With Game On Line, Cougars Excel
By JAMIE PIERCE Times Leader Sports Correspondent
Friday, December 17, 1999 Page: 1B
HANOVER TWP. – After seven ties and five lead changes, the outcome of
Thursday’s Wyoming Valley Conference opener for Hazleton Area and Hanover Area
came down to one of basketball’s basics: foul shooting.
Chris Leib was 6-for-6, and Bobby Broyan hit both ends of a one-and-one in
the final 2:43 to help the Cougars knock off the Hawkeyes, 47-40.
“We had some clutch free-throw shooting tonight,” said Hazleton coach
Bruce Leib. “Chris and Bobby both hit some big ones, and that was exactly
what we needed.”
Leib’s first two fourth-quarter foul shots gave Hazleton its biggest lead
of the night at 40-35. Hanover’s Josh Oravic then hit one of two in between
four Dave Plisko free throws, and the Hawkeyes knotted the game at 40-40 with
Hazleton’s defense did not allow Hanover to score again as Leib and Broyan
hit a combined six free throws in a row down the stretch to secure the
Hazleton victory.
“When you are playing Hazleton in a possession-for-possession game,
free-throw shooting becomes very important,” said Hanover coach Joe Ryan.
“It was simple: they made the foul shots they needed to make.”
Hazleton’s Jonathan Veet started quickly, scoring five of his game-high 19
points in the opening quarter to help the Cougars to a 9-8 lead.
The Hawkeyes turned up their defensive pressure in the second quarter and
allowed the Cougars just five points. Plisko and Jeff Holda combined for eight
of Hanover’s 10 second-quarter points, and the Hawkeyes took an 18-14 lead
into the locker room.
Hazleton battled back in the third quarter behind six points each from Veet
and Leib. Leib hit a runner in the lane with :58 left in the third to give the
Cougars a two-point advantage heading into the final stanza.
“The only thing I told the guys at the half was to run our plays a little
more crisp,” Leib said. “Other than that, I just told them to stay with what
they were doing. I thought we were in good shape.”
A three-pointer from Broyan and two Veet buckets gave Hazleton a 40-35 lead
before the pivotal free throw shooting.
Although Plisko led Hanover with 16 points, the Cougars held him without a
field goal for the final 11:47.
Leib added four field goals to his 7-of-8 performance from the line to
finish with 16 points.
“We did not function well in practice the last two days,” Ryan said. “We
did not lose this game tonight, we lost it on Tuesday and Wednesday.”
HAZLETON AREA (47) Veet 8 3-5 19, Grobelny 1 0-0 3, Nenstiel 0 0-0 0, Broyan 3
HANOVER AREA (40) Plisko 5 4-7 16, Oravic 4 1-2 9, Papadopolos 2 0-0 6, Gildea
Broyan, Plisko 2, Papadopolos 2, Holda. WVC BOYS BASKETBALL
