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Sports

USC Boys Basketball Takes Team Approach For Playoff Run

No. 5 seed Panthers face Franklin Regional in first round Saturday.

Early in the season Upper St. Clair boys' basketball coach Danny Holzer emphasized certain things as keys to the team's success: giving a solid defensive effort, secondary scoring, playing together as a team and responding to adversity.

When the Panthers (15-7) did those things they were successful. It led to winning eight of their last nine section games to finish in second place in Section 4 of the WPIAL Class AAAA and earn the fifth seed in the playoffs.

Among their notable wins this season were a , a l and two wins against both and .

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However, their collective record against WPIAL playoff teams this season is 4-5, including blowout losses to , and , plus a at home that could easily be discredited because the Panthers played that game without leading scorer Steve Limberiou and center Garrett DelRe due to injury.

"I think our schedule has helped us," Holzer said after the playoff pairings meeting Tuesday. "Having to face the better teams in the area like Shaler and GCC, plus Mt. Lebanon, Moon and Chartiers Valley in our section helps us out. It means we're battle-tested."

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The difficulty of facing such teams hasn't been lost on the players, either. They say it helps to prepare them for what they will face in the playoffs.

"We expect it to be tough and we know other teams like to key on me and [DelRe]," Limberiou said.

With Limberiou and DelRe as the focal points of the offense, the Panthers will need contributions from other players as well. Junior forward Dakota Conwell and guards Jordan Grabowski, Derik Young and Ben Dabat have shown throughout the season they are capable of picking up the slack.

"Coach always says like Mike Tomlin says, 'The standard is the same, no matter who plays,'" Limberiou said. "If someone goes down the guy behind him is going to come in, and we expect to play winning basketball, no matter who's in."

Conwell stepped up with 17 points in the win at Mt. Lebanon on Jan. 18 on 5-of-6 shooting from 3-point range, and later scored 18 while shooting 4-of-6 from behind the arc in the regular season finale against Chartiers Valley.

Meanwhile, Young, Grabowski and Dabat have all had success from behind the arc at different times throughout the season.

"I tell them all the time -- Grabowski, Dabat and Young in particular -- you have the green light, you have to make shots," Holzer said earlier in the season. "If I put you in the game and you're worried about missing it, I have to pull you out. For us to be good, they've got to make decent shots."

"They're extremely important," Limberiou said. "For them to take the pressure off us -- especially early in the game -- it gives us more opportunities. When we drive and [opponents] double-team us, they're open."

Upper St. Clair will face Franklin Regional (10-12) in their first-round matchup at Baldwin on Saturday at noon. But regardless of whom the Panthers face they know what they need to do in order to win games.

"If we play like a team we should go far," senior forward Harris Beck said. "We've done well lately, so I expect us to do well in the playoffs."

"If the team comes together with all guys contributing on both sides of the floor, we've got a chance to make some noise," Holzer said.

Since that first-round game is at a nearby location, expect the USC fans to make a lot of noise of their own as well.

"It's been terrific," Limberiou said of the fan support throughout the season. "I think there's no doubt about it we have the best student section in the WPIAL."

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