JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – His team held a comfortable lead with a running clock in the final minutes in Tuesday’s District 6 Class 2A boys quarterfinal. Bishop McCort Catholic senior Angelo Gallucci didn’t have a milestone on his mind.
PHOTO GALLERY | Bishop McCort Catholic's Gallucci reaches 1,000th point in 64-42 D6 quarterfinal win over Moshannon ValleyD6-2A
“To be honest, I had no clue I was even close,” Gallucci said after surpassing the career 1,000-point mark late in a 64-42 win over visiting Moshannon Valley. “I figured out two games ago that I was 42 away. Brady (Page), my teammate, told me I was two away. I just drove to the hoop, did what I usually do.”
Gallucci entered the game 26 points away from the milestone. The 6-foot-2 guard finished with 27 points, despite a second-half running clock after Page’s 3-pointer made it 48-16 with 4:40 left in the third quarter.
The third-seeded Crimson Crushers (15-8) earned a spot in Friday’s 6-2A semifinal round at second-seeded Claysburg-Kimmel. The Bulldogs (20-5) defeated seventh-seeded Homer-Center 52-44 Tuesday.
Sixth-seeded Moshannon Valley finished 13-9.
“We knew they had a size advantage and we told our guys we had to control the tempo of the game,” Bishop McCort coach Chris Pfeil said. “We came out of the gates and played fantastic defense, very fundamental. We stayed in our lanes. We got a lot of deflections and were able to turn the ball the other way.”
Gallucci collected 17 first-half points, including nine in the second quarter as the Crimson Crushers built a 39-16 advantage at intermission.
“The defensive effort went the whole way through tonight,” Pfeil said. “Jaeger Forrest was all over the place defensively.
“Kaden Kovalchic played his best defensive game of the year for us. It was just an all-around great effort. Then, the way Brady Page controls the floor on offense, he just wears down people defensively.”
Page (nine points) totaled five first-half steals, and Maddox Laughard swished four 3-pointers for 12 points over the first two quarters. Laughard finished with 15 points – all on 3-pointers.
“Maddox started out with a bunch of 3s in the first quarter that got us out to that lead,” Pfeil said.
Bishop McCort led 23-6 after one quarter, as Laughard made three 3-pointers and Gallucci scored eight points.
The Crimson Crushers led by 23 points at intermission.
“ ‘Ang’ just did his consistent, steady – bucket, bucket, bucket,” Pfeil said of Gallucci.
The Crimson Crushers have rallied after losing senior standout Nick Dressick to injury at Philipsburg-Osceola Jan. 30.
Forrest moved into a starting role and Page took on added responsibilities at guard.
“Anytime you lose a three-year starter, it’s tough,” Pfeil said. “A starter, a leader, a kid who gives his heart to this program. Nick’s not on the floor with us, but he’s been a great emotional leader for us at practices and the games.”
Jack Moore and Troy Canner led Moshannon Valley with 11 points apiece. Moore hit two 3-pointers and Canner tallied six points late in the fourth quarter.
Each team hit seven 3s.
But Gallucci earned the spotlight for his work inside.
“My teammates are always setting me up,” Gallucci said.
“Early in the game, we were doing fast breaks. I think that was really key to winning this game. We knew we had to run the floor. We knew we could speed them up. I got good looks from my teammates.”
The veteran shared the moment with his family in the stands as the game was briefly halted following his driving basket that made it 64-33 with 2:07 left and gave him the milestone.
Then, he addressed the Crimson Crushers near the bench, and shook hands with Moshannon Valley players on the court.
“Coach let me talk and I told my teammates, ‘I couldn’t have done it without them,’ ” Gallucci said. “It’s hard hustle plays. I think that’s what gets it done.”
Mike Mastovich is a sports reporter and columnist for The Tribune-Democrat. He can be reached at 814-532-5083. Follow him on Twitter @Masty81.