Boys basketball, week in review

Team of the Week
McGuffey
Since Montour made 16 three-pointers in a rout of McGuffey on Dec. 20, the Highlanders have not lost.
Last week, McGuffey - playing its best basketball in a decade – ran its win streak to five games with wins over Waynesburg and Washington. Suddenly, the Highlanders are a playoff contender in Section 5-AAA.
McGuffey (8-4, 3-2) caught a break at Waynesburg last Tuesday as the Raiders played without leading scorer Ty Negley (flu). The Highlanders escaped with a 49-46 win as Waynesburg attempt to force overtime with a last-second three-pointer rimmed out.
McG followed that emotional win with a 14-point victory over Washington. The Highlanders led early and never trailed after that.

Runner-up
Bentworth
With all five starters averaging double figures in points, Bentworth boasts one of the premier offenses in Class A. That balanced led to wins over Mapletown and, most importantly, Section 2-A rival Carmichaels last week.
Bentworth is 3-0 in section play and 10-1 overall. The Bearcats can solidify themselves as the section favorites with a win Tuesday at Avella.

Starting five
Jaisen Irwin, Monessen
Kyle Rose, McGuffey
Naz Victoria, California
Josh Wise, Washington
Joe Yamber, Avella
First sub
Jalen Madison, Monessen

Game of the Week
Avella 45, Carmichaels 44
Avella raced to a 13-2 lead at Carmichaels, a gym where most visitors leave reflecting on a loss during a long bus ride home.
Things looked good early for the Eagles, but the Mikes went on a second-quarter run and trailed just 19-18 at halftime.
The second half went back-and-forth before Avella scored the winning point on a Ray Bertovich free throw with 12 seconds remaining to stay unbeaten in section play.