Drew Swanson and the Warren Dragons battle Harbor Creek in tonight's D-10 Class 4A consolation game, with the winner advancing to the PIAA playoffs.

It was a tough game in the District 10 Class 4A semifinals for the Warren Dragons against Hickory, the No. 3 team in Pennsylvania.

Be that as it may, the final score perhaps wasn’t indicative of the competitiveness of the game. The Dragons (15-9) didn’t turn the ball over and got the shots they wanted, they just didn’t fall.

Now they will see a familiar opponent with a shot at the state playoffs on the line.

The Harbor Creek Huskies (16-8), who had their 10-game winning streak snapped in dramatic fashion by Grove City in the other D-10 semifinal, meet the Dragons (6 p.m. tonight, Hagerty Family Events Center), with the winner advancing to face the WPIAL champion in the first round of the state playoffs. The loser’s season will end.

“It’s a familiar opponent, one we know well,” Warren coach Jeff Berdine said following the loss to Hickory. “We want to wash the taste out of our mouths from this game. We know we can compete.”

Compete these two teams did, in what was an ultra-competitive Region 6 this season. Each team won over the other on their respective home floors – a 42-36 Warren win on Jan. 3 and a 53-32 Huskies victory on Jan. 28.

Harbor Creek, by virtue of their second-half sweep through the region schedule, was the Region 6 champion. They were mere seconds away from a berth in the final before Luke Hostetler drilled a 3 to lift the Eagles to a 39-37 victory.

The Dragons, meanwhile, saw a close game in the second quarter slip away from them in the second half against a talented Hornets squad.

Tom Bablak had a strong game for the Dragons with 13 points, and both he and Ben Berdine will have to play well against a Harbor Creek team that features plenty of size.

The Huskies don’t have a player that averages in double figures, but have a very balanced attack that is led by size in the frontcourt in the form of 6-4 Cody Smith and 6-2 Sam Howell (9.2 ppg.)

Avery Ennis (9.2 ppg.), Casey Smith (6.8 ppg.), Scott Stanyard (5.6 ppg.) and Ryan Whitman (5.3 ppg.) are all capable guards as well.

With inclement weather in the area, the game was still on as scheduled as of press time Thursday night.