When Gateway boys' basketball coach Mitch Adams talks about the fact his team was "taking shots" all season, he isn't referring to mid-range jumpers, 3-pointers or free throws.

He's talking about the criticism he heard his team receiving. And Adams sees this past Saturday night's WPIAL Class AAAA championship game as a vindication of sorts for the Gators.

Even in a 57-51 defeat, Gateway acquitted itself well against a Mt. Lebanon team that has been ranked No. 1 all season in the WPIAL and holds high rakings in the state and nationally by some outlets.

"All year we were taking shots -- we don't play hard, we don't play defense, we don't do this or don't do that," Adams said. "But, hey, where were all these people Saturday night?

"Needless to say, they didn't come around. Our kids played fabulously offensively, and they played as hard as they could play defensively. When you hold a guy like Evan Pierce to zero points in the first half and a guy like Deion Turman to two points the entire game, we showed we could play a little defense out there."

Pierce will play at Division I Wagner and Turman is a 6-foot-8 center who is one of the WPIAL's better big men.

Adams said Pierce's second-half performance (21 points) came after Gateway senior Anthony Keel sustained a slightly sprained ankle late in the first half that rendered him largely ineffective in the second half. An athletic 6 feet 2, Keel had been assigned to guard Pierce and had clearly done his job in the first half.

"Evan Pierce is a great high school player," Adams said. "It didn't look like anything was different for him in the second half -- Anthony Keel is a super athlete who was shutting him down. Losing him [at 100 percent] was a big weapon out of our arsenal. He can guard anyone, from the quickest 5-7 guard up to 6-7 forwards, and Pierce is kind of both of those in one."

But as much as Adams is proud of the way his team performed under the bright lights and in front of the near-capacity crowd at the Palumbo Center Saturday, don't mistake that for being content in defeat.

The Gators were making their first title-game appearance in school history and carry a stellar 18-5 record into Saturday's first-round PIAA tournament game against Allderdice (tip is set for 4:30 at Peabody High School). But that doesn't, alone, ensure the season is a success in his eyes.

"Me and my staff and my kids, we don't look at it as a first," Adams said. "We knew at the beginning of the year we were capable of that. We had some highs and lows during the year and I told them to believe in themselves and believe in each other. We don't see it as Gateway's first trip to the championship game; we saw it as where we were supposed to be if we worked hard."

Adams pointed to his seniors (Keel, guard Craig Banks and forward Mike Kromka all play major minutes), crediting them for leading the way.

Banks said turning their attention to the PIAA tournament won't be all that difficult what with a state championship medal and the fact that a loss ends the seniors' high school careers both acting as strong motivation.

The Gators also are out to prove that they have the work ethic and determination to match their supreme talent level and size.

"We had heard [the team's critics]," Banks said. "We know we can and we do [work hard], and as well as we played [against Mt. Lebanon], I felt like we could have proved it a little better. We weren't as strong in the first half as in the second half.

"[But] we can definitely take pride in the fact Mt. Lebanon is a great team, in the top five in the state and 19th in the country. It felt good to be close, but couldn't pull it out and get the win.

"It was a great experience, especially for being the first time being there. It was a great atmosphere; there were a lot more people than I expected. I just wish we could have left the game pulling out the win."

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