JOHNSTOWN —
Westmont Hilltop had closed within a point of Johnstown late in the first half during Thursday’s key LHAC Section II game.
The Trojans tallied the final four points of the half to slow Westmont’s surge.
But no one at Doc Stofko Gymnasium could have predicted what happened next.
Johnstown scored the first 17 points of the third quarter and held a potent Westmont offense scoreless for 5 minutes, 48 seconds.
By the time Hilltop got on track again, it was too late as Johnstown was on its way to a 66-53 victory.
“We talked at halftime that we were letting them slow the game down and we were playing at their speed. We said we needed to get to the passing lane and blow by them,” Johnstown coach Neil Cobaugh said. “Our guys took that to heart.
“Westmont’s a tremendous team. We turned up the pressure and got the rebounds and got out and ran,” Cobaugh added. “We forced some turnovers. We got the momentum, got some baskets and started sharing the ball. That made it tough to defend us and that’s what got us on the 17-0 run.”
Johnstown senior Alkwan Williams was a force inside, scoring 18 points and hauling in 21 rebounds.
“Alkwan owned the glass,” Cobaugh said. “We always say you can’t give up offensive rebounds and he did the job.”
Dwight Andrews had 17 points and did a solid job defending Westmont’s high-scoring Quentin Brandon in the second half.
“Dwight might have played the most complete game he’s played all year,” Cobaugh said.
Isaiah Haselrig netted 14 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Mark Watson scored 14 points for Johnstown, which shook the effects of a loss to Quad-A State College on Wednesday.
“This was a scary game,” Cobaugh said. “Westmont is a talented team and when you have a guy who can score like Q (Brandon) can, it’s tough. I was worried. Our guys responded.
“We didn’t play as fast as we could have but I thought our guys played well after a tough, hard-fought game (Wednesday) that was draining and physical.”
Johnstown is 17-2 with a 13-0 LHAC record and 7-0 mark in Section II.
Brandon scored 33 points and had 12 rebounds to lead Hilltop. The senior guard had 17 first-half points, including 12 in the second quarter when he almost single-handedly brought his team back after Johnstown had a 9-0 run.
Brandon hit a 3-pointer to close the gap to 20-17 and followed with a basket off a steal to pull Westmont within 22-21 late in the quarter. Johnstown led 26-21 at halftime.
“Quentin Brandon is a tremendous talent,” Cobaugh said of the former Trojan. “Coaching him for two years, we know what he can do. He’s such a great scorer. He’s going to get his points.”
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