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PIAA Class 2A: Constitution's semifinal win sets up state title rematch

03/19/2022, 7:00pm EDT
By Corky Blake

Corky Blake (@corkyblake)
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Constitution senior guard Lamar Glover admitted he was up late Friday night watching basketball.

But it wasn’t the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Glover was viewing game films of Old Forge, the Generals’ opponent in the PIAA Class 2A semifinals.

“I love watching film,” Glover said. “I’ve been doing it since I was a ninth grader. I’d watch our opponent so if I got in I knew how to stop what they wanted to try and do.”

The Generals (22-8), thanks to their diligent preparation, created a highlight reel of their own with Glover’s 29 points leading the way in a never-in-doubt 67-40 victory over the Blue Devils at Liberty High School in Bethlehem.

Lamar Glover stands in a gym

Lamar Glover (above) scored a game-high 29 points to lead the Generals to a state title rematch. (Photo: Ty Daubert/CoBL)

The win sends District 12 champion Constitution into the state final against unbeaten District 7 champion Our Lady of Sacred Heart, a 78-68 victor over Kennedy Christian in the other semifinal, at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday in Hershey.

OLSH defeated Constitution 62-49 in last year’s state championship to complete a 23-0 season.

Constitution has won a pair of Class A state titles (2012, ’15) and a pair of Class 2A crowns (2015, 2018 over OLSH) in its 13-year existence. It also lost in the 2A final in 2017.

The Generals collectively and as individuals have been laser-focused on a rematch with OLSH, perhaps no one more than senior forward Jamal Carr.

“I didn’t play (in the state final) and that gives me a lot of fuel,” said the 6-foot-5 Carr, who ruled the paint against Old Forge with 11 points, six rebounds and three blocks. “I hurt my hand and I couldn’t play because it was in a cast. I have the most personal reason to play against them.”

“We lost to them and that hurt,” Glover said. “I was a little chubby last year. I’ve slimmed down and am a way better player.”

“Last year they (OLSH) had a good run, and it’s our turn to get them back,” added senior swingman Jacob Beccles, who scored a “quiet” 18 points, with 13 coming in the second half.

Moreover, the Generals’ on-court preparation for OLSH was a mere 30-minute walk-through in their gym the morning before heading to Hershey for the game.

“I don’t think many people knew this, but last year we beat Old Forge (62-60) in the semifinals on a Tuesday night, and the next morning we got a call from Old Forge that there had been a COVID issue,” Constitution coach Rob Moore said. “We had no practice on Wednesday and Thursday but got word Thursday night that something had been worked out so we could play (in the state final).

“We only had a 30-minute practice before we left, but we still did all our film work.”

Ah, the film work, which is so appropriate with the Oscars just around the corner. The Generals’ lockdown defense coupled with an efficient offensive attack enabled them to methodically build a 16-5 lead midway through the second quarter against Old Forge on Saturday.

When the Generals scored the final eight points of the half for a 26-9 advantage on Glover’s 3 and a layup and Beccles’ 3-point play, the second half was a mere formality.

Moore collects hundreds of game films and assistant coach Alex Brown, a former assistant at La Salle College High, dissects them for the details.

For instance:

“We had to be aggressive but play smart because we knew they (Blue Devils) led all the teams in the playoffs in charges,” Carr said. “Coach Alex also told us which players we could sag off and help elsewhere.”

“We had to be aware of where their shooters were because we saw they were excellent outside shooters,” Glover said.

“We knew No. 1 (Ayden Davitt) and No. 23 (Joe Macciocco) were good shooters so we had to ;get on them,” Beccles said.

Davitt led the District 2 runners-up with 16 points while Macciocco, who scored 25 in an opening-round win over Wyalusing Valley, was held to five points.

“Today, we had to be patient because every game you play against teams from District 2, they have tough kids,” Moore said. “I thought we left No. 1 open too many times, and that’s something we can work on this week.”

Which means watching film and more film of OLHS.

The NCAA Tournament? That can wait another week for the Generals.

“This IS our NCAA Tournament,” Moore said.

By Quarter

Old Forge:    5  |  4  | 15 | 16 || 40
Constitution 12 | 14 | 20 | 21 || 67

Shooting
Old Forge: 15-38 FG (6-14 3PT), 4-6 FT
Constitution: 24-41 FG (2-9 3PT), 17-22 FT

Scoring
Old Forge: Ayden Davitt 16, Matt Kuckla 10, Dino Domiano 8, Joe Macciocco 5, Joe Granko 1.
Constitution: Lamar Glover 29, Jacob Beccles 18, Jamal Carr 11, Simere Blagman 4, Nasir Coleman 2, Kendall McCray 2, Kerwin Similien 1.


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