Despite valiant second half, Roaring Lions fall to Saint Vincent

Latrobe, PA – Senior Forward Matt McKenna's 29 points weren't enough to overcome the Saint Vincent Bearcats Monday, as the injury-laden Roaring Lions (3-3, 1-0) dropped a nonconference game to a familiar opponent, 100-83. 

The Lions are currently without senior gsauard and All-American Brandon Cunningham, who has been bothered by a sprained ankle. Then All-Conference senior Jacob Bronder (Jefferson Hills, Pa.) was lost late in the first half with an unspecified ankle injury.

The loss of Bronder was significant in that it removed a key weapon in Fayette's arsenal. The senior forward has been an offensive powerhouse and key defender this season, averaging 17 points and seven rebounds per game.

"We fought hard throughout the game, but Saint Vincent got up too many shots, and they all seemed to fall," commented Head Coach Mark John.  "Without Brandon in the lineup and Jake out most of the game, we give up some length when closing out on a great shooting team, such as Saint Vincent," John added.

The game started quickly for the Lions, as McKenna and senior forward/guard Dierre Jenkins (Uniontown, Pa.) nailed a couple of quick threes to give Fayette and early lead.  The Bearcats subsequently answered, and JC Howard's three pointer with a little over 17:00 left in the first half gave Saint Vincent the lead for good.

The Bearcats then tore off a 15-6 run, and the Roaring Lions found themselves trailing 56-39 at the half. 

In a second half that seemed to trade baskets, the Lions "never quit" attitude persisted, as they went shot for shot with the Cats.  Junior guards C.J. Gaddis (Brownsville, Pa.) and Luke Williams (Lahaina, Hawaii) used that attitude to continually attack the Bearcats basket, going 21-22 from the foul line. 

Gaddis was a perfect 12-12, while dishing four assists.  "Luke and C.J. continue to put out solid performances.  Defensively, Luke has been taking on the role of watching the opposition's best offensive threat.  While he works tirelessly on defense, he seems to pour in 14-20 points consistently and quietly.  C.J. does a great job of being a floor general, and he knows when to attack and when to pull back… having him at the point is like having a coach on the floor," John added.  Williams and Gaddis finished with 17 and 14 points respectively.

Sophomore guards Dominick Jackson (Minneapolis, Minn.) and Tony Bristol (Brownsville, Pa.) continued their "Thunder and Lightning" routine, as they recorded four steals and four assists between them. 

Jackson also registered two points, going 2-2 from the charity stripe.  Bristol notched five points in the losing effort. 

"Dom and Tony provide more than a spark off the bench.  They come in and generate instant energy on both sides of the court." John pointed out. "They attack defenses with their ability to get to the rim, and defensively, they pick their man up 96 feet and apply as much pressure as they can."

Sean Smoggie (Carmichaels, Pa.) was called upon to replace Bronder and displayed what John described as his usual, workman-like" attitude. 

The sophomore guard added an assist and a rebound in 10 minutes of action, and according to John, he was much more noticeable.  "Sean gives you everything he has every day.  He did way more on the court tonight than what got noticed in the stat sheet.  He took what we thought was a charge in a pivotal moment in the second half when we were on a run."

Several freshman also got quality minutes in the loss to the Bearcats.  Donnie Henderson, (Monongahela, Pa.), Zac Cooney (Berlin, Pa.), and Jeffry Waters (Jacksonville, Fla.) all got their first collegiate points in the loss.

"We don't miss much when our bench gets into the game.  Donnie played very strong under the hoop, and Zac, Jeff, and Cody Thomas played very solid defense against some quality DIII guards," said John after the game. 

After watching the freshman get their feet wet, we feel very confident that they will continue to build on the foundation laid by the student-athletes that came before them.  They know what we're trying to do and they're all in.  We've got a group of freshmen and a solid all-around player in Mario (Reeves). 

He can play the anywhere from the post to the point, and once he gets a little more comfortable with the system, he's going to be a big problem for a lot of teams," added John.

The Roaring Lions get a return shot when they complete the home-and-home series by hosting the Bearcats on Jan. 4.

"We love to play at the Carey Center.  It's a close non-conference game in proximity, and they are a formidable opponent.  It's a nice measuring stick to see how we progress from November to January.  The staff at Saint Vincent treats us with the utmost respect, and enjoy the atmosphere they create.  We will certainly be eager to see them in January. "

"As for now, we're going to focus on getting ready for Penn State York without two of our top performers in Brandon and Jake," said John.

The Roaring Lions will host Penn State York on Saturday, November 29 at the Community Center.  Tipoff is slated for 3:45 p.m.  The meeting is a highly anticipated rematch of last year's PSUAC Final Four, in which York won by 11.