Having a starter go scoreless isn’t usually a formula for offensive success, but it worked just fine for Beaver Falls in the opening round of the PIAA playoffs.

Tigers’ starter Cadee Akins didn’t score in the win simply because he didn’t have to – his teammates scored 92 in the 92-48 romp over Bald Eagle. It was Beaver Falls’ highest scoring game all year.

Beaver Falls, as it has all year, benefitted from balanced scoring in the win – three starters and two reserves scored in double figures. Drew Cook had 20, Elijah Cottrill 18, Zach Miller had 16 off the bench, and Micoy Mason scored 15 off the bench, and Dan Stratton had 12.

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Name: Drew Cook
High School: Beaver Falls
Grade: 12
Sport: Basketball

Last week: Cook and the Tigers did their best to turn the final rounds of the WPIAL Class AA playoffs into a coronation, beating Apollo-Ridge, 71-39, in the

semifinals before routing Burrell, 61-33, in the championship Saturday for their second consecutive WPIAL title. Against Burrell, Cook, a senior, made 8 of 13 shots

for a game-high 20 points.

Check this out: Cook was the second-leading scorer at 16 points per game and was an outside shooting threat for the top-ranked team in Class AA. The Tigers, who lost

in the PIAA championship last year to Imhotep Charter of Philadelphia, begin the PIAA playoffs with a first-round game against Bald Eagle Area Saturday at North Allegheny.

• What was the feeling like to be able to lift the championship trophy? It was amazing. There's nothing like it, especially during your senior year. It felt great.

• Was it very heavy? They've got a little weight to them.

• What makes you and Elijah Cottrill such a potent backcourt tandem? Elijah can score whenever. He's such a terrific athlete all around. We complement each other very

well.

• Your coach, Doug Biega, was in line for his 300th career win in the WPIAL title. Was that in the back of your minds? Yeah, it was. We've been through a lot and we

just wanted to give him his 300th win in the worst way.

• The way your team plays is a very fast, up-tempo style. Does that ever get tiring? We're about seven or eight [players] deep. It kind of takes its toll, but we run

like that every day in practice so we're used to it by now.

• What are some of the team's biggest advantages heading into the state playoffs? Probably that we've been there. Me and Elijah have that experience of playing in the

state championship.

• Who's your favorite NBA player? Kobe Bryant.

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Nick Tolomeo's feature on the Beaver Falls boys' basketball team:

"They won 28 games last season and a section title. This season the Beaver Falls boys basketball team already has 23 wins under its belt. Saturday it won its second

consecutive WPIAL Class AA championship.

But that hardly means this group of Tigers is satisfied. One could argue there may be no hungrier team left playing in the states.

The hunger has nothing to do with the 51 wins the team has piled up over the past two seasons, but rather one loss."

(Photo: Beaver Falls coach Doug Biega watches his team in the WPIAL Class AA basketball championship last Saturday. Pam Panchak/Post-Gazette.)

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