'Canes miss on chance to win section
Feb. 13—The New Castle High boys basketball team had a chance to win a WPIAL section championship Friday night.
Chartiers Valley's Brayden Reynolds had other plans. Reynolds scored scored from inside and outside — he hit six 3-pointers, including at least two from NBA range — on his way to a monster 42-point effort in a 77-59 Section 2-5A victory at the Ne-Ca-Hi Field House. The Colts avenged an earlier 73-45 loss to New Castle and came out firing right away, leading 23-11 after one quarter and 43-19 at halftime.
"Teams never come in here and do that to us," New Castle coach Ralph Blundo said. "But they did tonight, so credit to them. They should feel great about what they did. Certainly, we hope we get another opportunity to see them."
In the process, Chartiers Valley (7-1 section, 15-1 overall) denied New Castle (8-1, 13-2) a chance at an outright league championship.
"When you have an opportunity to play the No. 2 team in the WPIAL at home to win the section championship, we're used to taking care of business in those scenarios and we didn't tonight," New Castle coach Ralph Blundo said.
An Isaiah Boice layup in transition a little over a minute into the game gave the 'Canes its lone lead of the night at 2-0. After the teams traded buckets, the Colts closed the quarter on a 16-5 run. The second quarter was more of the same as Reynolds hit four 3-pointers en route to 25 points by intermission. His 42 points rank among the most scored in the gym — New Castle graduates David Young Jr. and Marquel Hooker share the record at 45.
"He's done that to everybody all year, but he didn't do it to us," said Blundo of Reynolds, who scored 19 in the teams' first matchup. "But he did it to us tonight. Typically my guys are a little more resolved than they showed tonight. They weren't tonight and that's disappointing. I have to look at myself a little bit to wonder what I didn't do to get them ready to compete at a high level tonight."
Sheldon Cox, who led the 'Canes with 24 points, and Michael Wells scored a few quick baskets early in the third to cut the deficit to 15, 46-31, but the hosts could get no closer until shrinking the margin to 69-55 with under two minutes to go in the game. Wells scored 14 in the game, while Boice had 16.
"You have to credit all of their guys," Blundo said. "It wasn't just Reynolds. They played great basketball. Their coach did a great job of getting them ready for tonight and the result is a reflection of that."
New Castle returns to action Monday against Seneca Valley in a nonleague tilt.
