Anderson
buzzer-beater sinks Fox Chapel
By John Enrietto
Eagle Sports Editor
BUTLER TWP - The score was tied, and there were just 13 seconds left in the
game.
Blake Anderson needed only 12 of them.
Butler's junior point guard drove the lane and put up a soft runner that found
nothing but net with one second left, handing the Golden Tornado boys
basketball team a 58-56 win over Fox Chapel Friday night.
The shot also snapped a five-game losing streak for
"With the situation we were in, we didn't want to see overtime - no
way," Butler coach Joe Lewandowski said.
Butler's Jade Burka fouled out with 3:25 left in the fourth quarter, while Noah
Hartung and Anderson each had four fouls down the stretch.
The Tornado fell behind by as many as 11 points in the first half before
rallying to a 49-40 lead with 5:36 remaining in the game.
But as has happened before this year, Butler lost a sizable lead in the final
quarter at home. The Foxes (5-13, 2-8), riding a five-game losing streak of
their own, pulled to within 55-53 with less than two minutes to go when Rob
Tenenini sank a baseline jumper.
"We didn't shrivel up once they got the big lead on us," Fox Chapel
coach Harry Jenkins said. "Our kids battled back on the road. I'm
encouraged by that."
Nate Hartung made a free throw with 45.7 seconds left, but Fox Chapel's Adam
Elmago Abu sank one free throw with 36 seconds left. Following a Butler
turnover, he drained two more foul shots to knot the game with 29 seconds on
the clock.
Butler brought the ball into the front court and called a timeout with 13
seconds left.
"The play was designed for me to either look for Nate down low or Jerrod
(Markle) coming off a double screen," Anderson said.
The third option was for Anderson to find a lane and get to the basket.
"He's a good scorer and a good foul shooter. I wanted the ball in his
hands," Lewandowski said.
The ball was in-bounded to Anderson, who dribbled away from the pressure at
mid-court, then slashed inside to put up the winning shot.
"I just saw an open lane and took it," he said.
It was the right choice.
"I figured they would go to Nate inside and use his power and
strength," Jenkins said. "We doubled down on him and that left no
help for the kid driving the lane."
Anderson capped a big night for Butler's guards, scoring 13 points while Markle
led the Tornado with 15 points, four steals and three assists.
"We can't win without Blake and Jerrod playing solid basketball,"
Lewandowski said
Nate Hartung had 10 points and nine rebounds for Butler while Noah Hartung
added nine points, six boards and three assists.
Ahmed Elmago Abu led the Foxes with 17 points. Tenenini added 14 and Tiff
Harner had seven rebounds.
Butler had a 29-23 edge on the boards.
"We'll take a win any way we can get it," Lewandowski said. "Our
playoffs began tonight, in a sense. We'll try to continue our quest of getting
into the playoffs Tuesday at Shaler."
Notes:
Fox Chapel had 16 turnovers to Butler's 15. … Saturday's game vs. Mt. Lebanon
at Washington & Jefferson College has been postponed because of impending
snow. It will be played Jan. 29 at a site and time to be determined. The
Tornado's scheduled game with Ambridge that day has been postponed
indefinitely.
FOX CHAPEL 56
Kevin Martincek 0-1 0-2 0, John Hastings 2-6 4-6 8, Mike Murray 0-0 0-0 0, Tiff
Harner 2-2 2-2 6, Adam Elmago Abu 2-5 3-4 8, Rob Tenenini 5-10 4-6 14, Seth
Eisner 1-2 0-0 3, Ahmed Elmago Abu 6-10 5-13 17. Totals: 18-36 18-33 56
BUTLER 58
Nate Hartung 4-6 2-4 10, Noah Hartung 3-8 2-4 9, Nick Martini 0-1 0-0 0, Jerrod
Markle 6-9 0-0 15, Adam Monday 2-6 0-0 4, Blake Anderson 4-10 4-5 13, Sean
Lowry 0-0 0-0 0, Jade Burka 0-5 0-2 0, Alan Jackson 2-3 3-4 7. Totals: 21-48
11-20 58
3-point goals: A. Abu, Eisner; Noah Hartung, Markle 3, Anderson
JV: Butler, 42-39 (B-Cody Clark 9)