State High boys’ basketball falls in sub-regional playoff game to Taylor Allderdice
State College boys’ basketball fell in a sub-regional playoff game Friday night after taking home the PIAA Class 6A District 6 Championship on Monday night. The Little Lions dropped Friday’s game 55-53 to the Taylor Allderdice Dragons.
The game was tightly contested throughout and included a double-digit lead for State College in the first quarter.
The Little Lions pulled ahead early, mounting a lead as high as 10 points in the first quarter at 17-7. They got plenty of scoring in the first eight minutes from senior Jaden Mitchell, who put up six points to lead State High in the quarter.
State College head coach Brian Scholly said it was the team’s transition game that helped get that early lead.
“We were turning defense into offense,” he said. “We did a great job getting stops and rebounding, which has been a problem for us throughout the season. We really rebounded and were able to get out and run and execute in transition.”
His offensive push made it 17-10 at the end of the quarter, but Taylor Allderdice made an effort in the second to cut into the Little Lion lead.
The Dragons amped up their defensive intensity, making life difficult for State High on the offensive end. That, combined with an increased offensive effort made it a one-possession game by halftime, with State College leading 31-29.
“They did a good job of changing defenses,” Scholly said. “Mixing up between that half-court zone and some man. That did a good job of slowing us down. They did a little better job offensively too, purposeful in what they did, so that’s a credit to them.”
The Little Lions came out with their own renewed sense of defensive effort in the third quarter, pressuring the ball and forcing Allderdice into turnovers after giving up the lead at 40-38. They put together a 7-0 run with that effort, but the Dragons had an answer of their own.
They responded with a 7-0 run to close out the third quarter, taking a 47-45 lead heading into the game’s final eight minutes.
The contest between the two teams vying for state playoff seeding remained tight throughout those final minutes, with the Dragons and Little Lions jockeying back and forth.
Ultimately, State High had an opportunity to take the lead late, but a missed free throw and foul put Allderdice at the line with 2.1 seconds left and a two-point lead. Guard Logan Golle missed the front end of a 1-and-1 for the Dragons, but the Little Lions were unable to gather possession and get a shot off before the buzzer, ending the game at 55-53.
“I’m proud of all of our guys,” Scholly said. “It’s a testament to all those guys we have that we’re hanging in games with really good teams. It’s frustrating, but it’s just one or two plays that can make all the difference.”
While the loss means State College won’t get as good of a seed as it could have, the Little Lions have still qualified for the PIAA Class 6A State Basketball Championships that begin next week.
The outcome is one Scholly said his players have long dreamed of, and makes it much easier to work through a loss and get ready to go to play next week.
“We get a chance to play in a state tournament,” Scholly said. “To chase a state championship. What more needs to be said other than that? This is what all these guys grew up dreaming about. It’s what I grew up dreaming about when I grew up here. The opportunity to put one of those banners up like the team in 2003 did. We get a chance to try to do that. It’ll be easy to focus on the next one with that opportunity.”
This story was originally published March 4, 2022 at 9:33 PM.
