KNOX, Pa. (EYT/D9) — There’s an urgency now. A fire that has been lit under Aiden Patrick that wasn’t necessarily there earlier this season.
Patrick is playing with renewed focus for the Keystone boys basketball team and it is showing on the court.
In dramatic ways.
(Pictured above, Keystone coach Greg Heath talks with Aiden Patrick, No. 5, Dom Corcetti, No. 1, and Drew Slaugenhaupt, No. 2, before the start of the second half)
Patrick, a senior forward, was dominant in the paint for the Panthers against visiting North Clarion on Tuesday night, scoring 13 points to go with 18 rebounds as Keystone downed the Wolves, 59-39.
“He’s been playing terrific for us over the past four or five games,” said Keystone coach Greg Heath of Patrick. “He’s just playing with a chip on his shoulder, finally.”
When asked why Patrick has gotten something under his skin, Heath smiled.
“I think his coach got under his skin,” Heath said. “I think that’s the biggest part of it.”
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Patrick was a big reason why Keystone was able to keep North Clarion at bay.
It was particularly satisfying for Patrick on Senior Night.
“It felt pretty good to play so well and get points and rebounds inside,” Patrick said. “It felt good to help the team win.”
Patrick certainly helped Keystone win.
So did a fast start.
Keystone scored the game’s first 11 points before Ethan Carll stopped the bleeding for North Clarion with a layup.
Drew Keth scored 10 of his team-high 17 points in the opening frame as Keystone set the tone early with a 15-7 advantage after one quarter.
That lead swelled to as many as 18 early in the third quarter before North Clarion made a run of its own.
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Despite the Wolves’ struggles, they were only down by 10 at 41-31 heading into the fourth.
It was a window of opportunity for North Clarion.
But Keystone slammed it shut.
The Panthers roared out of the third quarter break and extended the lead back to 17 quickly.
“We were standing still we were staying still offense. We weren’t playing defense,” said North Clarion coach Mike Brown. “We’re letting guys get open shots. We had no sense of urgency tonight. In the third quarter, we played great. Then we got tired because we’re not very deep.”
Turnovers hurt the Wolves. So did poor free throw shooting. North Clarion was just 4-of-14 from the line.
Then there was Patrick. The Wolves had very few answers for him.
“He’s a wrecking ball,” Brown said.
Patrick didn’t see much varsity time last season, and Heath said it took him some time to adapt this year.
Now that he has, Patrick has rounded into a force over the past few weeks.
“I think he’s settled in,” Heath said smiling.
Freshman Eli Nellis also shined for Keystone with 15 points. Dom Corcetti, another freshman, scored just four points, but he played stellar defense and handled the ball well.
Senior and fan favorite Mason Thompson also got in on the act, hitting a pair of free throws as the crowd cheered loudly for him at the end of the game.
Thompson has been Keystone’s spark on the bench and in the locker room. Even though he doesn’t see many minutes on the court, he has still been an invaluable piece of the puzzle for Heath and the Panthers.
“Since Mason has been on the team as a sophomore, he has brought energy,” Heath said. “He’s the one who is always the loudest, clapping and encouraging everybody. Doesn’t matter if he gets in the game or not. He brings the energy every night and in practice he’s the same way.”
For North Clarion, Brown is looking for his own spark.
Carll scored 11 points to lead the Wolves, who showed glimpses, but not enough against Keystone.
“I just don’t think I’ve done a very good job with these kids this year,” Brown said. “And I feel bad about that. I’ve tried, but I just can’t seem to pull it out.
“Greg and I have had a ton of great games over the year,” Brown added. “Tonight wasn’t one of them.”
Redbank Valley, Keystone, and Union/A-C Valley sports coverage on Explore and D9Sports.com is brought to you by Heeter Lumber.
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