 felt a weight lifted off their shoulders this Friday after battling for a section win, the final win of the regular season…){kind=link}
“It feels amazing to get inside and finish the ball well tonight. That’s always a good feeling, especially on senior night with a packed crowd and the whole family here,” said senior Brayden Stone, who led the Warriors with 22 points.
In the Warriors’ 74-67 victory over the Laurel Highlands Mustangs (5-16, 2-12), the five P-T seniors, Stone, Tyler Anthony, Evan Gross, Derek Carr and Jack Weishaar, all started and scored.
P-T was outscored 20-16 in the first quarter, largely due to Mustang’s Antwan Black scoring 11 points in the first.
Black scored 39 points throughout the night, relying on a mix of pull-up jumpers and three-pointers.
The Warriors rallied back in the second quarter after Gross’s “and 1” brought their lead to 26-25. Stone also knocked down his four free throws, increasing P-T’s lead to 35-30 over the Mustangs.
“It fuels me… knowing my family is here supporting me. It feels like I have to play for something,” Stone said.
P-T carried their growing momentum into the third, where they led by 17.
Laurel Highlands came within a four-point margin in the fourth, but fouling trouble allowed the Warriors to maintain their lead. P-T junior Tyler Boss sunk five free throws in the fourth quarter, and a technical foul on the Mustangs grew the gap.
During the fourth quarter, the Warriors took a total of 16 free throws. After making nine of them, P-T claimed their 74-67 win.
“Getting a section win is always going to boost our team and give us more confidence into the next game, especially playoffs,” Stone said.
The Warriors have already locked in a spot for WPIAL playoffs, placing fourth in Section 1-5A.
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