Highlands’ Korry Myers lifts a floater against Montour during the C.J. Betters RBA Holiday Classic Friday at Community College of Beaver County.
Class 4A power repels frequent rallies to grab win vs. formidable foe
One piece of advice holds true for anyone who happens to catch a Highlands boys basketball game this season — don’t blink.
The Rams’ show-stopping, one-two punch of Luke Cochran and Johnny Crise combine to form one of the WPIAL’s must-see attractions, and the star seniors didn’t waste their time Friday showing why.
Cochran got the scoring started with an early barrage of 3-pointers, and the high-flying Crise nearly brought the house down with a thunderous fastbreak dunk late in the first quarter to set the tone for the rest of the game. Montour (44) battled back and kept things close, but WPIAL Class 4A No. 1-ranked Highlands (7-1) pulled away late for a 65-57 win in the opening game of the 28th annual C.J. Betters RBA Holiday Classic tournament at Community College of Beaver County.
“[That game was] really intense,” Rams coach Tyler Stoczynksi said. “[I have] a lot of respect for Montour. We watched them on film. [We knew] they were going to be super physical and make us work for everything.
“The good thing is that our guys are ready to step up for any test that’s put in front of them.”
Cochran led all scorers with 21 points, while the 6-foot-6 Crise chipped in 17 in the win. Meanwhile, 6-4 senior James Eubanks led the way for the Spartans with 19 points.
After reaching the WPIAL semifinals and falling just short of an epic comeback against eventual WPIAL Class 4A champion New Castle, Highlands entered this season with heightened expectations. Those expectations have only grown as the Rams have won seven of their first eight games, with their only loss coming against Penn Hills, the WPIAL’s top-ranked Class 5A team.
Highlands will face defending WPIAL and PIAA Class 3A champion Lincoln Park at 8:30 p.m. Saturday in the final game of the tournament. Stoczynski believes competing in such a high-profile tournament and facing such quality teams early in the season will prove invaluable once the postseason arrives.
“They’ve been through it now,” Stocyznski said. “So they understand how intense it is and how you have to be locked in on every play.”
Cochran helped the Rams jump to a 70 lead by draining two 3-pointers, then he made it 3 for 3 from beyond the arc to stretch Highlands’ lead to 15-7. But Eubanks showed off an impressive shooting touch of his own, nailing backto-back shots from long range to make it 15-13.
Shortly after that, Crise came streaking down the court with the ball and took off from a few feet inside the right elbow. He seemed to levitate for a moment as he reached back in mid-air and threw down a ferocious slam dunk over an outstretched defender, sending a shock wave through the crowd and snatching away all the momentum for the Rams.
Crise wasn’t ready to call it the best dunk of his career, but it’s certainly in the discussion.
“It’s definitely top five,” Crise said. “I don’t get a lot of contact dunks, so, when I do, they’re pretty special.”
The teams continued to trade buckets in an action-packed first half as Highlands took a 31-28 lead into the break. Montour then made a concerted effort to stop Cochran from shooting 3s in the second half, and the Spartans briefly took their first lead of the game, 32-31, early in the third quarter.
That lead was short-lived, though, as Cochran began finding ways to get his teammates involved instead of firing up shots of his own.
Highlands put together a 12-3 run to take a 43-35 lead into the final quarter, and Montour never got back within five. Crise helped seal the win with some clutch shooting at the free-throw line, and the Rams held on for an exciting win.
“I can’t wait for this run we’re about to have this year,” Cochran said. “This is definitely a big year for us, and we just can’t wait. We’re just tenacious every time we step in the gym.”