Just enough shots for Budget

Photo for the Mirror by Chuck Meyers

Tyson Rehm (Barton’s) battles for a rebound with Tai Irwin (Budget Beverage).

By Matt Michelone

For the Mirror

For much of the Lakemont Park Summer League Division 5 title game on Wednesday night, the defenses carried the day because shots just weren’t falling.

The good news for Budget Beverage, though, is that they did end up with one player in double figures as John Berwager led all scorers with 13 points in the 38-26 triumph over Barton’s Plumbing & Heating.

“Missing Jarod (Brumbaugh) and Johnny Franco, they’re big losses offensively,” Berwager said. “We knew it was going to be an offensive struggle. You just keep going at it, get good shots in the right places with the right people. That’s all it takes. We hit the boards hard, and didn’t let them have a bunch of second chance shots.”

It was Val Mignona early helping out the winners. He scored nine points as he picked up the bonus opportunity to give Budget a 3-0 lead which held for much of the opening half.

Berwager drained a 3-pointer to help get some production about midway through the first half, but that was later answered by a Carter Cerully 3-pointer for Barton’s.

Cerully finished the night with seven points.

Derek Vaughn put away a bank shot in the closing seconds of the first half for Barton’s, but Berwager added his second 3-pointer at the buzzer to make it 19-13 Budget Beverage at the break.

“It was hard (to establish a rhythm),” Barton’s Tyson Rehm said. “They’re big people, and we just couldn’t make anything on the offensive side. It felt like our defense (played) really well. We were just there, and unfortunately we just came up short.”

Barton’s, meanwhile, did make things interesting in the second half, as Francis Gormish grabbed a putback for two of his five points, but from there, they couldn’t get closer than eight points.

“They outsized us, almost everybody on their team is bigger than some of our biggest guys,” Berwager said. “Hitting the boards hard and not giving them second chances was the difference in the game. (Matt) Mazzara, (Francis) Gormish, those guys are shooters.

“When they have an off night, it’s tough for them, but we took advantage.”

Budget’s Tom Smith came up with the takeaway for a layup, and from there it became, for the most part, a free-throw competition for his team.

Budget Beverage shot 14-for-22 from the free-throw line while Barton’s was 7-for-15.

“These guys, a lot of them have been playing 20, 30 years,” Berwager said. “Amazing what they can still come out and do at that age.”

BARTON’S PLUMBING & HEATING (26): Rehm 0 1-4 1, Bachman 0 0-0 0, Mazzara 1 5-8 6, Cerully 3 0-1 7, Gormish 2 0-0 5, Vaughn 3 1-2 7. Totals 9 7-15 26.

BUDGET BEVERAGE (38): Gehret 0 3-6 3, Irwin 1 3-4 5, S. Mignona 0 1-2 1, V. Mignona 4 1-2 9, Smith 2 3-4 7, Berwager 4 3-4 13, Fraundorfer 0 0-0 0. Totals: 11 14-22 38.

Halftime: Budget Beverage 19-13. 3-point field goals: Barton’s Plumbing & Heating 2 (Berwager 2), Budget Beverage 2 (Cerully, Gormish).

Officials: Jim Campbell, Jerry Kaufmann, Brett Dongell.