JOHNSTOWN — A day that began with a last-minute change in venue for the Cambria County Basketball Coaches’ Association Senior Showcase all-star games ended with a last-minute thrilling finish in the boys’ contest Sunday afternoon as Team Conemaugh took both ends of a double-header against Team Allegheny.

Due to a power outage at Greater Johnstown High School about 90 minutes prior to tip-off, the event was moved to Westmont Hilltop High School.

Despite the disruption, the action got underway on schedule with the Team Conemaugh girls all-stars controlling the action in the second quarter to open up a 14-point lead at the break and pull away for a 70-52 win.

The boys’ matchup was a high-scoring battle that remained in doubt until the final seconds. The intensity ramped up in the second half, and both squads were competing with regular-season ferocity in the decisive fourth quarter. Team Conemaugh clawed back from a late six-point Team Allegheny lead and came away with a 118-116 comeback victory.

A pair of Greater Johnstown teammates paced the Team Conemaugh girls. NaLonai Tisinger finished with a game-high 21 points and nine rebounds, while fellow Trojan Zayona Thomas added 13 points.

Three quick buckets by Tisinger helped Team Conemaugh open up an early 14-3 lead before Team Allegheny closed the first quarter on a 6-0 run to pull within 18-17 on a layup from Cambria Heights’ Kinley Rogal.

Northern Cambria’s Alyssa Yahner buried a 3-pointer to cut Team Allegheny’s deficit to 26-24 midway through the second period, but Team Conemaugh responded by reeling off seven straight points capped off by a steal and layup from Tisinger.

Sarah Miller of Bishop Carroll nailed a trey to make it 33-27, but Tisinger keyed another late surge for Team Conemaugh by scoring seven of her team’s next nine points. Tisinger then drilled a 3-pointer in the final seconds to put Team Conemaugh up 42-28 at the break.

“Playing with these girls before and being familiar with them, I felt really comfortable and was able to play like myself,” Tisinger said. “It was a really fun experience and a sweet way to end my high school career.”

Team Conemaugh effectively put the game out of reach with a 9-0 third-quarter run completed by two Thomas free throws that made it 51-31.

Three second-half treys by Bishop McCort’s Ava Zucco (10 points) helped Team Allegheny narrow the gap to 13 early in the fourth, but the contest would get no closer.

Team Conemaugh coach Carol Cecere of Forest Hills said “I like to see how girls who played so hard against each other for years utilize that energy to play so well together. We wanted them to have fun, that’s what it’s all about.”

Cecere praised the effort of those who helped pull off the last-minute venue change.

“Kudos to everyone at Westmont and Johnstown who helped us with the switch,” she said. “Kudos to all the people who helped us out, all the parents, and all the fans, because without them we couldn’t have this game.”

The boys’ matchup was a display of shooting prowess from long distance, as both squads each drained 18 3-pointers. Neither team was able to pull away from the other, as any offensive surge was quickly countered by an opposing run.

Team Conemaugh led 31-27 at the end of the first quarter, but after the teams traded baskets to open the second, Bishop Carroll’s Jace Casses hit consecutive layups to begin an 8-2 Team Conemaugh run. A breakaway dunk by Conemaugh Valley’s Eric Korhut then gave Team Conemaugh its biggest lead of the half at 52-42. Casses led all scorers with 26 points, while Korhut finished with a game-best 12 boards.

Team Allegheny trailed 61-54 at the break but Greater Johnstown teammates Amier Robinson, Tommy Ashcom, and Messiah Armstrong combined for 11 points during a 13-0 run that regained a six-point lead for their squad.

Robinson finished with a team-leading 16 points, while Ashcom contributed 14 for Team Allegheny.

“It felt good to share this moment one last time with my teammates that I came up with,” said Robinson.

A layup by Bishop McCort’s Angelo Gallucci gave Team Allegheny a 90-86 edge heading into the final quarter.

The teams went toe-to-toe in the final frame, with seven lead changes and two ties. After a Casses layup put Team Conemaugh up 105-104 with just under three minutes remaining, Team Allegheny answered with a go-ahead layup from Robinson followed by a trey from Westmont Hilltop’s Jack Wesner (14 points) and a bucket from Greater Johnstown’s Raheem Braswell (11 points and a team-high 6 assists) to open up a 111-105 lead at the 2:05 mark.

Koy McGough then lit it up for Team Conemaugh to help bring his squad back. The Forest Hills product subsequently drained three of his seven total 3-pointers (25 points) over the next minute, with the last one giving Team Conemaugh a 114-113 lead. Conemaugh Valley’s Jaylen Henry (19 points) followed with a putback for a 3-point Team Conemaugh advantage before Robinson buried a trey to knot things at 116 with less than a minute remaining.

That set the stage for what proved to be a game-winning layup by Henry with 11 seconds to play, and Team Allegheny was unable to answer at the buzzer.

GIRLS

Allegheny (52): Delauter 1 1-2 4, Zucco 3 1-2 10, Long 1 1-2 4, Bair 1 0-0 3, Yahner 1 0-0 3, Roman 0 0-0 0, Bailey 1 1-2 3, Kinter 3 0-0 7, Rogal 4 0-0 8, Miller 2 0-0 5, Bender 1 2-2 5. Totals 18 6-10 52.

Conemaugh (70): Thomas 4 2 13, Ronan 0 0 0, Maul 1 0 2, Anderson 1 0 2, Gdula 1 1 3, Myers 3 0 6, Bagby 1 1 4, Hardison 1 1 3, Myher 3 0 7, Tisinger 10 0 21, McCoy 3 0 7, Burkett 1 0 2. Totals 29 5-12 70.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Allegheny 17 11 11 13 – 52

Conemaugh 18 24 12 16 – 70

Three-point goals: Team Allegheny 10 (Delauter, Zucco 3, Long, Bair, Yahner, Kinter, Miller, Bender). Team Conemaugh 7 (Thomas 3, Bagby, Myher, Tisinger, McCoy).

BOYS

Allegheny (116): McCulty 2 0-0 5, Laughard 4 0-0 11, Lushko 5 0-0 12, Braswell 5 0-0 11, Ivory 1 0-0 2, Dressick 4 0-0 11, Gallucci 5 0-0 10, Robinson 7 0-0 16, Ashcom 6 0-0 14, Wesner 6 0-0 14, Armstrong 3 0-0 8, Hale 1 0-0 2. Totals 49 0-0 116.

Conemaugh (118): Casses 12 0-0 26, Lilly 0 0-0 0, Prave 4 2-2 11, McGough 8 2-2 25, Swope 4 0-0 11, Henry 8 0-0 19, Washington 2 0-0 4, Fox 2 0-0 5, Luko 4 0-0 9, Shutty 0 0-0 0, Korhut 4 0-0 8. Totals 48 4-4 118.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Allegheny 27 27 36 26 – 116

Conemaugh 31 30 25 32 – 118

Three-point goals: Team Allegheny 18 (McCulty, Laughard 3, Lushko 2, Braswell, Dressick 3, Robinson 2, Ashcom 2, Wesner 2, Armstrong 2). Team Conemaugh 18 (Casses 2, Prave, McGough 7, Swope 3, Henry 3, Fox, Luko.)