Hornets top Warrior Run 64-37 in District playoffs

By: Ed Weaver  /  February 24, 2017

The Wellsboro Hornets scored 38 second-half points en route to a 64-37 win over Warrior Run in the first round of District IV Class AAA playoffs on Thursday, February 23.

Both teams played close early on as the Hornets led 14-7 after the first. Wellsboro put some space between themselves and the Defenders on big three-point shots from senior Jacob Singer and sophomore Andrew Brelo to push the score to 26-11 in favor of Wellsboro, but Warrior Run forced three Hornet turnovers in the closing minutes to cut the score to 26-17 at the half.

The Defenders came out strong in the second half and chipped away at the Hornets' lead until they got to within 28-22 with 4:30 remaining.

"Stuff like that happens," said junior Collin Pietropola. "We have bad minutes, shots weren't falling for us early. We came out a little slow but picked it up with defense."

That's when Wellsboro's shots started falling.

Juniors Quinn Henry and Pietropola and senior Alden Weiner put points on the board, but the play of Brelo off the bench was the spark the Hornets needed in the second half. Brelo hit a three from the top of the key, cleaned up a missed shot and put the ball back in for a layup, then stole the ball and finished with another layup for 7 points in under a minute to put the Hornets back up by 13. Henry's and Weiner's baskets closed the quarter out with the Hornets leading 42-30.

Wellsboro saved their best quarter for last as they outscored the Defenders 22-7. Singer and sophomore Brandyn Tuttle both connected on jump shots from behind the three-point line, and Henry, junior Dalton Prough, sophomore Holden Kennedy, and Pietropola all scored in the quarter to advance the Hornets in the Class AAA bracket.

Head coach Todd Outman was pleased with his team's performance, but especially pleased with his bench play.

"Andrew and Brandyn really stepped up tonight. We had to have it. We were struggling shooting the ball well in the first half. We left them in the game, I think at one point it was only 9 points. We had to have something and I looked at coach Chase Kriner to change it up, so he decided to sub in Brandyn and Andrew and we changed into a zone and caused some problems."

Three Hornets scored in double-figures, led by Pietropola with a game-high 13 points. Singer finished with 11 points, and Brelo added 10 off the bench. Prough finished with 8, Henry scored 7, Weiner had 6, and Tuttle had 5. Kennedy and senior Brandon Lamphier rounded out the scoring with 2 points each.

Lamphier finished with 3 rebounds and 2 assists, Singer had 3 rebounds and 3 steals, Henry had 3 rebounds and 3 assists, and Pietropola grabbed 4 rebounds and made 3 assists. Tuttle recorded 5 rebounds, Kennedy made a steal, and Weiner added 4 rebounds.

Prough also added 7 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 assists, and blocked a shot.

Austin Soltesz led Warrior Run with 10 points and Gage Anzulavich scored 8.

Next up for Wellsboro (21-4) is the #5 Southern Columbia Tigers, who knocked off #4 Central Columbia 70-54.

"They're pretty good and athletic," Outman said of Southern Columbia. "Because of their football program they have a huge winning attitude and that can carry a long way. I truly think we can compete with them, we just need to make sure we don't give up easy baskets and don't turn the ball over."

The game will be at a date, time, and location to be determined.