Chris Masse on high school sports: Montoursville boys basketball is excelling at the foul line this year
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Montoursville coach Mark Mussina routinely sinks 30 or more consecutive free throws at practice. So, maybe his players are just trying to keep up.
Or maybe they are just excellent shooters themselves. Or maybe it's consistent practice producing quality results.
Whatever the reason, Montoursville is excelling at the foul line this season. And has been a critical factor in it already making a three-win improvement this season, while going 5-0 through the first half of HAC-II play.
"When we pull up and our coach is making 30 straight, we kind of have to make them," guard Jimmy Mussina said. "He emphasizes that part of the game a lot."
Doing so is paying big dividends. Montoursville (10-4, 5-0) is seeking its first league championship since 1991 and that might not be possible if had not shot so well at the line during the first half of league play. All five league wins have been hard-fought, with Montoursville coming from behind three times in the fourth quarter.
In all those wins, clutch free throws loomed large in the outcome. Montoursville shot 77% at the line in those games, going 60 for 78. Just as important, the Warriors consistently sank fourth quarter foul shots, doing it again last Wednesday by making seven straight to seal a 53-39 win at Lewisburg.
"Free throw percentage is huge for us. Not too many teams can make 75-80 percent of their free throws," forward Wyatt Fry said following his double-double performance at Lewisburg. "We can do that and it keeps us in games and it makes things work for us."
Montoursville held off comebacks at Lewisburg and against Midd-West by making late free throws. Against Danville, Mifflinburg and Central Columbia, the Warriors used the line to help it rally and win those games by 15 combined points.
This is a fiercely competitive league and all six likely will reach the District 4 playoffs. Every little thing helps and performing well at the line has been a huge thing thus far.
"That was the difference against Danville," Jimmy Mussina said. "Games are won and lost at the foul line and we know that."
Four Montoursville starters shoot 67 % or better at the line and three are above 70 %, A guard-oriented team also has experienced players who have executed well in the fourth quarter of close games this season.
That was the case again at Lewisburg. The Green Dragons cut a 15-point deficit to nine in the fourth quarter, but Montoursville effectively ran its offense down the stretch, patiently moving the ball, setting up good shots and forcing them to foul.
Once Lewisburg did foul, Montoursville had the game where it wanted it. Quinn Ranck, Bryce Eberhart and Gavin Cott made seven straight free throws and the Warriors opened a 16-point advantage. It was a similar scene against Midd-West when the Warriors rallied from a third quarter deficit, went up by 15 in the fourth and made 16 of 19 shots that quarter to complete the comeback.
Nothing gets easier moving forward, starting tonight at Danville. The Ironmen have won four straight league games since Montoursville edged it, 41-38 the first time around. The Warriors, however, have grown accustomed to hard-fought battles and seem prepared.
They might not be making 30 straight free throws, but the Warriors have made enough so far. When looking at how Montoursville has improved so much this season, the foul line is a good place to start.
"We didn't have a lot of opportunities last year but when we did we kind of pounded it into them that when we get a chance to put a game away, we have guards," Mark Mussina said. "And if we have good guards we should be able to handle the ball and make free throws. Last year it was a tougher year for us and everything was at a premium and that kind of prepared us for this year."
LONG LAYOFF: Williamsport will be playing its first game in nine nights tonight when it hosts Harrisburg. The Millionaires (3-8) were scheduled to play at the Reading Showcase last Saturday but its opponent, Fels, dropped out and they could not find a replacement.
Williamsport has won two of its last three games with the lone loss coming in a hard-fought game against state-ranked Cumberland Valley. The Millionaires received a boost when senior forward Thomas Takach returned from an ACL injury at the Christmas Tournament and have had good balance in their last three games, while also sharing the basketball well. Harrisburg is coming off a 62-50 win against Milton Hershey and these two have played some excellent games over the years.
PUTBACKS: Sullivan County (6-8) is starting to put it together and won three straight games last week, while taking over second place in the Mid-Penn's East Division. The Griffins have won five of their last seven games since starting 1-6 and received double-digit performances from Enrico Capriotti, Tucker Blasi and Derrick Finnegan in the victories. Blasi had 10 points, nine rebounds, five assists and four steals in a 67-51 win against Montgomery. Parker Bennett scored 20 points for the Red Raiders (4-7) in that game, while Hayden Wilt added 17 … Radley Knapp helped lead South Williamsport to wins against Benton and Millville, scoring 33 points in those games. Caleb Neidig has returned from an injury to provide a spark and also scored 33 points in those wins … Noah Confer had a near-perfect shooting performance Saturday, going 11 for 12 from the field as Muncy (11-4) clinched its 12th playoff berth in 14 years with a 66-24 win at Millville. Confer collected his seventh double-double, scoring 22 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and adding eight steals. Patrick Zalonis added 10 points … Mid-Penn East leader Northwest snapped St. John Neumann's five-game winning streak Saturday but the Knights gave Northwest its toughest league game, losing, 52-49. Messiah Baldwin, Tyrick Moy, who collected another double-double, and Andrew Walter all scored in double figures … Warrior Run (9-5) broke out of a funk in a big way last Wednesday, routing Bloomsburg, 84-43. Aiden McKee scored 25 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Cooper Wilkins (12) and Landon Polcyn (11) also reached double figures and five players scored at least eight points ... Hughesville forward Landen King has collected five straight double-doubles, the latest coming in a 64-48 loss at Mount Carmel in which he had 10 points, 10 rebounds and three steals.
1. Loyalsock (14-1): Loyalsock survived a scare from surging Southern Columbia last Wednesday, winning, 76-71 before thumping Bloomsburg Saturday and staying unbeaten in the HAC-II. Being pushed hard by a fellow district title contender is good experience for the Lancers who have won 11 straight games. Jaylen Andrews led the way against Southern with 29 points and 11 rebounds. Gage Patterson scored 25 points in the Bloomsburg victory with Nate Bauman going for 21 and five assists. Tyler Gee played well off the bench there, grabbing eight rebounds and Ethan Nagy pulled down 10 more. The Lancers are two victories from earning at least a share of their eighth straight league title and three from winning it outright.
2. Montoursville (10-4): Tonight's game at Danville is a big one. The Ironmen are one game behind Montoursville in the HAC-II standings and these rivals also currently are Nos. 2-3 in the District 4 Class AAAA standings. Bryce Eberhart excelled late in last week's wins against Central and Lewisburg. He scored eight fourth quarter points in the comeback against Central before dealing five second-half assists at Lewisburg. Chase Snyder blocked six shots in that win, helping Montoursville win its fourth straight game. Seven players have produced double-digit performances during that streak.
3. Wellsboro (9-4): Undefeated Troy snapped Wellsboro's six-game winning streak Saturday, winning the battle of NTL-I leaders, 57-42. Still, a team with three new starters has made impressive progress this season and Caden Smith continues running the offense well. Smith dealt 12 assists against Troy and has 19 in his last two games. Hayes Campbell continues to be one of the area's most productive post players and Luke Rothermel scored 15 points in a 60-35 win against District 4 Class A-leading Cowanesque Valley.
4. North Penn-Mansfield (11-3): Tayton Strange is heating up for the Tigers and has scored 14 points in two of his last three games, including last Thursday's 65-38 win against Canton. Three players scored in double figures that night and Cooper Shaw dealt six assists as North Penn-Mansfield clinched its 15th district playoff berth in 16 years. That only thing which keeps that from being a 16-year run is an abbreviated 2021 season in which the Tigers went 8-8. Karson Dominick had a double-double in a win against Sayre and has scored 20 or more points in 11 consecutive games.
5. Central Mountain (9-5): Hopes for a repeat HAC-I championship took a big hit last week with Selinsgrove and Shikellamy defeating the Wildcats and dropping them three games behind league leader Shamokin. Hunter Hoy and Caleb Mahoney both reached double figures in the Selinsgrove defeat and the Wildcats will see them at least one more time later this season. Central Mountain is battling Selinsgrove for the top seed in the District 4-6 Class 5A field as it seeks a third straight championship.
Players of the Week
Ben Carpenter, Sullivan County and Messiah Baldwin: Carpenter is having a big senior season and has helped the young Griffins start surging. The versatile guard was a force in three wins last week, averaging 26.7 points and seven rebounds per game. Carpenter scored at least 25 points in each of those games and has 23 or more in five consecutive games while helping the defending District 4 Class A champions make a move in the standings. Baldwin is a big reason Neumann has come on strong over the last few weeks, helping in all areas. He was a force in a 70-49 win at CMVT, scoring a career-high 35 points in three quarters before going for 22 against Northwest. Baldwin also is among team leaders in rebounds, assists and steals and has scored 18 or more points in six consecutive games.
GAME of the Week
St. John Neumann at Muncy: Saturday night's game is a big one as Muncy holds a one-game lead on the Knights in the Mid-Penn's West Division. Neumann had dominated the series in recent years before Muncy defeated it for the District 4 Class AA championship last March. The Indians also took the first league game this season in emphatic fashion, defeating Neumann, 72-49 but the Knights have made some nice strides since then.
Chris Masse may be reached at cmasse@sungazette.com. Follow him on Twitter at @docmasse.