HOLLIDAYSBURG - The Hollidaysburg-Central Mountain game featured one guard averaging more than 20 points per game. It wasn't Hollidaysburg's Dylan Walters, but he showed he's plenty capable.
The senior guard got to the rim repeatedly Monday on his way to a game-high 20 points as the Golden Tigers topped Central Mountain, 54-40, to even their record at 8-8.
"Dylan's very crafty. He's got a very quick first step, and he finishes well," Hollidaysburg coach Mick Pentoney said. "I'm real proud of the the improvement he's shown this year."
Walters was also the point man in shutting down Central Mountain's Cole Renninger, who entered the game averaging 21.1 points per contest. Renninger scored no points in the first half and finished with just eight.
"Dylan was the one with his nose on the ball, but it was real team effort keeping him from driving the lane," Pentoney said.
Zach Ottaway turned in a big game for Hollidaysburg as well, dominating the paint for 16 points and 15 rebounds. The 6-foot-5 forward was only in the starting lineup because Nathan Figart, Dan Nagle and Jarrett Shannon did not play.
"Zach Ottaway broke out of his shell this game. He rebounded the ball on all sides of the rim. He was going all over the place to get the ball," Pentoney said. "We really scrambled to put this lineup together. Ian Ford's probably the smallest the four-man you'll find on a Quad-A team, but he did a great job. Jordan Baum played out of position as well and did a great job too."
It didn't take long for the makeshift lineup to gel. Hollidaysburg jumped out to a 10-0 lead and by early in the second quarter, held a 20-4 advantage.
Walters got the Golden Tigers rolling with a pair of free throws to open the game, a fastbreak layup after dribbling behind his back to get by a defender and a driving layup through the Wildcats defense.
"That was the game plan. Get to the basket or get to the foul line," Walters said. "We ran our set plays well. It's easier to score when you wait for the plays to develop."
Walters started the second quarter with a steal that he turned into a layup then assisted on Dom Viduya's fast break layup. He followed that with banked short pull-up jump shot off the backboard after driving the lane yet again.
Ottaway's tip in capped the early run.
"To get out of the gate the way we did was nice to see. We haven't done that much this year," Pentoney said.
Central Mountain trimmed the Hollidaysburg lead to six at one point in the third quarter, but that was as close the Wildcats would get.
CM had a chance to get within six once again in the fourth quarter after three consecutive Hollidaysburg turnovers, but Baum thwarted the Wildcats' momentum with a steal and an easy layup that put the Golden Tigers back up by 10.
CENTRAL MOUNTAIN (40): Blazina 0 0-0 0, Walker 6 0-0 12, Allen 4 0-0 2, Renninger 4 0-0 8, Fisher 4 1-1 9, Dicello 2 0-0 6, Everhart 1 0-0 3, Turchetta 0 0-0 0, Walker 0 0-0 0. Totals - 18 1-1 40.
HOLLIDAYSBURG (54): Walters 8 4-7 20, Urban 0 0-1 0, Baum 3 0-0 6, Ford 2 0-0 4, Ottaway 6 4-4 16, Viduya 2 1-2 6, Goss 0 0-0 0, E. Miller 0 0-0 0, Springer 0 0-0 0, R. Miller 0 0-0 0. Totals - 21 11-16 54.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Central Mountain2 12 13 13 - 40
Hollidaysburg12 11 16 15 - 54
3-point goals: Central Mountain 3 (Dicello 2, Everhart); Hollidaysburg 1 (Viduya).
Records: Central Mountain (10-6); Hollidaysburg (8-8).
Officials: Ray Wotkowski, Darrell Jones, Bill Correll.
JV: Hollidaysburg, 41-31. High scorers-Everhart, CM, 14; E. Miller, H, 15.
