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WILKES-BARRE — Crestwood’s Kyle Richards spent his high school career playing for a basketball coach who places a big emphasis on defense.
So after Richards scored a game-high 20 points in the Blue team’s 112-104 victory in the annual Dr. George P. Moses Senior All-Star Classic on Friday night, he speculated what Crestwood coach Mark Atherton would think of such an egregious defensive display.
“Oh boy, you could only imagine,” Richards said. “Defense is always first with coach Atherton, so coming out here and scoring what, 112 points, would be very out of the ordinary with Crestwood basketball.”
Atherton was there to witness the game. He and Meyers coach Pat Toole coached the Blue squad.
“Pat was the defensive coordinator; I was the offensive coordinator,” Atherton said.
Atherton, of course, was joking. The job of the coaches is to do little more than get players in and out of the game. The contest was basically 40 minutes of freelancing, dunks, and 3-pointers.
Richards nailed two 3-pointers and Meyers’ Matt Dessoye added 14 points to be named co-MVPs of the Blue team. The White team also had co-MVPs in Hazleton Area’s Michael Cusatis and Wyoming Valley West’s Aaron Austin. Each had 17 points, with the 6-foot Austin adding a dunk.
“It’s a dream come true,” Richards said. “I grew up every year watching this. I’ve always looked up to those guys who came out here and dominated. It’s fun. It’s a good thing to be part of.”
Defense, though, did make a cameo. In the final minute, the Blue’s Levaugn Soules of Meyers went up for a dunk only to have the White’s Nolan Genasevich of Hazleton Area block it. Genasevich then tried a dunk at the other end, but the Blue’s Keyshawn Palmer of GAR stuffed his attempt.
The game was played in 20-minute halves and tilted toward the Blue in the second 10 minutes before the break. Crestwood’s Kyle Gegaris started a 19-6 run with a basket and GAR’s Andrew Campbell ended it with a 3-pointer, giving the Blue a 52-37 lead at the 2:30 mark.
The White clawed back to 59-51 by halftime as Austin hit two 3-pointers and Wyoming Area’s Anthony Saitta added another down the stretch.
The White finally overtook the Blue, 102-101, on a 3-pointer by Cusatis at 2:30. The Blue, though, closed out strongly.
George P. Moses Senior All-Star Classic
Blue 112, White 104
BLUE (112) — Keyshawn Palmer 4 0-0 8, Kyle Gegaris 3 2-2 8, Lance Blass 3 0-0 7, Andrew Campbell 4 0-0 10, Avery Newhart 0 0-0 0, Matt Dessoye 7 0-0 14, Kyle Richards 9 0-0 20, Cody Piestrak 0 0-0 0, Luke Butczynski 2 0-0 5, Tyler Diggs 0 0-0 0, Ben Donahue 2 0-0 6, Mitchell Mazonkey 0 0-0 0, Levaugn Soules 5 0-0 11, Noah Jackson 5 0-0 11, Ryan Gilgallon 2 0-0 4, Luis Rivera 2 0-0 4. Totals 48 2-2 112.
WHITE (104) — Sean Judge 2 1-2 5, Jason Stachokus 1 0-0 3, Chris Klein 0 0-0 0, Matt Champ 3 0-0 8, Michael Cusatis 7 0-0 17, Aaron Austin 7 0-0 17, Anthony Nardell 0 1-3 1, James Kosik 4 0-0 10, Charles Cobbs 2 0-0 4, Jude Goddard 6 0-0 14, Kyle Williams 1 0-0 3, Nolan Genasevich 3 2-2 8, Anthony Saitta 5 0-0 12, Cole Spencer 0 0-0 0, Johnny Kehl 0 0-0 0, Pat Mitchell 2 0-0 4. Totals 42 4-7 104.
Blue`59`53`—`112
White`51`53`—`104
Three-point goals — Blue 11 (Blass, Campbell 2, Richards 2, Butczynski, Donahue 2, Soules, Jackson, Gilgallon). White 16 (Stachokus, Champ 2, Cusatis 3, Austin 3, Kosik 2, Goddard 2, Williams, Saitta 2).
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