Highlands boys make good on third shot at Hampton, advance to semifinals

By: Michael Love
Thursday, February 23, 2023 | 10:12 PM

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The third time was the charm for the Highlands boys basketball team.

After a pair of losses to rival Hampton in section play, the Golden Rams had payback on their plate Thursday in a WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinal game at a packed North Allegheny High School.

Three Highlands players led the way in double figures, and the Golden Rams moved on to the semifinals with a 58-41 victory.

“Every little thing matters in a game like this and at this point in the playoffs,” said Golden Rams junior guard Cam Reigard who led Highlands with 14 points to go along with five rebounds. “We put in the effort in practice every day working to get better. We have each other’s backs, for sure. Working together and playing as a team, good things happen like they did tonight.

“It was sweet to be able to beat (Hampton) in the game that mattered most.”

Senior Jimmy Kunst and junior Bradyn Foster added 13 points each. Junior Jordyn Tavares and senior Chandler Thimons chipped in seven and six points, respectively.

Senior Landan Signorella came off the bench to contribute five points and pull down eight rebounds.

“We knew it was going to take a team effort to get it done,” Highlands coach Corey Dotchin said. “Even though they didn’t have (6-foot-4 junior guard Peter) Kramer, a starter, they are still an experienced, well-coached team. We knew coming in that it was going to be a battle from start to finish. Our guys responded and made a nice run in the third quarter. We did it together, and that is something we constantly preach.”

Highlands improved to 21-3 and will face No. 1 Lincoln Park on Monday at a site and time to be determined. The Golden Rams are in at least the semifinals for the fifth time in the past six seasons.

“That speaks to the program and the consistency we continue to have,” Dotchin said. “That comes from the kids who continue to put in the work. It’s good that we’re moving on, but the job’s not done.”

Lincoln Park topped South Allegheny, 50-40, on Thursday.

“Lincoln Park is super talented,” Dotchin said. “When you have the No. 7 sophomore in the nation and a junior who is going to Pitt, they’ve been down this road. We’ll have our hands full. We’ll look at film and see what we can do. We’ll be ready to go come Monday.”

Hampton (21-3) is not done as it will move into a PIAA play-in bracket that will determine the fifth-, sixth- and seventh-place berths from the WPIAL to states. The Talbots will host South Allegheny on Saturday in a consolation semifinal game at a time to be determined.

“The fortunate thing for the situation we’re in now is that we have such a quick turnaround, and that doesn’t always happen in a regular basketball season,” Hampton head coach Joe Lafko said. “It’s almost like an AAU mentality where you get to the next day, and the next game is right there.

“We didn’t play our best, but you have to give Highlands credit. We did some things that where uncharacteristic of what we did all season. We had been able to establish an interior game and dominate the post in a lot of games. But we missed some opportunities when we did get it in to the post and also by not getting it in. Highlands is a good physical team, and you have to be at your best to beat them, and we weren’t at our best tonight.”

Kramer, who scored 37 and 13 points in Hampton’s wins over Highlands in the regular season, is out for the postseason after being ruled in eligible by the WPIAL after transferring from Shady Side Academy last summer.

Highlands led by as much as 15 — 37-22 — with 3 minutes, 37 seconds left in the third quarter.

Hampton trimmed the deficit to 10 late in the quarter, but the Golden Rams offense and defense combined to help them pull away in the fourth.

Highlands led 41-29 heading into the fourth and used a 9-0 run to start the quarter to extend out to 50-29 lead with 5:23 to play.

Reigard scored seven of his 14 in the final stanza.

Senior Brennan Murray led Hampton with 15 points, nine of which came in the fourth. Fellow Talbots senior Eric Weeks added 14 points, but only four of the 14 came after a big first quarter.

The teams played even through the first quarter as they ended the opening eight minutes tied at 15.

Junior Robert Coll converted a layup with about five minutes to play until halftime as Hampton trimmed a small Highlands advantage to one at 20-19.

Those were the final points that Hampton would score in the half as the Golden Rams defense made life tough for the Talbots over that stretch.

Highlands, in turn, only scored five points over the final five minutes of the half. Kunst and Signorella converted layups, and Signorella added a point from the foul line.

Hampton’s point drought from the second quarter extended three minutes into the second half. Thimons (jumper) and Tavarez (3-pointer) converted field goals early in the third before Hampton scored again on a free throw from Murray at the 5:03 mark.

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Hampton, Highlands