Cameron Collins’ electrifying Alley Hoop got the Hurricanes off to a breezy start.
Despite the lopsided score, Lake Creek showed a few reasons why it advanced to the Class 5A Region III Semifinals. Still, it had trouble matching Hightower’s intensity as the game slipped away and watched its season end, 82-63, on Friday night at the Campbell Center.
The win sends the Hurricanes to its third meeting with district rival Shadow Creek on Saturday at 2 p.m in the regional finals at the Campbell Center. The two teams shared the district title with matching 16-1 records.
“You can’t take it for granted,” Hurricanes coach Woods replied. There is no guarantee that we are going to get back to this point next year.”
Hightower’s intensity pushed the Lions over the edge. Lake Creek entered the contest riding a five-game winning streak but had no answer for the speed and quickness of the Hurricanes.
“We knew what we were up against,” Shanon Spencer, Lions coach explained. They are not No. 2 in the state for nothing. They have a great team.”
Bryce Griggs topped all scorers with 31 points. Center Ja Robertson poured in 25 for Hightower.
Collins dunk started a 7-0 run as Kristopher O’Neal converted a free throw followed by Bryce Griggs short jumper and layup to open the game.
However, Lake Creek would show why it reached thus far in the tournament by going on a 9-0 run to take a 9-7 lead. Noah Cantu free throw started the run as Ty George stroked a three. Pierce Spencer drained two free throws before snatching a rebound and sprinting coast to coast as he finished the play with a layup while drawing a foul. He converted the bonus, stunning the Hurricane crowd.
Griggs quickly helped Hightower regain the lead, 10-9, by drilling a deep trey from the right side.
Later in the quarter, Spencer’s midrange jumper would knot the game at 11 before Cantu took an excellent feed to the basket, giving the Lions a 13-11 lead. Then Hightower (32-5) ran off seven unanswered points to close out the first quarter, 20-13.
Spencer led Lake Creek with 27, and Hudson chipped in 14 points.
Both teams continued trading baskets in the second quarter. Senior guard Zack Hazlewood nailed a trey from the left baseline, pulling Lake Creek (27-12) within two, 20-18. However, the Hurricanes and its tenacious spirit would answer as Griggs knocked down a three-pointer.
Then Ja Robertson, and O’Neal took advantage of consecutive baskets as the Hurricanes built an 11 point lead, 33-22. Moments later, Lake Creek’s junior forward Hudson Boyd and Junior guard Jordan Fitch connected on consecutive three-pointers to cut the lead to five, 33-28.
Again Hightower responded after Christopher Harris drew a fouled in the act of shooting a trey. He drained all three fouls shots. That made the score 36-28.
The Hurricanes also entered tonight’s contest on a 13 -game winning streak.
Soon after, the Lion fans cheered as Boyd netted a three-pointer, grabbed a board, and scored a close range basket. Then Spencer’s steal and dished to Hazzlewood, led him to the basket for a layup. That closed the gap, 38-35 entering intermission.
Coach Woods felt like the three-point deficit shed light and could ultimately set the tone for the second half.
Fans cheered loud in the third quarter as the up tempo action kept the game flowing with the exception of Hightower’s two 6-0 runs, which made the difference.
In the fourth quarter, Griggs took over, nailing a fadeaway jumper and drilling a pair of free throws as the Hurricanes built a 16-point lead, 67-51, with 6:12 left.
After Hazzlewood’s trey, Griggs and the Hurricanes ran off eight unanswered points before officials whistled the Hurricanes bench and coach Woods with a double technical foul.
Spencer connected on three of four technical shots to pull Lake Creek within 18 points, 75-57, with 2:51 to go. But it never gave the Lions the spark it needed as the Hightower crowd began chanting, let’s go Canes.