ERIE, Pa. – Adrien Tate’s go-ahead layup with 11.1 seconds left lifted Erie High to its second championship District 10 Class 6A championship in program history, 47-45 over McDowell.
Also See: Warren Outlasts Slippery Rock in Triple OT in 4A Quarterfinals
See Tate’s go-ahead bucket:
It was a measure of revenge in more ways than one for the Royals, who lost in overtime to the Trojans in last season’s title game and twice more this regular season.
“It feels wonderful,” said Erie senior Andreas McCullum. “Coming off the loss last year in the same arena, it’s good to come back and get the W.”
See McCullum’s full interview:
Jay Smith scored 14 of his 16 points in the first half as Erie built a 27-18 lead. McCullum drilled his second 3 of the game in the third to help slow the tide of what was a furious McDowell rally.
The Trojans, led by Kamden Kramer, came storming back. Kramer scored all 10 of his points in the third quarter as McDowell cut the lead to one, 35-34 after three.
A Brody Paris bucket gave McDowell the lead with just under four minutes to play in the fourth quarter, but Erie didn’t panic.
“McDowell came out in the third quarter and made some adjustments,” said Erie coach Tom Koval. “We struggled a little bit, but our guys were able to make some big plays.”
Layveon Gore responded for the Royals, scoring on back-to-back buckets to put the Royals back on top, 42-39, but Tyler Grove responded with a 3 to tie the game with just over two minutes to play.
The two teams traded 3s once again before Tate’s go-ahead bucket, but not in the traditional sense.
Jaheim Mims hit from deep to give the Royals the lead with 1:12 to go, and on the next McDowell possession, Grove was fouled shooting a 3 with 52 seconds to go, knocking all three to tie the game before Tate’s go-ahead shot on the next Erie possession.
McCullum felt that the Royals learned from the losses in the regular season to the Trojans, which came by scores of 62-51 and 49-39.
“We noticed that we didn’t box out well enough on defense,” McCullum said of the previous two games against the Trojans. “So we were really focused on getting rebounds, closing out on defense and having all-around good game. I’m the happiest kid on earth right now.”
Grove led McDowell with 17 points.
With the win, Erie moves on to play Allderdice out of the Pittsburgh City League in a Class 6A subregional.
“We did what we had to do to win,” Koval said. “I’m just so happy for these kids.”
ERIE 47, MCDOWELL 45
Score By Quarters
Erie 15 12 8 12 – 47
McDowell 10 8 16 11 – 45
ERIE – 47
Andreas McCullum 3 0-0-8, Jay Smith 7-0-0-16, Layveon Gore 4 0-0-8, Honest Olango 2 0-0-4, Jamarius Johnson 2 1-1-5, Jaheim Mims 1 0-0-3, Adrien Tate 1 1-2-3, Chelo Brewington 0 0-0-0, Totals 20 2-3-47
MCDOWELL – 45
Jake Banks 0 0-0 0, Kamden Kramer 4 0-0 10, Tyler Grove 6 3-4 17, Brody Paris 3 0-0 6, Blayze Myers 3 2-2 8, Nando Mirachi 1 0-0 2, Mason Inman 0 2-2 2, Stephon Porter 0 0-0 0, Isaiah Logvin 0 0-0 0, Totals 17-7-8 45
Three-pointers: Erie 5 (McCullum 2, Smith 2, Mims); McDowell 4 (Kramer 2, Grove 2).
CLASS 5A CHAMPIONSHIP
(1) CATHEDRAL PREP 58, (2) MEADVILLE 42
ERIE, Pa. – Back on top.
A year after being knocked off by General McLane in the District 10 Class 5A title game, Cathedral Prep left no doubt in a 58-42 win over Meadville to earn back the crown.
Photo courtesy Cathedral Prep.
The Ramblers also won back in 2021 on their magical run to the PIAA championship.
“We had a lot of guys step up,” said Cathedral Prep coach Steve Pitorowicz. “We’re senior-oriented. I like our chances going forward.”
It was all Ramblers in the first half, as they raced out to a 19-7 lead after the first quarter and 31-15 at halftime thanks in large part to Semontae Lofton, who had a game-high 19 points.
Prep led by as many as 17 in the third quarter before Meadville went on a 16-4 run, capped by a Lucas Luteran triple early in the fourth quarter to cut the margin to 44-39.
The Ramblers, responded, closing the game on a 14-3 run, with Lofton and Amaree Pickens, who finished with 15 points, doing most of the damage for the Ramblers.
“Usually we’re better in the third quarter than we are in the first half,” Piotrowicz said. “Tonight we were a better second-quarter team.”
Jake Sambuchino added 10 points for Prep, while
CATHEDRAL PREP 58, MEADVILLE 42
Score by Quarters
Meadville 7 8 14 13 – 42
Cathedral Prep 19 12 9 18 – 58
MEADVILLE – 42
Jack Burchard 3 5-7 12, Lucas Luteran 3 3-3 10, Khalon Simmons 4 1-4 9, Dontae Burnett 1 2-2 4, Kellen Ball 1 0-0 2, Luc Sorensen 1 2-2 5Totals 13 13-18 42.
CATHEDRAL PREP – 58
Semontae Lofton 7 4-4 19, Amaree Pickens 6 2-2 15, Jake Sambuchino 3 3-7 10, Zion Barksdale 2 1-5 5, Mohammad Rahama 0 5-6 5, Tavion Spencer 1 0-2 2, Sam Spence 1 0-0 2, Totals 20 15-26-58
Three-pointers: Meadville 3 (Sorensen, Burchard, Luteran; Cathedral Prep 3 (Sambuchino, Pickens, Lofton).
CLASS 4A QUARTERFINALS
(4) HICKORY 61, (5) GENERAL MCLANE 54
FARRELL, Pa. – Fourth-seeded Hickory closed the game on a 9-2 run to earn a 61-54 win over No. 5 General McLane in the D10 Class 4A quarterfinals.
Aidan Enoch scored eight of those points for the Hornets, including 6-of-8 from the line to close it out.
The game was tight into the third quarter, with a 7-0 GM run giving them a 45-33 advantage. But Hickory responded with a 13-1 run of their own to tie the game.
Enoch finished with a game-high 18 points for Hickory, while Tyson Djakovich had 15 and Landon Bean 10.
Jacob Zietz had 18 points to lead General McLane, while Logan Anderson added 13 and Isaac Zietz 11.
With the win, Hickory advances to play Warren, which outlasted Slippery Rock 88-83 in triple overtime, in the semifinals on Tuesday.
It will mark the third-straight season the two teams have met in the D10 playoffs, with the Hornets winning each of the last two seasons.
(3) HARBOR CREEK 68, (6) SHARON 53
ERIE, Pa. – Harbor Creek jumped out to a 17-3 lead after the first quarter and never looked back in a 68-53 quarterfinal win over Sharon.
Freshman JT DelSandro led the way for the Huskies (12-11) with 24 points as Harbor Creek took a 34-18 halftime lead.
Nick Krahe, who came into the playoffs averaging a double-double, did it again with 23 points and 10 boards for the Huskies, while Brady Rzodkiewicz and Braylen Wilson had eight points apiece.
Derek Douglas had 17 points to lead Sharon (11-12), while Owen Schenker added nine.
With the win, Harbor Creek advances to play No. 2 Grove City in the semifinals.
(2) GROVE CITY 58, (7) CORRY 41
FARRELL, Pa. – Grove City overcame a slow start to down Corry, 58-41.
The seventh-seeded Beavers led 9-8 after the first quarter and 24-21 at halftime before Grove City went on a 22-7 run in the third quarter.
Nathan Greer scored 14 of his game-high 22 points in the third quarter, while Brett Loughry knocked down a pair of triples in the spurt.
Gavin Lutz scored 10 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter for Grove City, while Loughry finished with 10.
Markus Lambert led Corry with 16 points, while Rylan Smith added eight.
