MORAN — Try as he might, Crest High head coach Travis Hermreck occasionally struggles to get into the mindset of high school basketball players.
Take Thursday’s nail-biter against Altoona-Midway.
The Lancers were playing at a blistering pace through much of the first half, pushing out to a double-digit lead by the midpoint of the second quarter.
Then, courtesy of some foul trouble, Crest’s offense went stagnant. Open looks evaporated, shots quit falling and the offense ground to a halt.
The misfires allowed Altoona to slowly but surely play its way back into the game.
The Lancers eventually righted their ship, then held their breath as a last-second 3-point attempt by Altoona-Midway’s Jackson Ashmore was just off the mark. The Lancers escaped with the win, 42-39.
The victory in Thursday’s Class 1A regional semifinal contest puts Crest back in action tonight against St. Paul for the regional championship. Just as importantly, the win ensures the Lancers a berth in next week’s substate tournament play.
“A big part of that game was the last 2½ minutes of that first half, when we had an opportunity to extend the lead,” Hermreck said. “They weren’t doing much, but we didn’t do anything to extend it. That’s where there are times it comes back to get you.”
It almost did.
Crest was in cruise control from the opening tip, racing to a 17-9 lead after one. Koby Miller’s bucket early in the second period pushed the margin to 23-11.
But foul trouble reared its ugly head. Zach Beckmon, Crest’s only senior, was whistled for his third foul late in the first half, and all of the Lancer momentum ground to a halt.
“Our foul trouble hurt,” Hermreck said. “It put everybody in a different role from what we can do best.”
The Jets clamped down on defense in the third quarter, and Crest’s offense grew even more stagnant. Stetson Setter’s putback midway through the third period was the Lancers’ only field goal of the quarter.
Altoona’s Caleb Sims drilled a 3-pointer with 5:50 left in the game to cap a 16-3 run to put the Jets on top, 31-30.
Tyson Hermreck responded inside for the Lancers’ first field goal in more than 7 minutes. Altoona’s Caden Carder responded with a bucket of his own to give the Jets the lead again, but Beckmon was there for the answer for Crest. His basket with 3:52 remaining gave the Lancers the lead for good.
But it wasn’t easy.
Crest pushed its lead to six when Carter connected again from 3-point range to slice the Lancer lead to 39-36. Miller hit 1 of 2 free throws before Ashmore drove the lane to cut the lead to 40-38.
A pair of missed Lancer free throws the next time down the court gave Altoona-Midway another opening.
