By Jose Negron
Through one half of play Tuesday night, the Thomas Jefferson boys basketball team looked destined to end a nearly 30-year absence from the WPIAL championship game.
Instead, the Jaguars’ opponent found a way to put together a second-half comeback and end a drought of its own.
No. 8 Laurel Highlands rallied from a 13-point halftime deficit to secure a dramatic 44-42 victory over No. 4 TJ in the WPIAL Class 5A semifinals at Woodland Hills High School.
With the win, the Mustangs (16-8) will play for a WPIAL title for the first time since 1972.
“Our team showed a lot of heart and that’s what we talked about at halftime, more so than adjustments, a mental refocus (was needed) maybe,” said Laurel Highlands head coach Rick Hauger, whose team outscored TJ, 36-21, in the second half.
“They didn’t seem to feel like the moment was too big for them. They were down a little bit, but they weren’t discouraged.”
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