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Old Forge beats Antietam in play-in game to get into PIAA Tournament

Old Forge’s Dave Argust knocks the ball away from Antietam’s Corey Steele during the Blue Devils win on Tuesday in a PIAA Class 1A play-in game in Reading.

Photo by Susan L. Angstadt, courtesy The Reading Eagle

Old Forge’s Brian Tomasetti defends Antietam’s Brian Shaffer in Tuesday win.

Photo by Susan L. Angstadt, courtesy The Reading Eagle

After a season of disappointment, the Old Forge boys’ basketball team showed it still belongs.

The Blue Devils played a near-perfect first 15 minutes of basketball as it jumped out to its biggest lead of the season before holding on to a 68-63 victory over Antietam in a PIAA Class 1A play-in game on Tuesday night in Reading. The victory put Old Forge into the state tournament which began Friday.

Playing in the Mounts home gymnasium, the Blue Devils played fired up from the tip, and gave their best first-quarter effort of the season as it raced out to a 21-3 lead after the first eight minutes.

Old Forge (9-15) scored 18 straight points after trailing 2-0 to start the game to take command early. Brian Tomasetti scored 12 of his career-high 28 points during the first quarter, including a three-pointer from the top of the key at the horn to give the Blue Devils an 18-point advantage.

Antietam (13-14) cut its deficit to 15 twice to open the second quarter but Tomasetti scored all seven of his points in the quarter during a two-minute stretch which saw Old Forge open a 32-10 advantage with 2:38 left in the first half. The junior forwarded highlighted a 9-0 run with a fast break layup on a pass from Dave Argust which Tomasetti converted into a three-point play after being fouled.

Argust gave the Blue Devils a 23-point lead with a short baseline jumper at the 1:16 mark but the Mounts finished with a 7-2 run to get within 38-20 at intermission.

The Blue Devils shot better than 50 percent in the first half, shooting 16-for-31. Most of those baskets came within 10-15 feet as Old Forge dominated inside the paint as Tomasetti knifed his way to the hoop numerous times.

Senior J Argonish also did damage inside, scoring 10 of his 14 points in the opening two quarters while also hauling in six rebounds.

Old Forge pushed its lead back to 20 to open the third quarter but Antietam started to comeback as the Mounts got hot from the field and scored some easy baskets as Old Forge turned the ball over seven times in the quarter.

Corey Steele led the District 3 fourth-seed’s rally with eight of his team-high 17 points during a 16-7 run that got Antietam within 49-38 to start the fourth quarter.

Tomasetti opened the final stanza with a bucket to stop the run, but Damon Max scored seven of his nine points during the next 2:20 to get the Mounts’ deficit to 55-47 with 4:10 remaining in the game. It was the first time Antietam was within single digits since the two-minute mark of the first quarter.

Argust answered with a strong drive from the left wing, and Jake Manetti cashed in on both ends of a 1-and-1 with 3:17 left to push the Old Forge lead back to 12 at 59-47.

But the Mounts were not done.

Senior Hayden Lee, who scored his 1,000th career point in the second quarter, scored 10 points in the final three minutes, including seven straight to get Antietam within 61-53 with 1:40 left.

Steele added two free throws 16 seconds later and the Mounts were within six points.

Antietam had three possessions to get within one score after the Blue Devils missed three free throws, but Brendan Wahl slammed the door with a drive to the basket off of a fast break to push the lead back to eight with 43 seconds remaining.

From there Manetti and Jimmie Aversa made 5-of-8 free throws to keep the Blue Devils comfortably ahead until Lee made a three-pointer with less than three seconds left for the final margin.

Argust finished with a season-high 15 points for Old Forge. The senior added five rebounds and four assists and went 5-for-6 from the free throw line.

Tomasetti added five rebounds and two assists for the Blue Devils, and Argonish chipped in with seven boards and two assists.

Manetti contributed seven points – all in the second half – and six rebounds and three assists. Wahl finished with a team-high five assists and also grabbed three rebounds.