Boys Basketball: Garnet Valley’s Palis works Plan B to perfection

CONCORD >> Cole Palis and his Garnet Valley teammates know both ends of the bargain in a late-game situation like Tuesday’s. Call them Plans 1A and 1B. With the clock ticking under a minute in overtime, trailing Ridley by one point, everyone in the gym knew the ball would find Garnet Valley’s Austin Laughlin, the high-scoring guard looking to wiggle out the sliver of space he needs to launch his effective jump shot. That’s Plan 1A. But as Laughlin ran a pick and roll with Brandon Starr near the top of the key and defenders in green shirts gravitated toward him, Palis, idling on the left wing, knew to be ready. Palis received the feed from Laughlin without a defender near him and swished home a 3-pointer with 35 seconds left, powering Garnet Valley’s 61-60 Central League win. Plan A, it might not have been. But when afforded the spotlight, Palis was ready to step up for a Garnet Valley team headed to the District 1 Class 6A playoffs.

“He’s a good teammate,” Palis said of Laughlin. “You’ve got to always be ready when you’re with him. Hands have always got to be up and ready for the ball.”

Ridley had two chances to answer Palis’ shot, which made the game 60-58. A Starr missed free throw with 16.5 seconds remaining handed Ridley the final possession to tie, but Damir Fleming elected to take a 14-foot runner, with the clock expiring before the Jags had to inbound after it fell home. The Jaguars (14-7, 9-6 Central) aren’t exactly poster children for scoring balance, with Starr and Laughlin accounting for 68 percent of their points this season. But Tuesday, contributions materialized from throughout the roster.

Laughlin played the central role with 23 points, including the final seven of regulation. But he deferred in overtime. Starr (nine points) started the extra session with a 3-point play. Palis, Danny Guy and Jacob Buttermore each contributed two made 3-pointers to the 11 the Jags splashed home. Connor O’Brien supplied one of the most consequential shots, a 3-pointer on the first possession of the fourth quarter assisted by Starr that arrested a 13-2 Ridley run.

“They had the momentum coming into the fourth,” Palis said. “Connor hits the 3, rejuvenates the bench, gets the crowd going. The momentum helps so much.”

“I think it’s their defense keying on me and Brandon the most,” said Laughlin. “And these guys were left open. When they’re left open, I have faith in them to knock down the shot. Pretty much when they’re left open, they’re going to hit it.”

The Jags did so early on, leading by 11 at the break, aided by two Laughlin free throws on a questionable Ridley bench technical followed by Laughlin dishing to Guy for a corner triple. (Equally regrettable: An 8-for-17 shooting performance at the line for the Green Raiders).

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