If a WPIAL quarterfinal appearance and a PIAA state playoff appearance qualify as a successful season, then the The Shaler Area Titans boys basketball team had a successful season. In head coach Brandon Sensor’s second season at Shaler Area, the Titans finished with an overall record of 14-13, but this success didn’t come without some struggles.
The Titans started the season by losing three out of their first four games. Two of the three losses came to the 6A foes in Fox Chapel and North Hills, but both of the contests were decided by one possession.
“Those games were decided in the last seconds. We had leads and couldn’t hold on. I think we were adjusting and learning that you can’t take possessions off. 5A and 6A basketball is tough. You always have to be locked in and giving your best effort,” Sensor said.
The Titans responded to their slow start by accumulating four consecutive wins, two coming against section opponents.
“It took us a couple of games for us to really start playing as a unit. We were in games with some really good teams to start the year, so we all knew we had what it took to win games. Once we started playing our brand of basketball, we knew the wins would come,” junior Nick Perez said.
The Titans kept this mindset through the rest of the season. The Titans beat Indiana in early January to take possession of second place in the section. They followed that game up with a win against the rival Hampton Talbots.
The Titans posted a 13-9 record during the regular season and they earned the #9 seed in the WPIAL playoffs. The Titans beat Franklin Regional 65-50 in the first round of the playoffs.
“I was proud of how we played against Franklin Regional. I thought that was one of the best games we played this year. We played as a team. We played team defense, shared the ball on offense and made good decisions. It was exciting to put it all together in a playoff game,” Sensor said.
It was in the WPIAL quarterfinals when Shaler’s season would eventually come to an end. Top seeded Chartiers Valley knocked off the Titans by just 3 points when late game errors plagued the Titans.
“Our guys played their hearts out. They played a great game. We won for three and a half quarters. That’s the way basketball goes sometimes. At the end of the game, (Chartiers Valley’s) pressure and experience hurt us. That’s one of those games where one mistake or non-mistake changes the outcome,” Sensor said.
The Titans felt like this game slipped away from them.
“It was a tough, physical game the entire game. We played really well and had the number one team in 5A on the ropes. Just knowing how close we were to beating them hurts, and our entire team knew we were good enough to win a WPIAL championship,” Perez said.
Even after the tough loss, the Titans had clinched a spot in the PIAA playoffs. The Titans lost in their first round game against Greater Johnstown by a score of 68-56.
“Overall we did a lot of good things this season. We hit some adversity at times and had some really big wins. The guys should be proud of what they accomplished,” Sensor said.
Three players earned all-section honors for the Titans. Junior Nick Perez was named to the all-section first team, while seniors Jordan Epps and Deron Nixon were named to the all-section second team. Epps led the team in scoring with 21.8 points per game.
“Nick was a big part of our success this year. He did a lot of the little things that don’t always show up in the box score. He’d get a ton of rebounds, lose balls, deflections and steals. He also scored the ball very efficiently. He definitely helped the team out and kept opposing teams honest as they tried to limit our two leading scorers (Epps and Nixon),” Sensor said.
