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Steelers’ third quarter rally ends Dragons’ season

Warren’s Jake Kupchella (4) looks for a teammate as Farrell’s Jarod Messett (10) applies pressure during the second half of Friday’s playoff basketball game.

The Warren Dragons played some of their best basketball of the year in the first half of Friday’s District 10 Class 4A first round playoff game against Farrell.

All it took was two minutes for that momentum to stop dead in its tracks.

Farrell began the second half on a 14-point run and went on to beat the Dragons by a final score of 59-44 at Warren Area High School. Steeler sophomore Jourdan Townsend scored 18 of his game-high 25 points in the third and fourth quarters to help his team move on to next week’s round of eight.

“We came out flat as could be,” said Warren coach Jeff Berdine. “I think we were a little tired and (Farrell) did a very good job taking some things away from us … We wanted to try a couple different things to adjust to how they were guarding us. Some of it is being young and not understanding the things they were trying to do. It seemed like everyone was looking for somebody else to make a play.”

After the opening tip was delayed briefly due to a fire alarm during warm-ups, Farrell started the first quarter on a 7-0 run before Warren got its footing and began to chip away. Caleb Ei — one of four sophomores to see significant minutes for Warren — converted a pair of free throws to get the Dragons on the board and sunk a layup in traffic to take the lead three minutes later.

The Flannel Panel cheers on their Dragons during the second half of Friday’s District 10 4A first round playoff game against Farrell

Ei finished with six points in the first quarter and Kohl Nosel added a three to help Warren lead 13-12 after one.

Townsend sunk a three-pointer to put Farrell back on top early in the second quarter, but Warren was able to keep the Steelers off the board for a stretch of nearly five minutes after the shot. The Dragons led by five late in the half before Farrell’s Nylan Hosey completed a three-point play with six seconds left to make it a 24-22 Warren advantage at the break.

“I thought we actually could have been up bigger, but we made some rotating mistakes to help on the dribble drive, which let them have two or three and-ones at the end of the second quarter,” Berdine said. “It took us a while to get going, but that was a good half for us. This group has been up and down but we haven’t been playing bad basketball — the game against Harbor Creek, the game against Corry, even the game against LeBoeuf we played well.”

The second half began with a quick two from Kyi Wright to tie the game at 24-24. Jarrod Messett followed with a three-pointer, Townsend was able to sink a layup through contact, and Messett connected again from beyond the arc for a 10-point swing in the first two minutes of the third quarter.

Farrell led 36-24 before Griffin Suppa completed a three-point play for Warren’s first points over four minutes into the frame.

Warren’s Kohl Nosel (1) dribbles at the wing while guarded by Farrell’s Jourdan Townsend (23) during Friday’s playoff basketball game at Warren Area High School.

Suppa scored all seven of his team’s points in the third quarter and the Dragons were able to hang tough in the fourth, but the damage had been done and Farrell was able to ride out the win.

“Sometimes with a young group, once things start to go bad everybody looks to somebody else to make a play instead of saying ‘I’m going to make a play,'” Berdine said. “That’s just something you go through having four sophomores on the floor together.”

Suppa and Kupchella both finished with 11 points and three assists to lead the Dragons while Braidy Blair came off the bench to score seven points. Noah Becker and Aidan Morrison grabbed four rebounds each.

Wright had a big rebounding night for Farrell and finished with 15 points to follow up fellow sophomore Townsend’s 25-point effort. Messett added nine points for the Steelers — all from three.

Farrell will move on to play Grove City in the District 10 Class 4A round of eight next Thursday at a site and time to be determined. Other quarterfinal match-ups include Harbor Creek vs. Franklin, Strong Vincent vs. George Junior and Sharon vs. General McLane.

Warren’s Caleb Ei (33) scores over Farrell’s Nakai Niles (5) and Leeshon Pinkins (22) during the first half of Friday’s playoff game at Warren Area High School.

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D-10 4A First Round

Farrell at Warren

FARRELL (59): Hosey 3 1-2 7, Shannon 0 0-0 0, Niles 0 0-0 0, Messett 3 0-0 9, Harper 0 0-0 0, Chambers 1 1-2 3, Townsend 7 9-14 25, Wright 6 3-6 15. Totals 20 14-24 59.

WARREN (44): Nosel 1 0-2 3, Gillotti 0 0-0 0, Baldensperger 0 0-0 0, Kupchella 4 2-3 11, Blair 3 1-2 7, Davis 1 0-0 2, Morrison 0 0-0 0, Davidson 0 0-0 0, Becker 2 0-1 4, Ei 2 2-2 6, Suppa 4 3-6 11. Totals 17 8-16 44.

Warren’s Griffin Suppa (35) controls the ball at the top of the key while defended by Farrell’s Nylan Hosey (1) Friday at Warren Area High School. Suppa finished with 11 points and three assists in a 59-44 loss.

Farrell 12 10 19 18 — 59

Warren 13 11 7 13 — 44

3-pointers: Messett (F) 3, Townsend (F) 2, Nosel (W) 1, Kupchella (W) 1.

Farrell’s Kyi Wright works in the low post while being defended by Warren’s Caleb Ei during the first quarter of Friday’s playoff game.

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