STEEL VALLEY CONFERENCE JFK bounces back from first defeat
The Eagles improved to 13-1 with an 80-64 win over Mooney.
By JIM FLICK
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
WARREN -- A fast start and a strong finish by John F. Kennedy High Friday night resulted in a 80-64 win over Mooney, boosting the Eagles' season record to 13-1.
JFK's balanced attack was led by junior J.J. Townsend, who scored 21 points and hauled down 11 rebounds. Also turning in an outstanding effort was senior TaShawn Walker, who scored 20 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Two other starters for JFK scored in double figures -- Marc Rossi with 13 and Stephan Flanagan with 10. Five other players put points on the board for the Eagles.
Start quickly
The Eagles got off to a fast start, scoring 24 points in the first quarter. JFK matched that point total in the fourth quarter, putting the game out of reach.
For Mooney (6-5, 2-1 Steel Valley Conference), only two players tallied double figures. Senior Jaron Howell notched 19 points for the Cardinals and junior Tony Burnetti scored 13.
Walker scored the first basket of the game as the Eagles took an early lead. The home crowd exploded when Rossi launched a 3-pointer that stretched the lead to 13-5 with less than four minutes to go in the first quarter. Rossi pumped in three 3-pointers in the first half. The crowd blew up again later in the first quarter when Townsend let fly a 3-pointer that boosted JFK's lead to 20-9.
In command at halftime
The Eagles held a 24-13 lead at the end of the first quarter, and outscored Mooney 17-14 in the second quarter to hold a 41-27 advantage at halftime.
Mooney turned its strongest effort in the third quarter, outscoring JFK 19-15 in the period. At the three-quarter mark, JFK's lead was only 56-46. JFK coach Shawn Pompelia said, "We had guys mentally letting down [in the third quarter]."
The Eagles' lead seemed briefly in peril early in the fourth quarter, when Mooney cut the margin to eight points at 58-50. But then JFK exploded, scoring six unanswered points to boost the lead to 64-50. That bulge soon grew to 70-52. JFK outscored Mooney 24-18 in the final stanza.
"We are very balanced," Pompelia said. "The guys are sharing the basketball very well, and they all bring something different to the table."
Townsend, Pompelia added, is the linchpin of JFK's mix of players. "He's a key, he's our quarterback."
Rossi's trio of 3-pointers in the first half, Pompelia said, "just blew it open for us. That's what we need from him, and everybody in the county knows what he can do."
Rebounds from first loss
The victory came just three nights after JFK's first loss of the season. At practice on Wednesday, the day after the loss, Pompelia said, "We didn't get down on the guys. We let them relax."
But one factor the coaches worked on was free throwing shooting, which was one reason for Tuesday's loss. Friday night, the Eagles were 21-of-35 at the charity stripe.
JFK shot an impressive 63 percent from the field, netting 27-of-43 shots. Faced with the Eagles' strong defense, Mooney shot a poor 38 percent from the field, making only 24-of-64.