Mustangs too much for Red Raiders, 82-60
Kelly Tunney | Herald-Standard
Laurel Highlands’ Hudson Novak goes up for a basket in the Mustangs’ 82-60 win over the Red Raiders on Saturday afternoon.
Kelly Tunney | Herald-Standard
Laurel Highlands’ Bryce Laskey (1) and Uniontown’s Anthony Brown (15) battle for possession during the first half of Saturday’s game at A.J. Everhart Memorial Gymnasium.
Laurel Highlands' Will Deichert (21) looks for a way past Uniontown's Kam Fitzgerald. The Mustangs beat the Red Raiders, 82-60.
Uniontown's Malaky Howard (22) ducks around Laurel Highlands' Junior Salauca (34) as the Mustangs beat the Red Raiders 82-60 on Saturday afternoon.
Laurel Highlands' Junior Salauca (34) goes to the basket, despite defensive effort from Uniontown's Trenton Uphold (1). The Mustangs beat the Red Raiders 82-60.
Uniontown's Malaky Howard (22) goes up for a basket in the Red Raiders' 82-60 loss to the Mustangs on Saturday afternoon.
Uniontown's Kam Fitzgerald leaps toward the basket, as Laurel Highlands' Junior Salauca (34) stands in his way. The Mustangs beat the Red Raiders, 82-60, on Saturday afternoon.
Playing in front of members of the school’s 2002 WPIAL championship team, the Uniontown boys basketball team held a 19-18 lead after the first quarter, but Laurel Highlands battled back for an 82-60 non-section victory over the Red Raiders on Saturday at A.J. Everhart Memorial Gymnasium.
The Mustangs won the first game of the season between the two schools, 65-51, on Dec. 27, and have won the last four meetings. Uniontown still holds a 63-44 lead after 107 meetings in the cross-town rivalry.
The Mustangs’ Bryce Laskey continued his strong season with 30 points on 11 field goals, including two 3-pointers, and was 6-of-6 at the foul line. Teammate Hudson Novak added 22 points on nine field goals, including two 3-pointers at a key point in the third, and was 2-of-2 at the line. LH shot 17-of-19 at the foul line.
“You have a guy with a game like Bryce (Laskey) did today, and that is pretty special all by itself,” Laurel Highlands coach Rick Hauger said. “Anytime you come down to Uniontown and leave with a ‘W,’ you are thankful for that. I thought we had a pretty good game overall.
“The kids usually don’t need any extra motivation in a game like this. I think we took advantage of what opportunities they gave us on the other end.”
The Mustangs (11-5) jumped out to a 10-2 lead that prompted Uniontown coach Rob Kezmarsky to take a timeout with 5:53 left in the first. Laskey made a 3-pointer during the run and Novak scored back-to-back baskets.
The Raiders (6-7) battled back with a run of their own, to take a 17-16 lead with 2:02 remaining in the first. Kam Fitzgerald was instrumental in the run with a 3-pointer and a layup off a steal. Fitzgerald led Uniontown in scoring with 17 points on four field goals, including two from behind the arc, and was 7-for-11 at the foul line.
“Kam comes off the bench but he plays just as much as a starter,” Kezmarsky said. “He gives us a spark. I thought he had an excellent game last night and he played well tonight.”
The Mustangs were able to hold the Raiders’ Lorenzo Oden to seven points, but Fitzgerald’s play drew praise from Hauger.
“I’ve seen that Kam’s (Fitzgerald) contributions have continued to go up as the season has gone along,” Hauger said. “He is very versatile on offense. He can hit the three and take it to the hoop.
“I thought our perimeter defenders in David Runco, Greg Lancaster and Will Deichert did a good job, and Elijah Guynn was pretty strong on the boards. He got in some foul trouble, but Junior Salauca did a nice job. It was a total team effort but you can’t overlook the impact that Bryce (Laskey) had in the game.”
Laurel Highlands came alive in the second, and outscored Uniontown, 23-11, to take a 41-30 lead into halftime. Laskey scored 13 points in the frame on six field goals, including one 3-pointers. Laskey scored 18 of his 30 in the first half.
The Red Raiders went on an 8-3 run to open the third and cut the deficit to 44-38, but Novak came through for his team with two 3-pointers for a 50-40 Laurel Highlands advantage.
“Hudson’s a very athletic player,” Hauger said. “He can score for you inside and out. Hudson hit two 3-pointers in a row that were huge in my mind.”
LH went on an 8-0 run to take a 58-40 lead. Laskey capped off the run with a dunk.
“We were able to extend it out a little bit after Hudson’s three,” Hauger said.
Novak’s play caught the eye of Kezmarsky.
“Hudson Novak is a very good player,” Kezmarsky said. “I feel like he was the difference in the game. He has had a great career against us and we wish him nothing but the best.”
The Mustangs took a 63-44 lead into the fourth.
Laurel Highlands outscored Uniontown, 19-16, in the fourth.
Runco scored 10 points on two field goals, including one 3-pointers, and was 5-of-7 at the foul line.
The Red Raiders haven’t had the strongest season by their account, but freshman Ray Robinson, whose father was a 1,000-point scorer at Uniontown under late head coach Dave Shuck, got into the game and made two 3-pointers.
“We have a young team and it is great to see a freshman come in and have success, but we want to get back into the playoff race and I really think we can,” Kezmarsky said. “Laurel Highlands is a very good team that is senior oriented and I like the effort our kids gave. We feel good moving forward.”
The Red Raiders return to Section 3-AAAA play on Tuesday when they travel to McGuffey (7-1, 14-2). The Highlanders edged the Raiders, 46-44, in the first meeting between the two on Dec. 23.
Laurel Highlands has a non-section game at Mount Pleasant (2-4, 3-11) on Wednesday before returning to Section 1-AAAAA play against Trinity (5-2, 9-7) on Friday at home. The Hillers defeated the Mustangs, 75-52, in their first meeting on Jan. 3. in a game that Hauger feels his team wasn’t at its best.
“Fortunately, we have until next Friday for that game,” Hauger said. “We want to make sure we get ourselves mentally, physically and strategically ready for the stretch run.
“We didn’t play well the first time, but maybe they had something to do with that. They dominated the boards. We have to be a lot more physical and tougher on the boards.”