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Ursuline’s Parella makes most of second chance
By BRIAN DZENIS
YOUNGSTOWN
Word of advice for Ursuline’s future opponents: don’t give Greg Parella multiple chances to win a game.
He won’t screw up twice.
The Irish senior guard made up for a few missed free throws at the end of Tuesday’s regulation by providing the dagger in Ursuline’s 82-77 double overtime win against Massillon.
With 13 seconds left in regulation, Parella went to the line with his team up 63-61. The chance to make at least a three-point game slipped away when he missed both free throws.
“I can’t remember him missing two free throws in a row in his four years here to be honest with you,” Ursuline coach Keith Gunther said.
If Gunther had his way, the game would have never needed the extra periods. His Irish (12-5) squad was able to put together a few runs on the Tigers, earning a lead as high as nine points in the third quarter, but Massillon (5-10) kept coming back.
“Mentally, we just weren’t focused and we just weren’t with it. I don’t know if it’s because we saw their record on the scouting report, but I told our kids that they’re a really good basketball team,” Gunther said. “With adolescents, sometimes they don’t believe it. Then you’re deep in a game and you’re kind of shell-shocked.”
After Parella’s miss, Massillon found Markell Albright wide open under the basket for the easy layup to send the game into overtime. Parella was looking for a chance to redeem himself.
“I wanted to get up to the line and get a bucket and that’s what I did,” he said.
He went 4-for-6 from the line, including a critical 2-for-2 trip with 20 seconds left in the first overtime to force the second.
Massilion played slow in the second OT, electing to burn at least a minute off the clock before attempting to score.
With the game tied at 1:37 to go, Parella got his chance to play hero. Mike Hughes threw a pass from his end of the floor to Anthony Howell near the opposing paint. With one hand, Howell flipped the ball to Parella, who was just under the basket. He fought through the contact from an opposing defender to get his shot off.
He made it. He got the foul. And this time, he made the clutch free throw.
“I just felt things were going to pay off and that was huge,” Parella said.
Those three points, part of Parella’s 36-point performance, provided a huge boost for the Irish’ confidence.
“I think that made us relax a little bit. Instead of it being 73-73, it’s 76-73 and you can take a deep breath,” Gunther said.
After that sequence, Ursuline rolled. Armon Nasseri and Mike Hughes were perfect from the line as Massillon couldn’t rally for a final time.
“They put me on [Massillon’s Dyson Berry] and I kept him out of the paint. They missed a few shots and we played good defense,” Parella said.
Nasseri put up 22 points and Hughes added 14 points.
For Massillon, Teddy Broyles led the Tigers with 18 points, Albright scored 15 points and Berry and Chase Piatko each scored 14 points.
“The great thing about the win tonight is ‘can you find a way to win when you’re back is up against the wall?’” Gunther said.
“It’s nice when your senior makes the plays down the stretch because that’s what you count on.”