Laurel Highlands clinches playoff spot
Deena Blanc scored her 1,000th career point during another sparkling performance as Laurel Highlands clinched a WPIAL playoff berth with a 95-65 victory over visiting Uniontown in Section 2-AAAA girls basketball action on Thursday night. Blanc rang up 22 points, six assists, five steals, five rebounds and a blocked shot in a tough battle that wasn’t nearly as lopsided as the score indicated.
Blanc had three of her assists and two points in a key 10-point run early in the fourth period that turned a precarious 62-56 lead into a comfortable 72-56 advantage.
Hallie Cupp continued her hot shooting by ripping the nets for a team-high 26 points to go along with five boards, four assists and three steals, and Lauren Mahoney drilled three 3-pointers in tallying 23 points for the Fillies (14-7, 9-3). Abby Martin chipped in with 14 points and four assists.
Diane Gmiter, the only Laurel Highlands starter held below double figures with six points, contributed a game-high 10 rebounds and dished out three assists.
“It was a total team effort,” said LH coach Rick Hauger, who has now guided the Fillies into the postseason in seven of the last eight years. “We played well tonight, but Uniontown played well also. They got down by 15 and found it within themselves to claw their way back into the game.
“Then our kids really picked it up. We were able to weather their storm.”
Laurel Highlands reeled of the game’s first nine points, including five by Cupp, before Uniontown finally got on the board with a basket by Jocelyn Chandler. Blanc then scored on a baseline drive with 4:14 left in the period to reach the prestigious scoring milestone.
“This was about as memorable as I could’ve possibly wanted with it coming against Uniontown in a game we won to clinch the playoffs,” said Blanc, who joins her sister, 1995 Laurel Highlands graduate Tara Blanc, in the school’s 1,000-point club. “I always looked up to all those 1,000-point girls, and now it’s a great feeling to know that I’m one of them.”
“Deena has meant so much to this program over the last four years,” Hauger said. “She brings a competitive spirit to the game that is unparalleled. She puts pressure on the opposing team on offense and defense. It’s been remarkable, the things she has brought to this program.”
The Fillies led 20-9 after a Mahoney 3-pointer before settling on a 20-13 lead after one period. Blanc scored six straight points to cap off an eight-point burst early in the second frame to give LH a commanding 30-15 lead.
Uniontown (11-10, 4-8) fought back, however, and closed the half with a 16-5 run that included seven consecutive points by Chandler, who wound up with a game-high 27 points and a game-high-tying 10 boards. The Lady Raiders’ Marissa Voytek scored on a pass from Sara Kovach with one second left to make it 35-31 at intermission.
Uniontown pulled within two twice early in the third period on baskets by Emily Fisher and Chandler, but Cupp and Martin countered each of those. Blanc picked up her fourth foul early in the quarter, though, and the Lady Raiders stayed within range, despite two, long 3-pointers by Mahoney and a three-point play by Cupp.
Chandler hit a trey late in the period to make it 54-49, but Cupp scored with 19 seconds left and Martin came up with a steal and lay-up while being fouled with one second left. She swished the free throw to give LH a 59-49 lead after three.
“Abby did a great job tonight, especially running the offense while Deena was out with foul trouble,” Hauger said. “And Hallie has had several games lately where she’s gone over 20 points. She’s doing a good job on the boards and finding the cracks in the zone to get her shots.”
Uniontown pulled within five on another 3-pointer by Chandler early in the fourth period, but Cupp answered with a trey of her own. Kovach hit a pair of free throws to whittle the gap to six, but the Fillies galloped away with their game-clinching 10-point run. Laurel Highlands then spread the floor and started picking up easy buckets to pull away with a 36-point final quarter.
“We just ran out of gas,” Uniontown coach Jason Winfrey said. “We fell behind, but then we got hot and got back into it. If we could’ve just tied it or got ahead once, maybe the momentum would’ve switched our way.
“But give them credit. They made their shots when they needed them. Mahoney hit a couple threes in the third quarter that just killed us. Our kids played hard and left it all out on the court. The score wasn’t any indication at all of how close this game really was.”
Fisher followed Chandler in the Lady Raider scoring column with 15 points, including three treys. Jill Monahan had eight points, six assists and three steals, and Kovach totaled seven points, four boards, two assists and two steals.