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Saraj Ali held and early-game block party. Sophomore Gage Patterson produced a coming of age party.
Together, the senior leader and exciting sophomore helped Loyalsock celebrate a key league win.
Ali blocked three of his seven shots in the game’s opening minutes, produced another double-double and sparked Loyalsock to a 20-point second-quarter lead Tuesday against visiting Hughesville. Patterson produced 15 points off the bench and repeatedly hit key shots whenever Hughesville started rallying. Jaiden Ross added 15 points and Loyalsock defeated Hughesville, 65-53. The Lancers (5-3, 3-0) remained undefeated in the HAC-II, snapped Hughesville’s four-game winning streak and opened a two-game lead on the Spartans while remaining tied with Bloomsburg.
“Usually when (Brendan) Clark and I are down there people don’t want to drive as much and they usually are more hesitant so whenever I can get a block or two they’re more likely to kick it out where they’re going to be contested,” Ali said after scoring 18 points and grabbing 15 rebounds. “I think setting that tone with the blocks was a really good defensive job.”
“I’ve been waiting a long time for this,” Patterson said. “Loyalsock does a good job preparing us. I’ve been waiting my whole life for this, so it’s like a dream come true.”
Ali and Patterson made it a nightmare for Hughesville (7-2, 3-2) which was seeking its first victory against Loyalsock since the 2017 District 4 Class AAA semifinals. Ali’s blocks had Hughesville thinking twice about attacking the paint from then on. When the Spartans did, they struggled finishing as Ali’s presence loomed. Ali also scored 10 first-quarter points and four quick points in the second as Loyalsock went up by 20 late in the first half.
A first-team all-state forward last year when Loyalsock captured the Class AAA state championship, Ali is as happy setting others up to score as he is doing it himself. He is among the area’s assist leaders and added three more Tuesday. His early production opened up opportunities for others and Loyalsock displayed quality balance. That was a big reason Hughesville kept battling back but could never pull closer than 10 again.
“I think if all of us stick together and we execute all our plays we should be good. A lot of teams are focusing on me, but there are other scorers on this team that people don’t know about,” Ali said. “I’m an unselfish player so whenever someone collapses one me or I see someone open I’m just going to pass it because there’s no point in not passing it. My favorite player is Lebron James and he’s one of the best playmakers, so I try to emulate that.”
Patterson is emerging as a quality playmaker himself. The sophomore guard may have played his best game Tuesday, making 7 of 11 shots while adding four rebounds and two assists. More important than the points was when Patterson produced them. He drained four second-half shots, including a back-breaking 3-pointer and seemingly had an answer every time Hughesville threatened.
He has started some this season, but Patterson came off the bench with Loyalsock coach Ron Insinger wanting to see how fellow sophomores Nate Bauman (6 assists) and Jaylen Andrews handled the pressure. Both did so well and Andrews also hit a key third-quarter 3-pointer. Patterson, thus, gave Loyalsock a monster lift off the bench, scoring nine second-half points, attacking the basket well and showing a nice shooting touch.
Loyalsock played teams like Berks Catholic, Trinity, Williamsport, Notre Dame Green-Pond and State College last month. Going against that kind of competition has made Patterson and his fellow first-time contributors more callous to big-game situations and it showed against Hughesville.
“As long as I’m on the court contributing to the team, it doesn’t matter if I’m starting or coming off the bench,” Patterson said. “Playing against faster, stronger athletes, especially at the bigger schools, makes it so that in those tight times, the game kind of slows down and I can get to the rack or help my teammates out with a good pass.”
“I was pleased the way Gage came off the bench because he could have pouted a little bit with not starting and he didn’t. He was mentally tough,” Insinger said. “He did a better job of finishing tonight than he has, too. He went strong.”
So did Hughesville but it felt like that only happened after Loyalsock went up by 20. The Spartans are somewhat experienced, but also young with just one senior who plays significant minutes. It has all the pieces, but a year after going 6-16, Hughesville sometimes seems like a team that does not understand how good it can be and Wednesday was one of those nights.
Hughesville led 5-2 early but Loyalsock closed the first quarter on an 18-2 run and built a 13-point lead which gradually increased throughout the second quarter. The Lancers were a step quicker to the loose balls and scored three times off offensive putbacks during that time. From late in the second quarter on, Hughesville relentlessly fought and played like a different team but the hole was too big.
“The maturity thing with us is going to control everything we accomplish this season. If we’re willing to stare out some of those situations where we we respond well in the face and learn from it the right way we’re going to be pretty good. If not we’re just going to be a talented team that underachieves,” Hughesville coach Nick Tagliaferri said. “We’re just going to keep plugging away and try to get over those humps. That’s all we can do.”
Dylan Bieber has explosive potential and showed it against Loyalsock, scoring the team’s first 18 points. Bieber scored 13 second-quarter points and drained three 3-pointers during that time. The problem was a team featuring four players averaging 9 or more points per game had no other player score in the half’s first 7 minutes, 59 seconds. Until Carter Cowburn (9 points, 9 rebounds) hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer which made it 36-21 at halftime, Hughesville players not named Bieber were 0 for 21 from the field.
Still, the Spartans came charging back and Josh Heiney scored 14 second-half points while making three steals. Heiney scored five quick points in the first 90 seconds of the third quarter and his 3-pointer quickly had Hughesville within 36-26. Patterson and Andrews then scored five straight points and began a recurring them. Hughesville cut the deficit to 10 five times in the second half, but Loyalsock answered each time and never let it get within single digits.
“We had a half dozen chances to really turn the corner and had really elementary, immature breakdowns and Loyalsock capitalized on those and you can’t beat good teams by having elementary school breakdowns,” Tagliaferri said. “Defensively it was a clown show tonight and that’s not going to happen again.”
Loyalsock made 17 of 31 first-half shots and was especially effective in the fourth quarter. The Lancers kept Hughesville from taking over by making all but one of their eight shots. Patterson scored four points, each one coming after Hughesville made it a 10-point game. A Bauman to Patterson connection off an inbounds play put Loyalsock ahead 63-51 with a minute remaining and all but sealed the victory.
“It was an ugly game, but credit Hughesville because they play as hard as anyone,” Insinger said. “I never felt as if we were in danger and a lot of that has to do with the level of competition we’ve played the last couple weeks, but we also know we have to develop a killer instinct.”
“We’ve been preparing for this all season, especially the first part, playing the competition we did,” Patterson said. “It felt really good because we bonded together and we’re finally clicking on all cylinders.”
HUGHESVILLE (53)
Carter Cowburn 3 1-2 9, Nick Trevouledes 3 0-0 8, Dylan Bieber 7 0-0 18, Josh Heiney 5 2-2 14, Ethan Woolcock 1 0-0 2, Cam Fetterman 0 0-0 0, Jeff Fenstermacher 0 0-0 0, Landen King 1 0-0 2, Brady Snyder 0 0-0 0. Totals 20 3-4 53.
LOYALSOCK (65)
Saraj Ali 8 1-1 18, Jaiden Ross 7 0-0 15, Brendan Clark 4 0-0 8, Nate Bauman 2 0-0 4, Jaylen Andrews 1 0-0 3, Tyler Gee 1 0-0 2, Gage Patterson 7 0-0 15. Totals 30 1-1 65.
Hughesville 7 14 14 18-53
Loyalsock 20 16 17 12-65
3-pointers: Hughesville 10 (Beiber 4, Cowburn 2, Trevouledes 2, Heiney 2); Loyalsock 4 (Ali, Ross, Andrews, Patterson).
Records: Loyalsock 5-3, 3-0 HAC-II. Hughesville 7-2, 3-2.
JV Score: Hughesville 40-39.