last month has meant playing key games on a grueling back-to-back schedule. In order to appease this process, the men add more to their plate, both in terms of effort and strategy. "We've been working through the press offense," said Evan Clarke during a February 9 practice. "So trying to beat their press. That has been the main focal point."
There is no doubt within the players or coaches that staying healthy, especially at this point in the season, can make or break their chances moving forward. While it is always crucial to maintain communication about health, now is the time to stress it the most. This means pre-game practices are not about intensity, but instead about focus.
"Coach Mack is probably going to have us go through some plays, some new plays, new strategies, just to keep teams guessing so they don't know what we're doing every time," said Shyheim Flanagan at a February 7 practice. "Get up and down a little bit. The last thing is that I do applaud Coach Mack for is staying healthy."
Rest and recovery is the objective of the team between games. In the 24 hours before a contest, training muscle memory is the best bet. "We do a great job the last practice before a game we get a lot of shots up, don't do a lot of contact," said Flanagan. "He's a smart coach. We don't gamble with our players because we're already limited as it is."
The men will play their second round of the playoffs on Monday, February 21.
Written by Matt Heavner, PSNK Athletics Communications Intern
