Philipsburg-Osceola takes down Bald Eagle Area, 66-32, behind DeSimone’s 18 points
Philipsburg-Osceola boys’ basketball got back in the win column Friday night with a 66-32 victory over Bald Eagle Area on the road.
The Mountaineers’ win over the Eagles was just another piece of the puzzle for new Philipsburg-Osceola head coach T.J. Anderson, who wants his team to keep finding consistency.
“I would say consistency is the key,” Anderson said after the game. “We just want to keep even keel across the board from quarter to quarter. So we make some rotations and were getting some younger guys in. They get a little nervous sometimes, but they have to play through that.”
While his team wasn’t consistent throughout Friday night’s contest, it didn’t stop it from dominating throughout. The Mountaineers wreaked havoc on both ends of the court, forcing turnovers early and often in the game.
They kept their pressure on the Eagles — a young team making its season debut — and pushed the pace whenever possible. Their size and shooting led to a 21-6 lead at the end of the first quarter on the back of senior Ryan Whitehead’s nine points and sophomore Jacob DeSimone’s 12 points.
Whitehead was the team’s second leading scorer with 15, behind only DeSimone’s 18 points, and presents a unique matchup because of his length and athleticism. He’s able to make shots from beyond the arc and work inside to beat his opponents with his size. The senior spearheaded the team’s defensive effort against the Eagles, jumping passing lanes and pressuring ball handlers until they turned the ball over.
He’s going to be a key piece, along with the rest of the team’s long athletes, the rest of the way for Philipsburg-Osceola.
“It’s everything,” Anderson said about Whitehead’s size and skill. “Not only him, but having Nick Johnson as a freshman coming off the bench. Jeremy Whitehead, having him when he can stroke it from three and also put it on the ground. It does a lot for our program. It spreads out the defense. It gives us opportunities that we wouldn’t have if we didn’t have those athletes.”
The Mountaineers maintained their lead through the second and third quarters but struggled to build off it in a meaningful way after the Eagles settled into their first game with a very young team. They were able to keep the game relatively close and showed signs of a team that could be better as it continues to gain experience.
“Our objective is to get a little bit better every day,” Bald Eagle Area head coach Kris Glunt said. “We had one player start who has seen any kind of significant varsity minutes. ... This is just step one. We’re gonna stay positive and we’re gonna keep working hard and we’re gonna get back to it tomorrow. ... We’ve just got to continue to get better.”
Philipsburg-Osceola was able to extend its double-digit lead to 34 in the fourth quarter and coasted to victory from there.
The Eagles finished the game with two players in double figures in Hayden Vaughn and Alex Gavlock, who each finished with 10 points.
The win moves the Mountaineers to 3-2 overall and 2-2 in the Mountain League, while it drops Bald Eagle to 0-1 overall and in league play.
Philipsburg-Osceola 66, Bald Eagle 32
(Friday at Wingate)
Philipsburg-Osceola 21 12 22 11 — 66
Bald Eagle 6 10 8 8 — 32
Philipsburg-Osceola (3-2)
DeSimone 7 (1) 1-1 18, R. Whitehead 6 (1) 0-1 15, Oliver Harpster (3) 0-0 9, J. Whitehead 3 1-2 7, Tristan Doyle 1 4-8 6, Kyle Hahn 1 (1) 0-0 5, Aaron Depto 2 0-0 4, Johnson 1 0-0 2.
Bald Eagle (0-1)
Gavlock 0 (2) 4-6 10, Vaughn 5 0-0 10, Ayden Jodon 3 0-0 6, Kahale Burns 1 0-0 2, Blaze Angellotti 1 0-0 2, Owen Irvin 1 0-0 2.
