3 players score in double digits as Highlands girls hold off Freeport for 3rd straight win

By: Michael Love
Thursday, January 5, 2023 | 9:59 PM

The Highlands girls basketball team went three for three Thursday in a Section 1-4A matchup at Freeport.

Three players scored in double figures as the Golden Rams won their third game in a row with a 55-44 victory over the Yellowjackets at Freeport Middle School.

“We just had to execute our gameplan and know what the mismatches were,” said junior Shelby Wojcik, who led all scorers with 20 points. “It was important that we got the rebounds, played good defense, knew who was open and shared the ball. It was a nice team win.”

Highlands also got 14 points from senior Ava Nitowski and 10 from junior Kate Myers to improve to 6-4 overall and 2-1 in section play.

Highlands led by as many as 11, 46-35, with 5 minutes, 22 seconds left in the fourth quarter. But Freeport scrapped its way back into contention. A 7-0 run on a jumper from junior Morgan Croney and a 3-pointer and a layup from senior Melaina DeZort sliced the Golden Rams’ advantage to four with 3:42 to go.

Freeport (4-9, 1-3) also had three players finish in double figures. Croney led the way with 15, DeZort scored 14 and junior Brooke Kmetz added 13 to go with 11 rebounds.

As soon as the Yellowjackets whittled it to a two-possession game, Highlands pulled away.

The Golden Rams finished with a 9-2 run and were 5 of 6 from the free-throw line over the final 1:18.

Wojcik scored six of her 20 in the fourth and was 4 of 4 from the free-throw line.

“We were mentally tough tonight, and we got stops when we needed to,” said assistant coach Joe Discello, who stood in Thursday as head coach Shawn Benni served the first game of a two-game suspension. “They did get a couple of runs on us, but we fought right back.

“I am very proud of the girls. Anytime you get a road win in the section, it’s a big one, especially against a rival. That’s three in a row, and things are starting to click for us. We’re excited, and we just have to keep it going.”

Highlands returns to action Monday at home against section foe Derry before hitting the road for a section matchup next Thursday at Greensburg Salem.

Freeport suffered its fourth loss in a row.

The Yellowjackets were dealt a blow with 2:46 left in the first quarter when senior guard Ava Soilis went down with a knee injury while battling for a rebound. She was down for several minutes before being carried off the court. She didn’t return to the game.

Coach Fred Soilis after the game said that Ava will have the knee evaluated further. He was unable to elaborate beyond that.

“The girls battled again. They give it their all,” coach Soilis said. “We’re thin on the bench as it is, and the girls were pretty tired in the fourth quarter because they are giving everything they’ve got. I am proud of that effort even though we came up short. They are playing pretty good defense, but there are just a few things we have to fix. They got a number of transition points on us in the first half, and the pick-and-roll hurt us in the second half.

“Highlands has some athletes, but I knew it was going to be a battle. I knew we could play with them. When they got the lead, it was difficult to come back.”

The game was back and forth in the early going. The teams were tied at 12 after the first quarter.

Highlands went on a 6-0 run late in the second quarter on buckets from Nitowski, Wojcik and Myers to open a 29-22 lead.

The Golden Rams hoped to extend the advantage, but Croney would have none of it and made a 3-pointer and added two free throws in the final minute of the half to draw Freeport within29-27 at the break.

Croney scored 10 of her 15 points in the second quarter.

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: Freeport, Highlands