Trailing 51-37 with 3:26 to play, Warren rallied to close the gap to 53-51 with 13 seconds left, but Harbor Creek’s Jenna Babay sunk a pair of free throws to secure a 55-51 Region 6 road victory for the Huskies Thursday. Babay scored all six of her fourth quarter points from the free throw line.

“This was a playoff game,” Warren coach Lisa LaVan said. “This was a good tune-up for the playoffs (and) showed that we have to bring it at all times.”

Harbor Creek (11-8 overall, 6-3 Region 6) led by seven at the half, then opened the third quarter with a 9-0 run. The Huskies took a 45-33 lead into the fourth quarter and methodically stretched it to a 51-37 advantage with 3:26 to go.

Warren (14-7, 6-3) took over at that point.

Warren’s Kelsey Stuart (14) battles Harbor Creek’s Nya Farrell (2) for a rebound during the fourth quarter of their game at Warren Area High School, on Thursday.

Riley Childress and Kelsey Stuart went 3-4 from the line to cut the lead to 51-40 with 2:33 left. With just under two minutes to go, Childress completed a 3-point play to get the deficit to single digits. Taylor Childress knocked down a pair of free throws 20 seconds later to bring the Dragons within six at 51-45. Riley Childress hit two more free throws with just under a minute to go to trim the lead to four. Four seconds later, Babay hit both ends of a 1-and-1 to push the Harbor Creek lead to 53-47, but Riley Childress came right back down the floor for a layup with 45 seconds left to make it 53-49.

Brynn Sidelinger missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with 18 seconds left to keep it a 4-point game. Taylor Childress connected on her two free throws to get the Dragons to 53-51.

Warren tried to keep the ball out of Babay’s hands on the inbounds, but the Huskies found a way to get it to her and she hit both free throws for the final margin.

“We weren’t aggressive in our press defense early,” LaVan said. “When we got aggressive, we were able to create turnovers.”

Warren jumped out to a 6-2 lead to start the game, but Teagan Paris picked up her second personal foul just 2:25 into the first quarter and didn’t return until the second half. Her absense allowed the Huskies to open up just enough offensively to take a 7-6 lead into the second quarter.

“That hurt,” LaVan said. “We get used to having her on the court. She brings a level of toughness that’s hard to replicate.”

While the Huskies were heating up on offense, the Dragons struggled to get shots to fall. Harbor Creek outscored Warren, 21-15, in the second quarter for the 7-point halftime edge.

“They took away some of the things we like to do,” LaVan said. “The girls didn’t work for the open lanes tonight.”

Babay led the Huskies with 19 points. Lily Pulvino had 10 and Rylee Kapsar and Alexis Barton had eight each.

Riley Childress had a game-high 21 points. Emma Ruhlman had a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds and, despite missing most of the first half, Paris finished with 10 boards.

Playing in her final home game as a Dragon, senior Taylor Childress finished with 11 points.

“Taylor’s always been undersized, but you wouldn’t know it,” LaVan said. “She plays like a beast. I wish we could replicate her heart for everyone.”

Though the Huskies and Dragons are now tied in the Class 5A region standings, Warren can clinch the top seed with a win at Corry Monday.

“We took care of business early in the season,” LaVan said. “As long as we can beat Corry, we’ll get the 1-seed.”

Harbor Creek won the junior varsity contest, 42-29.

Kapsar led the Huskies with 12 points.

Ella Ordiway and Carly Beers each finished with seven for the Dragons.

——

Harbor Creek (55)

Babay 4-8-9-19, Farrell 1-0-0-2, Barton 4-0-0-8, Sidelinger 1-0-0-2, Pulvino 4-2-2-10, Born 2-0-0-6, Kapsar 3-2-2-8, Well 0-0-0-0, Zank 0-0-0-0, Total 19-12-13-55

Warren (51)

T. Childress 3-4-6-11, R. Childress 7-5-5-21, E. Ruhlman 2-8-13-11, Paris 1-0-0-2, G. Ruhlman 1-0-1-3, Stuart 1-1-2-3, C. Beers 0-0-0-0, Total 15-18-27-51

By Quarters

Harbor Creek 7 21 17 10 – 55

Warren 6 15 13 17 – 51

3-point FGs: Harbor Creek (5)-Babay 3, Born 2. Warren (4)-R. Childress 2, T. Childress, G. Ruhlman.

——

IROQUOIS 55, TIDIOUTE 17

ERIE, Pa. — Iroquois raced out to a 28-2 first quarter lead and never looked back en route to a 55-17 Region 2 win over visiting Tidioute Thursday.

The Braves didn’t allow the Bulldogs to score in the second quarter. The Bulldogs finally got the offense going in the fourth quarter, but it was too late to mount any type of rally.

“Ice cold shooting and lack of hustle in the first and second quarter did us in,” Tidioute coach Christy Valentine said. “With such a huge deficit at halftime, it was a tough battle. The girls came alive in the fourth quarter, but too little too late.”

Jasmine Meola had a game-high 15 points for Iroquois (9-11 overall, 8-7 Region 2). Angelina Meola had 14 points.

Nakiesha Krouse led the Bulldogs (4-16, 0-15) with seven points and three blocks. Angelina Sabella had four points, 13 rebounds and eight steals, while Shelby Proctor added six points and Kelsey Nuttall five rebounds.

Tidioute closes out its season at Saegertown Monday.

Iroquois outscored Tidioute 20-3 in the fourth quarter to turn a 2-point edge into a 40-21 junior varsity win.

Sabella had seven points and Liz Pizer six in the loss.

——

Tidioute (17)

Krouse 1-0-5-5-7, Proctor 2-0-0-0-4, Nuttall 0-0-2-0-0, Sabella 3-0-0-0-6, Scaife 0-0-0-0-0, Curtin 0-0-0-0-0, Drukenbrod 0-0-0-0-0, Zofcin 0-0-0-0-0, Hulse 0-0-0-0-0

Iroquois (55)

A. Meola 7-0-4-0-14, D. Meola 1-0-0-0-2, J. Meola 4-2-2-1-15, Minier 1-0-4-1-3, Milner 1-1-0-0-5, Difuccia 4-0-0-0-8, Sterling 3-0-0-0-6, Dash 1-0-0-0-2, Krysiack 1-0-0-0-2

By Quarters

Tidioute 2 0 5 10 – 17

Iroquois 28 9 10 8 – 55

3-point FGs: Tidioute-None. Iroquois (2)-J. Meola 2.

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