Laurel comes through in overtime
Laurel (66) Vs. Rochester (60)
It came down to foul shooting.
After Rochester High forced the WPIAL Section 2-AA boys basketball game into overtime, Laurel made all 10 of its free throws to seal a 66-60 victory.
“They put us on the line and we made the shots,” Spartans coach Mike Tinstman said.
Laurel (1-1 section, 3-2 overall) trailed 32-26 at the half and were down by as many as 14 in the third quarter.
The Spartans tied the game and took the lead in the final minutes of regulation, but Rochester’s Paul Everson’s 3-pointer from the corner at the buzzer forced extra time.
“I thought the players turned it around after playing sloppy in the second quarter,” Tinstman said. “We made the proper adjustments, but they jumped on us 40-26.
“The kids came back and did an outstanding job. They stepped up and made the shots. It’s an important win for us.”
Jake Dando had a career-high 30 points, including three 3s, and eight rebounds. He was 9-for-13 from the line, including 4-for-4 in overtime.
Chad Long came off the bench to drill four 3s for 12 points and Tyler Masone chipped in with 10.
As a team, Laurel was 19 of 25 at the foul line.
“Everyone played well and did what they had to do,” Tinstman said.
Everson paced the Rams (0-2, 1-3) with 16 points and Jason Adamson followed with 13.