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By Matt Michelone
For the Mirror
HOLLIDAYSBURG -- Starting over was something Hollidaysburg boys basketball coach Brad Lear knew the Golden Tigers were going to have to do this season.
They lost every starter from last year's team that made it to the District 4-6 Class 5A championship and returned only three letterman from that squad.
During the first two games, though, they're showing early signs of coming together as on Friday night in a back-and-forth affair, they pulled away in the fourth for the 65-54 win over Chestnut Ridge in Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference action at home.
"We needed a game like that," Lear said. "They've already played three; that's their fourth game. We knew they were going to be a little more experienced. (Isaiah) Crocker, he's just a beast on the inside and made a couple of 3s. Defensively our focus was stopping (Justin) Whysong, and I think we held him to single digit shot attempts."
The triumph by the Tigers snapped Ridge's three-game winning streak.
After taking a seven-point lead into the break, the Golden Tigers let the lead slip in the third. The Lions went on a 9-2 run to start the half. Those efforts were powered by six points from Caden Hinson, including one on a floater and a putback to give Chestnut Ridge a 43-40 lead.
Crocker led Ridge with 14 points.
But in the closing seconds, Hollidaysburg erased that deficit as Brady Steiner knocked down a 3 on his way to scoring 19 points. That tied the game at 45 going into the final frame.
"Me, Brady and Jay (Albarano) try to be as much of a leader as we can," the Tigers' Kasen Metzger said of the challenge the three returning lettermen face. "Practices, games, whatever it is, try to lead our team, get them caught up with what we're doing. We have a lot of new kids here. We got to keep them on the same page."
The Tigers started to pull away in the fourrth as Albarano came up with a steal and a layup. That was later followed up by a finger roll from Gavin Bell to go up 50-48.
Metzger and Steiner took over from there. Metzger put away a runner with just under four minutes to play, and Steiner knocked down a 3 before the Tigers put the game away at the free throw line.
Metzger led all scorers with 25 points.
"We knew Brady and Kasen could both score, and Tuesday night it was Brady who lit it up," Lear said. "Kasen would've had 30 if he didn't have two fouls (in the second quarter). He came out and was really aggressive offensively."
Hollidaysburg's youth will be tested again on Monday this time in a rivalry game as it makes the quick trip to the Altoona Fieldhouse to meet the Mountain Lions for the first time this season.
CHESTNUT RIDGE (54): Whysong 2 1-2 6, Claycomb 4 0-2 9, Nicodemus 4 0-0 8, Crocker 4 5-5 14, Hinson 5 2-2 12, Dull 2 0-0 5, Weaver 0 0-0 0. Totals: 21 8-11 54.
HOLLIDAYSBURG (65): Wolfe 0 1-2 1, Delerme 2 3-4 7, Steiner 5 6-6 19, Metzger 10 3-4 25, Zimmerman 1 0-0 2, J. Albarano 2 2-2 6, Bell 1 0-0 2, V. Albarano 1 1-1 3. Totals: 22 16-19 65.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Chesnut Ridge 14 13 18 9 - 54
Hollidaysburg 19 15 11 20 - 65
3-point field goals: Chestnut Ridge 4 (Whysong, Claycomb, Crocker, Dull), Hollidaysburg 5 (Steiner 3, Metzger 2)
Records: Chestnut Ridge (3-1, 1-1 LHAC), Hollidaysburg (2-0, 2-0 LHAC).
Officials: Mike Baum, Justin Fischer, Shawn Sinclair
JV: Hollidaysburg, 66-48. High scorers: Marcus Weaver, CR 14; Vince Albarano, H, 21.