The Patriots’ Silvio Giardina (2) muscles his way to the basket hitting a lay up against Crestwood on Tuesday night at Crestwood.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Paul Jordan McGarry (23) drains a three-point shot in first half action. McGarry hit another three-point shot at the end of the fourth quarter to help the Patriots defeat Crestwood at Crestwood.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
WRIGHT TWP. – Paul Jordan McGarry entered the fourth quarter of Tuesday night’s District 2 Class 5A boys basketball playoff opener with just one basket in nine attempts, all but one of which came from outside the arc.
McGarry never let that stop him.
The junior guard connected three times from long range in the fourth quarter, including the game-winning basket that allowed sixth-seeded Pittston Area to knock off third-seeded Crestwood 43-41 in a quarterfinal game Tuesday night.
“I’m thinking the next one’s going in every time,” said McGarry, who went from the 1-for-8 start from long range to going a combined 7-for-9 in the fourth quarter of Tuesday’s win and the first quarter of Thursday’s loss at Dallas. “We had adversity throughout the whole game, but we just kept sticking together and kept fighting to win.”
Pittston Area managed just one basket in the final 4:55 of the third quarter to watch an eight-point lead to shrink to 30-29.
Plays McGarry’s teammates made helped get him into open space for the first six points of the fourth quarter.
Silvio Giardina battled to keep an offensive rebound alive and, when the Comets could not gain control, Lucas Lopresto went into the backcourt to retrieve the ball. Lopresto reversed it to McGarry for the first of two 3-pointers in less than 30 seconds for a 36-29 lead.
Ciaran Bilbow then blocked a shot. Lopresto grabbed the rebound, pushed the ball up the floor and hit McGarry on the right wing in transition.
Crestwood was not finished, but neither was McGarry.
The Comets moved in front for the first time with a 10-2 run, then regained the lead again on Matt Sklarosky’s cut through the lane with 32 seconds left.
Pittston Area called timeout with 25.6 to play.
McGarry got open briefly and released a 22-footer from right in front of the team bench while taking a slight bump, hitting the winner with about 17 seconds left.
“I just told him that what I’m most proud about is that he took three shots that I don’t think hit anything in the gym and he came back and, when it was crunch time, he came up with some big shots,” Pittston Area coach Al Semenza said. “The last one was just amazing. I wish I could say I drew it up that way, but I didn’t.”
Crestwood never hesitated.
The Comets pushed the ball up the floor and found Sklarosky in the low post. Bilbow took away the baseline, but Sklarosky spun into the middle, opening some space before Walter came over quickly to help, forcing the miss. Crestwood’s Ayden Agapito had his hands on the rebound right underneath, but Giardina helped tip it out of bounds as time expired.
“I saw the isolation on the block, so I just tried to help,” Walter said.
Walter played a big role in getting Pittston Area started toward avenging two regular-season losses. He went 7-for-9 while scoring 16 points, including 5-for-6 with a pair of 3-pointers while scoring 12 in the first half.
Giardina had all five of his assists during the first half, twice whipping passes from nearly 25 feet out to find Walter underneath for layups.
“Silvio’s a great team player,” Walter said. “He finds the open guy and I got lucky and made some shots.”
The second Giardina-to-Walter connection matched the game’s biggest lead at 24-12 late in the first half.
McGarry finished with 12 points.
Bilbow had 11 rebounds and Lopresto dished out seven assists.
Chaz Wright had 11 of his team-high 15 points in the second half for Crestwood. Derek Johnson had 10 points while Agapito added seven points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots.
