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Bradyn Foster reaches 1,000 career points as Highlands holds off Shady Side Academy

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Tuesday, December 12, 2023 | 10:21 PM

Bradyn Foster figures to encounter many more pressure situations this basketball season and beyond.

The Penn commit and Highlands senior navigated through a tough time during the Class 4A Golden Rams’ 62-58 victory at Class 3A Shady Side Academy on Tuesday night but came away smiling.

“The pressure is off now,” said the 6-foot-8 Foster, who hit 1,000 career points on a third-quarter dunk that gave Highlands (3-2) a lead it didn’t give up. “It’s exciting. It’s a goal I’ve wanted to hit for a while now.”

But Foster struggled from the onset, missing a number of close-range shots in the first half before settling in during Highlands’ 26-point, third-quarter outburst.

After his milestone jam that put Highlands ahead 38-37 with 5 minutes, 33 seconds left in the third, Foster, who finished with 17 points, buried two 3-point shots and a turnaround jumper at the buzzer to key a 20-4 run that gave the Rams a 56-41 advantage.

“I knew it was kind of weighing on him a little bit,” Highlands coach Corey Dotchin said. “I was trying to get it into him, so we could get it over with a little quicker than it happened. I figured he could relax and get on with the game. I’m happy for him. It’s a great accomplishment and he’s worked hard for it, but we’re still looking for more.”

Cameron Reigard led Highlands with 24 points.

Once Foster reached the 1,000-point mark, Dotchin, too, breathed a sigh of relief.

“When he got it, he was able to breathe and let the game come to him,” Dotchin said. “His teammates were looking for him. He’s a good player, and there’s a reason he’s going Division I. He made some big shots for us.”

Shady Side Academy (2-3), which has dropped three consecutive decisions against programs of higher classifications, was playing without two injured starters. The Bulldogs trailed for much of the first half before Eli Teslovich’s 3-point shot tied the score at 23-23.

Seamus Riordan followed with a pair of free throws to give the Bulldogs their first lead, and they held on to take a 30-28 advantage into halftime.

“If we were healthy, I’d feel a lot better about these games on our schedule,” Shady Side Academy coach David Vadnais said.

Nate Mallory, a 6-foot-4 senior who has started three seasons at center, is lost for the year after knee surgery to repair an injury suffered during the football season. He spent his first game with the team, seated behind the bench.

Vadnais said he was hoping to have Ben Michaels back in January from a hip injury. Mac Mohn, whom Vadnais referred to as the team’s best defender, injured a knee in a loss to Erie on Friday and is sidelined indefinitely.

“Right now, we’re competing,” Vadnais said, “and right now, my job is to keep our guys positive. We played Avonworth, Erie and now Highlands in three straight games and we’ve gotten better in each one. We just have to keep our head above water because we’ve got a big section game on Friday (at Burrell), so I’m hoping these games have helped us get ready for that.”

Shady Side Academy rallied in the fourth quarter and got within 60-57 on a reverse layup by Riordan with 1:39 remaining, but Reigard hit two free throws to give Highlands a five-point cushion and the Rams held on.

“This is a great environment and they’re a good team,” said Dotchin, who led Highlands to the WPIAL semifinals last season. “They’re a well-coached team. It’s still early in the season and we’re trying to figure out who we are and who’s going to contribute on what night. Both teams are trying to figure it out.”

Highlands returns three starters from a 22-6 team, but it is tests like this that Dotchin said will define his team’s character.

“We knew it was going to be a tough one coming in here,” he said.

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