Crise leads Highlands past Harbor Creek in 1st round of PIAA Class 4A playoffs

By: George Guido
Friday, March 6, 2020 | 10:39 PM

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Harbor Creek’s strategy is to keep the score low and pull out a close decision.

The plan worked for more than three quarters Friday night before WPIAL Class 4A champion Highlands pulled away late to earn a 50-40 victory in an PIAA first-round game at Kiski Area High School.

Leading just 42-38 after a steal and a drive by the Huskies’ Casey Smith with three minutes left, the Golden Rams outscored Harbor Creek, 8-2, the rest of the way.

Johnny Crise, a 6-foot-7 center, came up big for Highlands, scoring 23 points — 18 in the second half — to help the Golden Rams advance. Crise also pulled down 13 rebounds.

“We need the game in the 40-point range, even 50 is doable for us,” Huskies coach Ryan Smock said. “That’s where we needed it to have a chance. I thought the flow was choppy, so I guess in some way that was in our favor. We’re grinders, and they’re thoroughbreds.”

As Crise took over the game in the third quarter, Harbor Creek continued to grind away, tying the score twice and never letting Highlands get ahead by more than five points. Crise scored 13 of the Golden Rams’ 16 points in the third.

“That’s a big key in our game — get the ball in the middle,” Crise said. “I told our guys to play inside out, get the ball in my hands. I’m willing to pass it back out to our shooters, but I can also take a load off their shoulders.”

Highlands coach Tyler Stoczynski said: “We were trying to get the ball to Johnny the whole time. I think we had a little more spacing on our offense, and I thought he was a little calm when he caught the ball and made his good moves, not trying to be physical against anyone but trying to use his footwork.”

Highlands (23-3) will play Grove City in the second round Tuesday night at a site and time to be determined. Grove City defeated Bedford, 59-53, Friday night at Windber High School.

The Huskies, which had won 11 of their past 12 games going into Friday, finished their season at 17-9.

Harbor Creek had 24 turnovers, and Highlands had 19.

Perhaps the most costly Huskies turnover came with 3 seconds left in the first half when a basket by Sam Howell would have tied the score at 18-all, but it was waved off for a travelling call.

A steal and a basket by Jimmy Kunst gave Highlands a 23-18 lead two minutes into the third quarter. Crise scored the final 11 points for the Golden Rams in the quarter.

Howell guarded Korry Myers most of the night, holding the senior guard to four points over the first three quarters until Myers broke away for three fourth-quarter field goals to finish with 10 points.

“Sam, for a thin kid that he is, is a tough kid,” Smock said. “We put him on good players all year long and for a good chunk of tonight did a very good job.”

Stoczynski said: “We’re just relieved to be moving to the next round. It’s survive and advance. We don’t care how it happens.”

Highlands is 8-7 all-time in the PIAA playoffs.

Tags: Highlands