Brian Hagberg
EDINBORO, Pa. – Hickory used a 7-0 run at the end of the first quarter to take the lead and never trailed again on its way to a 51-44 win over Warren in their District 10 Class 4A semifinal.
Rewatch the game:
Warren led 12-8 with 1:30 to play in the first when Devin Daniels knocked down a 3-pointer to start the run. Aidan Enoch ended it with a mid-range jumper just before the buzzer and Hickory led 15-12.
The Hornets played at a deliberate pace whenever they could, forcing the Dragons out of the up-tempo, transition offense they like to run.
“They pushed the ball a lot, and we knew they were going to get the ball a lot so we knew we had to get back on ‘D’ and slow it up,” Enoch said.
The strategy worked as Hickory held three Warren players who averaged double-figures to six points or less for the game.
Warren cut the lead back to two at multiple points in the second quarter, but Hickory scored the final six points of the half to take a 28-20 lead into the locker room.
The Hornets pushed the lead to 13, 38-25, midway through the third quarter, but the Dragons ended the quarter with a 9-0 run to cut the deficit to 41-39 heading to the fourth.
Hickory’s defense was up to the task again, holding Warren scoreless for the first 3:54 of the fourth quarter.
Parks Ordiway hit a corner three with 2:12 to play to cut the Hornets’ lead to 47-44. It proved to be the final field goal of the game.
Enoch and Rylan Dye each made a pair of free throws down the stretch to put the game out of reach.
Dye and Enoch each finished with 16 points for the Hornets.
Brady Berdine had a team-high 13 points, all in the first half, for the Dragons. Owen Becker had 11 points.
Hickory will face Grove City, a 57-43 winner over Harbor Creek, for the District 10 Class 4A championship on Friday at a site and time to be announced.
Basketball playoff coverage is sponsored in part by Olewine Financial Group.
