Conemaugh Township stays hot with comeback victory over Windber

WINDBER — It is one of the best boys basketball rivalries in Somerset County when Conemaugh Township and Windber collide.

The Indians entered Thursday's clash as winners of five straight while the Ramblers were reeling, dropping three of their last five contests.

Conemaugh Township (7-1) used a third quarter spurt to take its first lead since the first quarter and eventually held on to defeat Windber 65-51, in front of a raucous crowd.

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"It's Windber Ramblers. In their building, of course they are going to come ready to play," said Conemaugh Township coach Chuck Lesko. "We knew that. Throw away the records, throw everything out. They have pride in their school district and their system. We knew that. We just had to answer the call.

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"I thought the first half we might have settled a little bit instead of doing what we do best, and that's attack the rim. Once we addressed that a little bit, I felt like we got back on track."

Game of runs

Trailing 5-2 in the first, Windber went on a 10-0 run to take a 12-5 advantage, and led 16-10 after one.

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The Ramblers held their biggest lead of the game, 26-17, in the second quarter following a three by Rex Rininger.

However, Conemaugh Township closed the half on an 8-2 burst and trailed 31-29 at the break.

Down 35-34 late in the third quarter, Alex Gregory gave the Indians their first lead since 5-4 in the first quarter with a three-pointer. Conemaugh Township's 11-2 run gave the Indians a 43-37 advantage headed to the fourth.

Windber (6-5) was held to just six points in the third.

Conemaugh Township put the game out of reach at the free throw line in the fourth. Windber cut the deficit to three, 51-48, but the Indians closed out the Ramblers on a 14-3 jolt.

Balance of power

Jackson Byer paced the Indians with a game-high 26 points. The senior has been a driving force for the Indians all season long.

"This was a statement game for us against our rival," Byer said.

Conemaugh Township, the defending District 5 Class AA champs, received contributions up and down its lineup, especially during important stretches of the game.

"It's great when you don't have to rely on one or two guys," Lesko said. "We're looking for a little more balance. We got a couple big buckets off the bench tonight at the right time that provided a spark. I think Alex Gregory hit a big three for us in a key moment. If we can do that and the better we can do that, the better off we'll be down the road."

Tanner Shirley netted 17 points for the Indians while John Updyke contributed 12.

Moving forward

Conemaugh Township has already played in some big games early this season. The Indians still have to play unbeaten Portage twice as well as a non-conference matchup against United and another showdown with Windber.

A victory on the road against a quality opponent has the Indians set for the second half of the season, and what could be another deep postseason run.

"We've got some big games coming up, and not looking too far ahead, but if you want to make noise there in March, you certainly have to be battle tested," Lesko said. "This is certainly one of those games. You need those to see what you are made of."

Ramblers respond?

Playing Portage and Conemaugh Township two nights apart is no easy task. Windber gave itself a chance to win both contests, but came up short down the stretch.

Caden Dusack led the way for the Ramblers with 16 points. Aiden Gray added 10 points.

The Indians made some adjustments defensively in the second half, which led to turnovers and proved costly for the Ramblers.

"We made some mistakes down the stretch and that hurt us quite a bit," Windber coach Steve Slatcoff said. "(We) certainly could not have asked for anything more off the start. Our kids played their tails off tonight."

Windber advanced to the District 5-AA semifinals last season, falling at home to Northern Bedford. The Ramblers are going to need to turn the tide if they have aspirations of dethroning the Indians.

"We just got to keep playing together," Slatcoff said. "When we play together we are at our best. We'll get the ship righted. We talk about rowing the boat and everybody continue to row that boat. We're still very confident in what we can do."

Adam Ripple is the Daily American sports editor. He can be reached at 814-444-5926. Follow him on Twitter @ARipple_DAsport. Follow Daily American Sports on Facebook.

This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Second half surge leads Conemaugh Township past rival Windber