By HUNTER O. LYLE
PORT ALLEGANY, PA – Head coach Kyle Babcock’s message to his team heading into the final minutes of play was simple: we’re down, but not out.
For the vast majority of the previous 30 minutes, the Port Allegany boy’s basketball had been chasing Cameron County. At times, the Red Raiders’ lead was as small as just one point, at other times, as large as six. But the Gators were still there, still within striking distance, in a game with implications beyond just a regular season matchup.
“I felt like we never really got into a rhythm until right at the end of the game,” said Babcock. “I told the guys, ‘we’re only down one or two. We have to play with confidence and keep battling until the end.’”
As the saying goes, persistence paid off. Scratching tooth and nail throughout the fourth quarter, the Gators continued to whittle down the deficit before them until it had all but vanished. Then, keeping their foot on the gas, Port broke through, taking a late lead that would ultimately culminate in a 40-35 win, a season sweep of the Red Raiders and a spot atop the North Tier League.
Besides the league and playoff ramifications that would ripple with a win or a loss, Port took to the pregame hardwood with another lit fire under them: Senior Night. Before the game, the Gators and their packed stands of fans took a moment to recognize their five senior players: Jarrod Funk, Isac Amell, Nick Wilfong, Brayden Babcock and Julian Kaple.
“I had this group all the way up from fourth, fifth and sixth grade, all the way up from junior high until now and they’re definitely, definitely the most talented group I’ve ever had,” said Kyle Babcock. “I tell other people that it’s hard for teams to plan for us because we have so many threats, and it’s not an arrogant or a cocky thing, it’s just how these guys are. They put in the work, they’ve played together since fourth grade and it’s carried to their senior year.”
They then turned their attention to the Red Raiders, and more specifically, to breaking through their 6’7 wall underneath the rim. Staring down at Cam Co’s man in the middle, Isaac Grovanz, Port initially couldn’t find an answer, instead being relegated to the perimeter where they searched for routes to the basket to no avail. Fortunately for the Gators, their opponents found similar success on the other end.
With Grovanz down low to clean up any mistakes, the Red Raiders weren’t shy at pulling the trigger from beyond the arc. However, their long distance shots failed to hit their mark and while they succeeded in controlling the boards, they struggled to connect on second chance scores. As both teams traded empty possessions, the first basket of the game came at the three and a half minute mark, where Wilfong broke the ice with a mid-range jumper. Cam Co found their first field goal not long after, with a post move from Grovanz, but looked up at a slim 4-2 deficit after the first eight minutes.
Heading into the next quarter of play, the drought quickly dissipated for both teams. Whereas nothing seemed to fall in the first, everything seemed to go in the second, starting with a made 3-pointer from Cam Co’s Malakai Zucal which was followed up by a screen-and-score from Funk immediately after.
As the action continued to roll back-and-forth, both teams raced to put points on the scoreboard but at the halfway mark, neither could find an edge, instead settling at a deadlocked 12-12. However, after implementing a double-big lineup, with Grovanz alongside the Red Raiders’ other six-footer, Grady Gribble, Cam Co began pulling away, scoring six unanswered points as they routinely fed the post.
“We were not expecting (Port) to play zone so that was a little surprising to see. I knew it was going to take a little adjusting to get used to it,” said Cameron County head coach Marcus Brown. “We like when teams play zone against us, we just weren’t expecting it. It was just a little bit of a slow start.”
Going scoreless for over four and a half minutes, Port ultimately broke the basket famine just before the break. Driving to the rim, Funk earned himself a trip to the free throw line with just half a second left. Sinking both, Port cut the lead down to 18-14 entering the intermission.
Returning to the court, the game again returned to a rapid fire assault on the basket, but whereas both teams scored tick-for-tack in the second quarter, each found short-lived runs in the third.
Despite allowing two points from a Red Raider trip to the charity stripe in the opening minute, Port quickly shut off the valve thereafter. Utilizing swift player movement and backdoor screens against a predominantly help-defense, the Gators began chipping away at the deficit. Starting with a drive-and-dish that found Chase Boyd in the corner for a made triple, they quickly rattled off five unanswered points before the Red Raiders could respond.
Allowing the lead to grow back to five halfway through the quarter, another 3-pointer, this time from Wilfong, as well as some efficient clock management, allowed the Gators to knot the game at 24-24 as they entered the final period of play.
Well aware of the thin line of momentum they were walking, Port set their offense to a slow and meticulous pace. Conservatively moving the ball while awaiting their opening, the Gators quickly lost their rhythm. As shots failed to materialize, they watched as the Red Raiders began to grow their lead again, sparking a 7-2 run midway through the fourth.
Even when the Gators finally turned the switch on their offense, their defense still lagged, allowing every point they put up to be answered on the other end. However, facing a two-point margin with only a few minutes to go, Port finally found their spark.
Rising to the occasion, as well as the rim, Funk energized the Gators with back-to-back blocks on Grovanz. Electrifying his teammates along with the crowd, Funk brought some life to Port, however, the gap on the scoreboard remained. As the seconds continued to tick away, the Gators again found a break.
Finding an open look on the wing, Wilfong knocked down his second 3-pointer of the night, putting the Gators ahead for the first time since the first quarter. Finally ahead, Port then secured a clutch turnover as Cam Co attempted to feed their big man, putting the pressure on the Red Raiders and forcing them into desperation. With no other choice, they were forced to intentionally foul and, shooting 4-for-6 at the line, the Gators’ comeback was sealed.
“Every time we got a lead, we didn’t get a stop. It just felt like every time we came down the court, I felt like we could do whatever we wanted, and we did but they did the same to us,” said Brown. “That’s a problem, because that’s not really our style of play, the back and forth. We needed to get a couple stops and we couldn’t.”
Amell led the Gators in scoring with 11 points, also tallying three assists in the win while Wilfong finished with 10 points, two assists and a steal. Funk came away with nine points and five rebounds in the win. Grovanz led Cam Co with 17 points.
Having secured the tie-breaking sweep, Port currently sits at the No. 1 seed in the NTL, but it’s certainly not written in stone. With two league games left on the schedule – a road game against Oswayo Valley on Friday and a meeting with Northern Potter the following Tuesday – the Gators need to win out, as well as Cam Co to take down Otto-Eldred on Thursday, to secure their league title. But for now, they’re just happy to be on top.
“If you had told me after our first couple games that we’d been in the running for the NTL, I’d have said there’s no way,” said Kyle Babcock, whose team started 1-4. “We’ve been playing at a high level, especially after beating Otto-Eldred here and then going down and beating Cameron (County.) These guys are just playing at a high level. They never get down, you never see worry on their faces. These guys are as calm as can be.”
AT PORT ALLEGANY
Cameron County (35)
Grovanz 8 1-1 17, Bure 3 0-0 6, Tucker 1 4-7 6, Zucal 1 0-0 3, Goss 1 0-0 3. Totals: 14 5-8 35
Port Allegany (40)
Amell 3 2-2 11, Wilfong 3 2-2 10, Funk 3 3-4 9, Hawver 2 1-2 5, Boyd 2 0-0 5. Totals: 14 8-11 40
Cameron County 2 18 24 35
Port Allegany 4 14 24 40
Three-point goals: CC (2) Zucal, Goss, PA (4) Wilfong 2, Boyd, Amell; Total fouls: CC 9, PA 8; Fouled out: None.
JV: Cameron County 30, Port Allegany 26
