Every gym on every Tuesday and Friday night should be like Nazareth was on this night

FROM KEITH GROLLER

Liberty and Nazareth are talking about having girl-boy doubleheaders every year. Based on what we saw Friday night at Barry Boyer Court, that's a pretty good idea.

Some seats were available, but not many. This was a terrific crowd and a playoff atmosphere for the Liberty-Nazareth game and the kids responded with a hard-fought, intense game that rocked the place.

Tim Hinkel of the Express and I were both amazed at the atmosphere as we had to squeeze in behind the scorer's table. So were the coaches and the players who said it was a lot of fun.

"The crowd was awesome and we felt it on the court," said the Blue Eagles Bryce Higgs.

A lot of money was probably raised for the causes connected to the late Todd Rothrock and Derek Kehoe and that only added to a special night that had everyone, even losing coach Chad Landis, feeling good about it.

Ok, well "feeling good" may be too strong a phrase for Landis, who hoped his team would learn from it.

Nazareth was stronger and quicker than his team on this night and he knew it. Liberty was outplayed on the interior and didn't make enough outside shots.

But it's better to be losing games at the end of January than at the end of February.

Liberty will be back, but this night belonged to a Nazareth team that is clearly moving forward without center Karl Keglovits and ready to get on another late-season roll.

"We needed this," Higgs said, noting Nazareth just lost to Central Catholic on Tuesday. "Liberty's a great team and beating them, we should go on a run now."

Congrats to the Weave for again accurately picking a Nazareth win while me and a lot of others picked Liberty. Nice goin' Weave and great to see you at work at the front door.