Owen Congdon’s clutch free throws hands Seneca Valley boys basketball key section win vs Fox Chapel
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Seneca Valley players Jaxon Householder (2), Luke West (21), and Owen Congdon (0) celebrate after defeating Fox Chapel 37-35 in a boys basketball game on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley’s Ryan Priester (23) and Fox Chapel’s Anderson Dockey (10) take it to the floor as they battle over possession of the ball in a boys basketball game on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley’s Owen Congdon (0) tries to find an opening to shoot through Fox Chapel’s defensive players Caden Kaiser (22) and Grant Fenton (31) in a boys basketball game on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley defeated Fox Chapel 37-35 in a boys basketball game on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley defeated Fox Chapel 37-35 in a boys basketball game on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley defeated Fox Chapel 37-35 in a boys basketball game on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley defeated Fox Chapel 37-35 in a boys basketball game on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley’s Ryan Priester (23) and Fox Chapel’s Anderson Dockey (10) take it to the floor as they battle over possession of the ball in a boys basketball game on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley defeated Fox Chapel 37-35 in a boys basketball game on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley defeated Fox Chapel 37-35 in a boys basketball game on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley defeated Fox Chapel 37-35 in a boys basketball game on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley defeated Fox Chapel 37-35 in a boys basketball game on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley defeated Fox Chapel 37-35 in a boys basketball game on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley defeated Fox Chapel 37-35 in a boys basketball game on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley defeated Fox Chapel 37-35 in a boys basketball game on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley defeated Fox Chapel 37-35 in a boys basketball game on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley defeated Fox Chapel 37-35 in a boys basketball game on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley defeated Fox Chapel 37-35 in a boys basketball game on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley defeated Fox Chapel 37-35 in a boys basketball game on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley defeated Fox Chapel 37-35 in a boys basketball game on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley defeated Fox Chapel 37-35 in a boys basketball game on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley defeated Fox Chapel 37-35 in a boys basketball game on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley defeated Fox Chapel 37-35 in a boys basketball game on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley defeated Fox Chapel 37-35 in a boys basketball game on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley defeated Fox Chapel 37-35 in a boys basketball game on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley defeated Fox Chapel 37-35 in a boys basketball game on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley defeated Fox Chapel 37-35 in a boys basketball game on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley defeated Fox Chapel 37-35 in a boys basketball game on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley defeated Fox Chapel 37-35 in a boys basketball game on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley defeated Fox Chapel 37-35 in a boys basketball game on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley’s Owen Congdon (0) tries to find an opening to shoot through Fox Chapel’s defense players Caden Kaiser (22) and Grant Fenton (31) in a boys basketball game on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley defeated Fox Chapel 37-35 in a boys basketball game on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley defeated Fox Chapel 37-35 in a boys basketball game on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley defeated Fox Chapel 37-35 in a boys basketball game on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley defeated Fox Chapel 37-35 in a boys basketball game on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley players Jaxon Householder (2), Luke West (21), and Owen Congdon (0) celebrate after defeating Fox Chapel 37-35 in a boys basketball game on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
JACKSON TWP — Since getting its starting five together on the court, Seneca Valley’s boys basketball team has garnered much attention for consistent balanced scoring.
But the defense has also been stingy, and it turned in a clutch play when it was needed most Friday.
Tied with Fox Chapel at 35 with time winding down in the fourth quarter, SV’s Andrew Omasits came up with a steal inside midcourt and got the ball to Owen Congdon, who was fouled in his attempt to put the Raiders ahead.
He drained both free throws with just 3.6 seconds remaining, and the Foxes were unable to get a shot off before time expired in SV’s 37-35 victory at Seneca Valley High School.
Congdon had missed a pair of free throws earlier in the period with the Raiders clinging to a 32-30 edge with just over six minutes left.
“I was definitely thinking about those misses when I stepped to the line at the end of the game,” Congdon said. “But this is what I’ve worked for, moments like that. I knew I could make them.”
Omasits’ ability on defense has been a big part in SV (10-6, 7-1) allowing no more than 55 points during its current nine-game winning streak.
“He’s quick and is good at pressuring the ball,” SV coach Kevin Trost said. “We had a foul to give, so we could be aggressive.
“Defense is the foundation of our program. We tell the guys that if we can play well defensively and make our free throws, we’ll be in every game. If we’re hitting shots, we are very tough to beat.”
That last part was a challenge for the Raiders against the Foxes (11-4, 6-2). After hitting four of their first five attempts from the field to take an early 10-3 lead, the Raiders were just 8 of 26 the rest of the game.
Jaxon Householder paced SV with nine points, but Fox Chapel found the going just as frustrating at the other end.
The Foxes were 14 of 35, including just two makes on 15 attempts from 3-point range. They committed just 11 turnovers, but several came at clutch moments.
“Teams have been making us pay when we do turn the ball over,” Fox Chapel coach Zach Skrinjar said. “We had an opportunity to win the game late, but it just didn’t happen for us.”
SV led for almost the entire game, including 22-16 at halftime and 32-26 after three quarters.
The Foxes grabbed their first lead with Caden Kaiser’s putback, 34-32 with 4:28 left. Moments later, a free throw from John Rehak gave the visitors a 35-34 edge.
Householder tied the game at the line with 2:20 on the clock.
In a low-scoring game, Ryan Priester’s eight points off the bench for the Raiders were vital. He drained a pair of treys in the first half.
“Fox Chapel is so good defensively,” Trost said. “They like to play grind-it-out games and we usually struggle with that, but we’re playing with confidence.”
Kaiser led all scorers with 13 points.
The Raiders, who are in first place in the WPIAL Section 1-6A standings, host North Allegheny on Tuesday.
FOX CHAPEL
John Rehak 3 1-4 8, Asher White 1 0-0 3, Caden Kaiser 6 1-3 13, Joey McGivney 2 0-0 4, Anderson Dockey 1 1-2 3, Ike Moser 1 2-2 4, Grant Fenton 0 0-0 0. Totals: 14 5-11 35.
SENECA VALLEY
Owen Congdon 1 2-4 5, Jaxon Householder 4 1-2 9, Andrew Omasits 1 5-6 7, Tyler Pepin 2 0-0 5, Nico Santapau 1 0-0 3, Ryan Priester 3 0-0 8, Luke West 0 0-0 0. Totals: 12 8-12 37.
Fox Chapel 10 6 10 9 — 35
Seneca Valley 14 8 10 5 — 37
3-point goals: Fox Chapel 2 (Rehak, White); Seneca Valley 5 (Priester 2, Santapau, Pepin, Congdon).
Tuesday: North Allegheny at Seneca Valley
