After posting back-to-back victories against Peters Township last week, the Moon Tigers fell to Upper St. Clair Tuesday at home in a tense 55-53 match-up.
Upper St. Clair’s Steve Limberiou delivered a three-pointer with just 6.7 seconds remaining in the game, ending a night in which he led all scorers with 32 points.
“There’s nothing you can do about that,” said Moon’s head coach Jeff Ackerman. “We had tight defense on him there at the end, but [Limberiou] played great all night, and you could just feel that shot coming from him.”
For the Tigers, this defeat drops them to 7-6 in section play, ensuring them a fourth place finish in AAAA Section 4.
The game was close from start to finish. The Tigers and Panthers entered the night separated by just two games in their conference, with the Panthers looking to avenge a loss from the teams’ last meeting back on Jan. 14.
The teams traded the lead throughout the game. After the first eight minutes of play, the Tigers held a 14-8 lead thanks in large part to the physical play of Kyle Henderson and Brett Hoffman. His defense and sharp shooting helped the Tigers gain the early advantage.
But the second quarter saw the awakening of the Panthers, or at least their 6’6” senior guard Limberiou, who finished the game with six three-pointers. He finished the first half with 18 points, penetrating an otherwise stout Tiger defense and giving the Panthers a 31-27 halftime lead. The third quarter would be a draw, with the two school’s tied at 42-42.
Despite Aaron Johnson’s team-high 21 points, missed opportunities and turnovers caught up with Moon in the final moments of the game.
Following a five-second inbounding call against the Tigers, Limberiou managed his fifth three-pointer of the night. After a miss and a rebound for Upper St. Clair, Limberiou took a pass from Dakota Conwell and sank his sixth three-pointer with just 6.7 seconds remaining on the clock, inching the Panthers past Moon, 55-53.
The Tigers, despite the loss, are still playoff-bound. Their two victories against Peters Township last week earned them a spot in the WPIAL playoffs.
The Tigers have two games remaining on their regular-season schedule, including a match-up against Chartiers Valley Friday.
“We played well enough to win tonight,” said Ackerman. “Both teams did, really. We had the shot we wanted at the end but, unfortunately, it just didn’t go in. It’s a tough loss, but a good primer for the playoffs and the physical and mental toughness it’s going to take for us to succeed.”
