skip navigation

District 1 5A Playoffs: Cianci's big plays help Holy Ghost survive Marple

02/19/2020, 10:30pm EST
By Kevin Cooney


Steve Cianci (above) hit the game-winning bucket and followed it up with a game-sealing block against Marple. (Photo: Kevin Cooney/CoBL)

Kevin Cooney (@KevinCooney)
––

From the earliest parts of the morning on Monday until the last class on Wednesday afternoon, there was that gnawing feeling sitting in the pit of Steve Cianci’s stomach.

“I worked in school, but it was always there in the back of your mind,” the senior center for Holy Ghost Prep said. “It’s a mix of excitement and terror.”

He wasn’t the only Firebird who felt that way. From the time his team left the court on Saturday after beating The Christian Academy for the Bicentennial Athletic League title, Tony Chapman’s gut was in full churn.

“I was very concerned about the whole situation,” Chapman said. “So much emotion went into the four league games. If we had a week off, that would have been different. We played Saturday, took off Sunday and our practice on Monday was one of the poorest practices of the year. (Tuesday) was a little better, but not great. So I was really concerned.”

For all of the agita that went into the last three days for Holy Ghost Prep, they found calmness just in the nick of time to keep their season alive.

Cianci scored 14 points –– including the eventual game-winner fadeaway jumper with 9.1 seconds to play –– then added a deciding block on Marple Newtown’s final gasp at the horn to give Holy Ghost Prep a 41-40 win over the Tigers Wednesday night in the first round of the District 1 Class 5A playoffs in Bensalem.

“We knew that it wasn’t going to be a normal 2 vs. 15 type of game,” Cianci said. “To us, it was like a 2 vs. 5 seed. They’ve had a lot of talent and they played a really tough schedule.”

Marple Newtown came in at 9-13, but part of that was playing the Central League’s meat grinder that features a lot of 6A schools like Lower Merion, Ridley and Haverford. While Holy Ghost Prep has played well within the BAL, the number of schools that would be considered in lesser classes has always been a topic that comes up at this time of year.

“We’re playing a team that had five kids who could shoot threes,” Chapman said. “That’s really difficult. Our league is competitive, but we’re playing 2A, 3A, 4A schools and they are playing 6A schools. It is what it is. They are tough kids and they were well coached.”

Early on, the Tigers came out blazing from the outside- hitting five 3-pointers in the first half to take a 23-12 lead towards the end of the first half. Ben Davis had 12 points while Eric McKee had nine on 3 first-half trifectas to pace the effort.

However, Holy Ghost made an adjustment to get the ball down in the paint to both Cianci and Ryan O’Hara down at the block since Tyler Mish was being denied the basketball. Both of them had spent a large portion of the first half at the elbow of the lane. (Mish- the most heralded of the Firebirds and the first team All-BAL performer- had nine points and six rebounds.)

“That was the clear instructions from coach,” Cianci said. “He wanted us to go and take advantage of the matchup down there.”

The move worked. Cianci scored 10 points and grabbed five rebounds in the second half with a mostly power game. He gave the Firebirds its first lead of the game with 2:30 to go at 39-38. After Justin DiBona had given Marple Newtown a 40-39 cushion with a floating jumper with under a minute left, Cianci scored from the right block for what proved to be the winning basket.

At the other end, the Firebirds clamped down defensively. With 2.9 seconds left, Cianci stepped from the middle of the lane to the left, then came over and denied a final shot attempt that Liam Huy grabbed and threw to the sky as the horn sounded.

“After that happened, everything a little bit of a blur,” Cianci admitted.

When this run for the Firebirds ends, Cianci’s days of playing competitive basketball are likely going to be over. He’s going to Fordham for academics in the fall with the hopes of playing on a club basketball team. That’s why he’s relishing every nervous moment that takes place.

“It’s always exciting whenever you play,” Cianci said. “It creates a sense of urgency. But it can be nerve-racking.”

~~~

Marple Newtown (40)
Justin DiBona 1 0-0 2; Michael Tansey 2 4-6 9; Joe Pettinelli 2 0-0 6; Evan Duff 0 0-0 0; Ben Davis 4 2-2 12; Llas Mikropolous 0 0-0 0; Eric McKee 1 0-0 2; Ryan Straub 3 0-0 9; Joseph Paoletti 0 0-0 0; John Ebert 0 0-0 0; Owen Mathes 0 0-0 0; Totals 11 6-6 40.

Holy Ghost Prep (41)
Jack McDermitt 1 0-3 2; Ryan O’Hara 3 0-0 6; Steve Cianci 6 2-2 14; TJ Burlet 1 1-3 3; Tyler Mish 3 3-3 9; John Armentani 1 0-0 2; Shane Reilly 0 0-0 0; Chris Kada 0 0-0 0; Liam Huy 1 3-3 5; Totals 16 9-14 41.

MN      13  |  10  |  13  |   4   |  40
HGP     7   |   7   |  16  |  11  |  41

3-pointers: MN- Tansey 1, Pettinelli 2,  Davis 2, Straub 3; HGP- None


D-I Coverage:

HS Coverage:

Recruiting News:

Tag(s): Home  Bicentennial League (B)  Holy Ghost Prep  Central League (B)  Marple Newtown  Kevin Cooney