CLARKS SUMMIT — Abington Heights made every first shot difficult for Crestwood Friday night.
Second shots? They were nearly non-existent.
Abington Heights shut down Crestwood, limiting it to 11 second-half points while turning the District 2 Class 5A boys basketball semifinal into a Mercy Rule blowout 63-31.
The hosts held Crestwood to more than 17 points below their season average while ending their season at 14-10.
Abington Heights improved to 13-10.
Robby Lucas led the offense by going 9-for-13 from the floor and 4-for-6 on 3-pointers while scoring 24 points. Andrew Kettel led the defense with four steals and nine of his 10 rebounds on the defensive end.
“Our bigs did a great job boxing out their bigs,” Kettel said of a 34-24 rebounding advantage. “Then, the guards went and got it.”
Crestwood had just four offensive rebounds – one in each quarter.
Lucas, Jordan Shaffer and Kettel combined for 10 baskets from beyond the arc. Shaffer had 17 points and Kettel 13.
Abington Heights held Crestwood to 5-for-20 (25.0 percent) from 3-point range and an even lower percentage from inside the arc.
Shaffer opened the game with a 3-pointer and had five points during an 8-0 start by Abington Heights, which never trailed.
Crestwood managed to make significant dents in the lead just twice.
It closed within 13-11 late in the first quarter. Crestwood then came up with a five-point play to stop an eight-point Abington Heights streak and get within 29-20 with 1:07 left in the half.
Gio Barna was fouled while Ayden Agapito was sinking a 3-pointer. Barna then hit two free throws.
That sequence, however, failed to alter the path on which the game was headed.
Lucas scored five points in the last 43 seconds of the first half and Abington Heights extended that all the way to a 14-0 run to a 23-point lead before the midway point in the third.
Shaffer buried a 30-footer with two seconds left in the third quarter and Lucas added the first five points of the fourth quarter to turn the game over to a running clock for the last 5:33.
Agapito scored 13 points and blocked three shots to lead Crestwood. Connor Wagaman, who hit a pair of 3-pointers in the first quarter, added eight points and six rebounds.
Abington Heights will face Pittston Area, which rallied from eight down to defeat Wallenpaupack, in the district final Feb. 28 at 8 p.m. at the Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza.
“Obviously, it was a big game trying to get back to the arena for the third straight year,” said Lucas, who recently surpassed 1,000 points for his career and set an Abington Heights record with nine 3-pointers in a 35-point game. “At this point, I’m basically playing to extend my career.”
Both Abington Heights and Pittston Area qualified for the PIAA state tournament with their wins.
District 2 Class 5A semifinals
Abington Heights 63, Crestwood 31
CRESTWOOD (31) — Ryan Sechleer 1 0-0 3, Jacob Feisel 0 0-0 0, Connor Wagaman 3 0-0 8, Brady Grevara 0 0-0 0, Ayden Agapito 5 2-3 13, Gio Barna 1 2-2 5, Jack Rodgers 1 0-0 2, Tommy Biscotto 0 0-0 0, Adam Nulton 0 0-0 0, Cam Scotti 0 0-0 0. Totals 11 4-5 31.
ABINGTON HEIGHTS (63) — Andrew 5 0-0 13, Finn Goldberg 1 1-2 3, Jordan Shaffer 5 4-4 17, Billy Johnson 1 0-0 2, Robby Lucas 9 2-2 24, Carter Plantz 0 0-0 0, Connor Abel 0 0-0 0, Chris Fegley 0 2-2 2, Ben Reese 1 0-0 2, Shawn Theodore 0 0-0 0, Ire Osuntokun 0 0-0 0, Brady Georgia 0 0-0 0, Cooper Manning 0 0-0 0, Shane Brower 0 0-0 0, Gavin Corwin 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 9-10 63.
Crestwood`11`9`6`5 — 31
Abington Heights`16`18`19`10 — 63
Three-point goals – CRE 5 (Wagaman 2, Sechleer, Agapito, Barna), AH 10 (Lucas 4, Shaffer 3, Kettel 3).
