Four Westmont Hilltop players view the 10th annual AmeriServ Senior Hoops Showcase as an opportunity to finish the scholastic basketball season on a high note.
This group of Hilltoppers helped a team that finished with four victories during their freshman season to one with double-digit wins the past three years, including 14-9 in 2016-17.
Despite that success, Westmont closed the season with a disappointing quarterfinal-round playoff loss to eventual District 6 Class AAA champion Central Cambria.
“It means a lot to us. We thought we could have made it farther than we had,” said Westmont’s Ben Molchany, who will join teammates Ian Valente, Justin Bulas and Jake Elders on the Red Team. “Playing the last game together means a lot.”
The Red squad will face the Blue in a 6:30 p.m. boys game at the Pitt-Johnstown Sports Center. The girls game will begin at 4:30 p.m.
Tickets are $2 for students/$4 for adults and may be purchased at The Tribune-Democrat Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., or at the Sports Center on game day.
“It’s real cool,” said Elders of the finale. “We ended the season on a bad note, not what we wanted. We get to go out and prove ourselves one more time.”
The Hilltoppers lost 51-39 to the visiting Red Devils on Feb. 22. Central Cambria used the win to start a playoff run that led to the program’s first district title since 2008 and a trip to the state quarterfinal round.
“It will be a cool atmosphere,” Valente said. “A lot of the guys, I’m buddies with, but we always played against each other. Now, we get to play with the kids from Central Cambria, the team that beat us. Now we’ll be on the same team.”
Valente led Westmont with 15.3 points and 5.6 assists per game. He also averaged 2.1 steals as the point guard.
Molchany, who moved into the school district as a junior after living in the Eastern half of the state, provided a boost from the outside. He scored 14.4 points a game and set the Westmont single-game record for 3-pointers.
Inside, the Hilltoppers relied on their duo of 6-foot-4 post players – Bulas (13.6 points, 9.8 rebounds a game) and Elders (10.9 points, 8.6 rebounds a game).
“Jake and I have been playing since we were in fourth grade,” Bulas said. “We’ve always had that chemistry. When one of us had a mismatch, we knew to get the ball to the other guy. We can score and rebound.”
The Hilltoppers won a combined 39 games the past three seasons after going 4-18 in 2013-14.
“They weren’t one dimensional. Each guy played a role,” said Westmont Hilltop coach Dave Roman Jr. “Ian Valente not only was our leading scorer, he led us in assists. Ben Molchany was our sharpshooter. He broke our single-game record with nine 3-pointers. He had 61 3-pointers made this year and shot 35 percent.
“Justin and Jake really controlled things inside,” Roman added. “Bulas nearly averaged a double-double. He had 10 double-doubles on the season, which is outstanding. Jake wasn’t far behind with eight double-doubles.”
The quartet also is close away from the court.
“All of us hang out together. We try to do a lot of stuff together almost every day,” Molchany said. “I think we communicate very well. We have a lot in common.
“When we’re playing on the court, we’re all serious. If someone makes a bad play, we know they can do better. We get on them and make them better. We all know our own abilities.”