First Posted: 3/28/2015
WILKES-BARRE – After missing the end of his high school basketball career at Pittston Area while he sat out with a broken ankle, Tyler McGarry said he “would have been happy getting out there for two minutes and making a shot.”
By those standards, McGarry should be thrilled with the results of Friday night’s 46th annual Dr. George P. Moses Wyoming Valley Conference Senior All-Star Classic.
The game is primarily about a fun competition showcasing the conference’s graduating players one last time.
However, he turned into a highly entertaining and competitive matchup featuring many impressive performances.
And, for one player who acknowledged taking it a little more seriously than others, it was a satisfying way to write a new closing chapter for his high school career.
“It meant a little more to me, definitely,” McGarry said after sharing team Most Valuable Player honors when Team Moses fell to Team Grant, 106-104. “I wasn’t able to finish my season with my teammates.
“I got this opportunity and I talked to the doctor and he said he thinks I’d be able to play. I came out here. As soon as the game started, I was taking it seriously. I mean I was having fun, but I definitely wanted to win and I wanted to play well.”
After being medically cleared just two days before the game, McGarry went in with those hopes of being a small part of the game. Wyoming Area coach Pete Moses observed McGarry in practice and said he had no plans of holding back the future Misericordia University basketball player and golfer in the game.
“He’s a great player,” Moses said. “We found out what a great player he was playing him this season when he hit the shot to put our game into overtime.”
McGarry heated up in the second half with 18 of his 24 points. He made six of his first seven 3-point attempts in the half to finish the game 8-for-11 from long range, including a 30-footer to bring his team back within 103-102 with 1:05 left.
Shahee Aurelus of Meyers shared the team MVP award with McGarry. Aurelus put on a similar show in the first half, starting the game 5-for-6 from 3-point land while scoring 20 of his 28 points. His basket off a loose rebound put Team Moses ahead, 104-103, with 30 seconds left.
Jake Barber’s 3-pointer with 16.3 seconds left lifted Team Grant, coached by Lake-Lehman’s Ed Grant, to the win.
“It was an exciting game until the very end,” Moses said.
Darius Washington was Team Grant MVP with a game-high 30 points.
The teams put on an incredible 3-point shooting display, often against tougher defense than seen in some all-star games as intensity rose with a close contest and the attempt to cool off some hot shooters.
Washington was 4-for-6 on 3-pointers while scoring 18 of his points in the second half.
Team Moses was 14-for-24 (58.3 percent) on 3-pointers in the first half and 20-for-43 (46.5) in the game.
At halftime, GAR’s Seth Callahan and Holy Redeemer’s Lenny Radziak continued the show in the 3-point shooting contest. Each player had a minute to take 15 shots, five from each corner and the top of the key.
Callahan beat Radziak, 14-11, where 18 was the maximum with a bonus point for the final shot from each spot. Radziak made his last seven shots. Callahan topped that by making nine straight and 13 out of 14 before missing the last attempt.
During the game, Callahan contributed 19 points, eight rebounds and nine assists, helping keep Team Moses in the lead much of the night.
Pittston Area and Wyoming Area each had two players on Team Moses.
Michael Delaney joined McGarry from the Patriots. Delaney hit two 3-pointers while scoring six points. He also had a rebound, an assist and a steal.
Jeremy Zezza and Evan Musto represented Wyoming Area.
Zezza shared the game lead with five offensive rebounds. He finished with five points, seven rebounds, three assists and a steal.
Musto had a rebound.
