Mustangs’ comeback tops TJ
Laurel Highlands made four free throws with 5.9 seconds remaining to complete a furious comeback and hand Thomas Jefferson a 54-53 loss in the Section 4-AAA boys basketball opener for both teams Tuesday night at LH.
The game was moved up from Dec. 18 because the Jaguars are going to a tournament in Orlando, Fla., that weekend. It was the first and only section game in the WPIAL last night.
And what a game it turned out to be.
The first quarter looked like a rematch of the football game, as the Jaguars nailed four three-pointers en route to a 25-10 lead at the end of eight minutes.
Speaking of football, TJ just played a football game in the PIAA playoffs last Friday and many of their basketball players are also football players.
“I give TJ a lot of credit because it’s hard to turn off football and turn on basketball that quickly,” LH coach Rick Hauger said. “I was obviously disappointed in the way we played in the first quarter, but I was also proud of how our guys hung in there.”
The Mustangs chipped away at TJ’s lead little by little, TJ led, 36-22, at halftime and 45-38 leading into the fourth quarter. Aside from a 3-0 lead at the outset, LH didn’t lead again until the final margin.
And, yes, there was some controversy at the end, enough to keep Jaguars coach Dom DeCicco from commenting when it was over.
The Jaguars clung to a 53-50 lead and took a timeout after Jake Swartz was fouled for LH. Swartz rebounded a missed Bryce Laskey three-pointer.
Swartz made both and an official came out from under the basket with a fist in the air, indicating a foul had been called. Indeed, it was called on TJ’s Jake Giegerich for grabbing the pants of LH’s Chayton Burchick.
Burchick then sank both of his free throws to put LH ahead, 54-53. Hauger got a timeout called to set up his defense.
The ball went to TJ’s Tyler Thompson in the corner, but his shot was blocked by Hudson Novak as time expired and the Mustangs had escaped with a key section win.
“I knew there was a short amount of time left and I was playing help defense,” Novak said. “I saw him with the ball and I timed my jump right and was able to block it.”
“What an effort by both teams,” Hauger said. “I’m really proud of our players and coaches for how we hung in there.
“We had our highs and lows, that’s for sure. I guess this proves that there is nobody that can’t beat you in this section.”
The Jaguars got a team-high 13 points from guard C.J. Mason, who scored them all in the first quarter.
“After the first quarter, Bryce Laskey did an outstanding job on Mason,” Hauger said. “I know he didn’t score, but I don’t think he even got off a shot the rest of the game.”
LH got 14 from Swartz and 12 each from Laskey and Novak, while Burchick finished with nine.
Laurel Highlands travels to Steel Valley Friday, while TJ goes to Ringgold.