Mike Wisniewski said he was pulled from the game for taking an ill-advised shot in the second half.
No worries. No harm done.
The senior guard from Ligonier Valley more than made up for it by hitting the game-winning shot.
Wisniewski buried a pull-up jumper from the right wing to beat the buzzer in overtime and lift the Rams to a 43-41 victory over pesky Greensburg Central Catholic on Tuesday at the Greensburg Salem Holiday Classic.
“I felt like I was due,” said Wisniewski, who had an off shooting day but still managed a game-high 18 points. “If it was open, I was going to shoot it. The coaches sat me in the second half and gave me some words of encouragement.”
The Rams (4-6), who have played three overtime games this season, possessed the ball late in the fourth and for most of the overtime period, passing and cutting to wind the clock down for a final shot.
Junior Tyler Queer missed a 3-pointer in the final seconds of regulation.
“I voted for the shot clock,” Ligonier Valley coach Dante Porter said with a smile. “We like to play fast, up-and-down, so this was different for us to slow it down. We didn’t want to play that style, but it worked out.
“We would have played 30 overtimes and done the same thing if we had to.”
The painstaking patience paid off with the game on the line.
Wisnieski took a sideout inbounds pass from junior Noah Knupp just over the midcourt line, dribbled to his right, crossed the 3-point line and pulled up for the dagger.
“We went four down, one out,” Wisniewski said. “We just put that play in this week. It was one-on-one. It worked in practice because none of our guys can guard me.”
Michael Wisniewski hits the pull-up dagger to beat the buzzer in overtime for Ligonier Valley.
Rams edge GCC 43-41 in overtime. @LVSDAthletics@GCCHSAthletics@TribLiveHSSN#wpialhoopshttps://t.co/ovAnGfNVuzpic.twitter.com/H5Egw1B5Mh
— Bill Beckner (@BillBeckner) December 30, 2025
GCC (1-9) trailed 21-18 at the half but pulled even at 31-31 after three quarters, limiting the Rams to three field goals in the third.
Junior Luke Semelka, who led GCC with 12 points, hit a 3 to help the Centurions take a 25-23 lead early in the third.
Ligonier Valley negotiated some adversity late in the game.
Junior guard Michael Vargulish-Graver left briefly with an ankle injury, and senior 6-foot-4 center Simeon Pope exited with a shoulder injury and did not return.
Sophomore 6-7 forward Greyson Daugherty fouled out for the Rams with 3:40 left in the fourth, and reserve senior forward Cameron Kunkle left with an ankle injury.
“The ironic thing was that I challenged our backups to be better today,” Porter said. “We needed them to step up, and they did. (Senior) Jacob Petalino, (freshman) Anthony Petalino and (junior) Tyler Queer all stepped up.”
All the while, GCC was hanging around and forced overtime at 39-39.
“When shots didn’t go in, we focused on getting stops,” GCC first-year coach Tim O’Rourke said. “I am so proud of our guys. We talked about grit and togetherness. They fought until the end. They were right there.”
Semelka and senior 6-4 forward James Botti combined for 13 points in the second half and overtime.
Botti finished with 10.
Knupp also had a basket in overtime, and freshman Tommy Dlugos made two free throws in the extra time for the Centurions.
Freshman 6-4 swingman Carson Kramer scored eight for GCC.
The Rams snapped a three-game losing streak.
“I like the way we’re playing,” O’Rourke said. “Whether we won by one possession or lost by one possession, we’d still be in the same place. Our trajectory is still going up.”