By JOE SIMON
j_simon@ncnewsonline.com

A nine-point halftime lead did little to please Neshannock High in a WPIAL Section 2-AA matchup with Mohawk.

The Lancers were playing sloppy on both ends of the court, coach John Corey said, and if it wasn’t for the sharp shooting of freshman David Burkes, the Warriors would have been leading.

Neshannock kept that advantage and Brandon Marinelli stepped up in the final two quarters to beat Mohawk in boys basketball action, 54-38, last night.

“We pressed a little bit more and I think our kids just came out and played a little harder in the second half,” Corey said. “Brandon got a little more aggressive and started taking it to the hoop instead of settling outside.”

Marinelli scored 10 of his 15 in the second half and snared 10 rebounds to spark the Lancers (4-1 section, 9-3 overall). Burkes scored all 10 of his points in the first two quarters, when Neshannock took a 27-18 lead. The Lancers outscored Mohawk, 15-9, in the third to put the game out of reach.

Tim Glass scored 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for Mohawk (0-5, 2-10). The Lancers’ John Sansone registered 10 points and four steals.