The Highlands boys basketball team did its part against Valley on Friday in hopes of securing a WPIAL playoff spot from Section 1-4A.
The Golden Rams found themselves in a dogfight against the Vikings but were able to make the plays down the stretch and pull away for a 62-44 victory.
“We faced adversity for much of the game, but we just stuck together and were able to get the job done,” Highlands senior guard Ty Hall said.
Highlands then needed some help from North Catholic in the form of a victory over Deer Lakes.
The Golden Rams waited nearly 40 minutes after its win to see if that help would come.
And it did.
North Catholic rallied late to top Deer Lakes, 81-77, and Highlands had the postseason berth it coveted. The Golden Rams defeated Freeport on Tuesday, Deer Lakes on Wednesday and Valley on Friday to finish 5-7 in the section. The Lancers’ loss also put them at 5-7.
Highlands and Deer Lakes finished tied for fourth in the section behind North Catholic, Knoch and Burrell. Because the Golden Rams and Lancers split their season series, both teams earn playoff berths.
“The guys felt a little pressure because of what was on the line, but they came out and finished the job,” Highlands coach Michael Foster said.
The Golden Rams now await their playoff fate as the WPIAL is set to release the brackets Monday.
“After we lost to Burrell (42-39 on Jan. 16), we put the path to the playoffs up on the board,” Foster said. “We thought 5-7 gave us a shot. We came into the week knowing that we only had 96 minutes of basketball left to get to the playoffs. Tonight, they were down to their final 32 with a chance to get it done. I am very proud of these guys.”
Valley (2-18, 0-12) hoped to play spoiler on senior night as Dae’Lyn Moore, Jaden Wall and Javon Norman were recognized before the game.
The Vikings committed 15 turnovers in the first half and trailed by as much as 12 at 25-13 with 3:24 left until halftime, but they rallied to close the half on an 11-2 run.
A layup from freshman Kane Wilson with 1:54 left in the third quarter gave Valley a 39-38 lead.
“It’s Highlands-Valley. That is all that you have to say,” Foster said.
“The result of the first game (83-53 Highlands) didn’t necessarily mean that it was going to be that way this time, and it certainly wasn’t. We told the boys when we got on the bus that we were going to have to be ready to play because (Valley) is well coached, and they are going to come out and play as hard as possible.”
Highlands responded after the Vikings took the third-quarter lead. The Golden Rams used an 11-3 run, including scoring the final six points of the quarter to take a 44-39 lead into the fourth.
Carmine Lacava scored six points in the fourth, Hall added a bucket and two free throws, and Troy Bielak, Preston Foster, Brayden Spearing and Christian Pearson each recorded field goals as Highlands outscored Valley, 18-4, over the final eight minutes to salt the game away.
“The guys simply realized that if they do not execute, they were done,” coach Foster said. “We were able to move the basketball, we were able to finish a lot better than earlier in the game and we were getting more rebounds. We switched defenses, and that started to give (Valley) a little bit of trouble. As soon as we would get a stop, the guys fed off of that.”
Hall finished with a team-best 15 points, and Lacava and Bielak each added 13. Preston Foster and Spearing finished with eight and seven points, respectively.
Valley coach Eric Kostyk said he was proud of the way his players came out and battled and took Highland to the limit on several occasions. The Vikings gave Burrell all it could handle Tuesday before the Bucs scored a 55-41 win to clinch their spot in the playoffs.
“We showed up, and we showed out,” Kostyk said.
“These kids knew it was another opportunity to do something we haven’t done in a long time. We fumbled an opportunity on Tuesday to knock our rival, Burrell, out of the playoffs. We let them sneak in with a barrage at the end of the game. Tonight, the turnovers (23 total) bit us. Highlands goes on a run, and by then, it was too late to try to come back.
“We had a very young team coming into the season, but the core of our group and our talent are sophomores and lower. We’ve taken steps already. We lost to Highlands by 30 the first time around. We’re taking steps, but we’re still learning how to win.”