ERIE — LaDorian Havard gave Erie its first lead of the fourth quarter with an easy layup Thursday night. He then preserved it with two emphatic swats.
Kayan Hargrave scored 16 and Havard denied Windsor on consecutive possessions after putting the Tigers up for good with 3 minutes, 12 seconds remaining in their 61-55 win.
The Texas transfer, averaging 11.5 points per game, ended up scoring just six on a night where Erie came out rocky offensively — but found its winning touch late. His consecutive blocks at the rim with the Tigers clinging to a one-point lead helped preserve their sixth straight victory.
“We knew this was a good team and we came out flat,” Havard said. “Second half, we talked them up, and talked them up, me and my partner (Kevin Loy), and we told them if we want to win this game we have to step up.”
After trailing 17-16 after an opening half that saw one clunker after another, Hargrave kept his team within reach with seven points in the third. Then in the fourth, the game was tied up on five different occasions until Havard’s bucket.
The Tigers sealed the win, going 7-for-10 from the line in the final 1:36. Loy, who finished with 13 points, led the way hitting on 5 of 6.
“I think they just stepped it up,” said assistant coach Matt Comeaux, who was filling on for Gail Hook while she’s on safari in Africa. “We needed to bring effort and energy. (Windsor) is a team that has been at the top of our league and we’ve always been somebody that’s trying to be at their level.”
The Tigers (10-2, 5-0 5A/4A Tri-Valley) continued their roll in the new year and rank eighth in the latest 4A poll on CHSAANow.com. They haven’t dropped a game since Dec. 19 at Niwot.
Following winter break, Erie opened league play with a five-point win over Fort Morgan. Then won its next three — at Roosevelt, Holy Family and at Berthoud — by double digits.
Against Windsor (7-5, 4-2), 15th in the 5A RPI coming into Thursday, the Tigers pieced things together late to snap the Wizards’ three-game winning streak. It was their second straight win over their league foe after dropping eight straight in the series.
“I feel like (tonight) shows we don’t quit,” Hargrave said. “We can play with any team in the state as long as we play as a team. It showed tonight that we had one of our worst halves we’ve ever played, but we didn’t give up in the second half and ended up winning the game.”
Erie, with Hook expected to be back this weekend, will visit Skyline Saturday.
