But just as fast as the resurgence began, it dissipated.

Behind a fleet-footed, do-it-all freshman point guard in Vincent Albarano, the Golden Tigers would score six unanswered to close out the quarter before carrying that effort into 12-2 run. From that point onward, the Wildcats would get their deficit below double-figures just once through the rest of the game, as Hollidaysburg put on a well-rounded clinic on its way to a 60-27 rout.

To head coach Tyler Bardo, it wasn’t a case of the team being outmatched.

Throughout much of the game, particularly Hollidaysburg’s first-half surge, Central Mountain (9-14) put itself in great positions to score inside and outside the paint. But at some point, the shots just stopped falling, and their momentum deteriorated as a result.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Central Mountain senior Jeremy Reese attempts a layup during the team's 60-27 loss to Hollidaysburg in the District 6 Class 5A semifinals at Hollidaysburg on Tuesday.

“Early on, I genuinely thought it was evenly matched. We had 27 shots in the first half, 21 of them are in the paint. The problem is, we shot 6-of-21 from the paint,” said Bardo. “You’re not going to be perfect, but we have to be more efficient than that. A lot of times, those missed layups put them in transition too.”

A Max Verrelli three off a great pass from Caleb Mahoney would end Hollidaysburg’s second surge, cutting the deficit to 22-14 near the midway point of the second quarter. But the Golden Tigers would quickly gain those three points back the old-fashioned way, as Brady Steiner converted a three-point play.

They’d ultimately close out the half on a 13-2 run to go into break with a 19-point lead, with Central Mountain’s struggles from the floor resuming.

Things never rematerialized from there, as Hollidaysburg outscored it 25-11 through the second half. In four minutes in the first quarter, it scored more points (8) than it did in either of the final three periods.

“I think we are in that game in a lot of areas other than shot making,” said Bardo. “They (Hollidaysburg) made shots and did that consistently, but I thought for the most part, we defended at a high level. We could defend them in the half court when we could get to what we wanted to get to defensively. But shot making was key.”

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Central Mountain senior Caleb Mahoney is called for a charge during the team's 60-27 loss to Hollidaysburg in the District 6 Class 5A semifinals at Hollidaysburg on Tuesday.

With the gap breaching 30 at the start of the fourth, mercy rule was activated, and the final eight minutes of Central Mountain’s season went by in a flash as a result. It was a tough way to conclude the campaign, along with the storied careers of the team’s seniors.

Hunter Hoy had just recently surpassed 1000 career points, making an impact throughout much of his time with the program. For one last time, he’d lead the team in scoring on Tuesday night, finishing with nine points to go along with six boards. Fellow lettermen Caleb Mahoney and Max Verrelli combined for eight, with Jeremy Reese making an impact off the bench defensively.

“They’re a lot of fun. They’re walking away with a district championship, that then-sophomore class was a big part of that. They showed up to work every day and went after it,” said Bardo on his senior class. “They’re very coachable and that’s what you ask of them. And for Hunter, he’s accomplished a lot and is a big part of what we do.”

Though it’s tough to part ways with that group, it’s a part of the process at the end of the day. Bardo is optimistic about the future of the team and already looks forward to next season, with the return of three-year starter Blake Walker and improvements of Noah Wells and Darius Shade giving next year’s squad plenty of potential.

“You graduate pieces every year and find ways to move on,” said Bardo. “We’ve got a good nucleus and some sophomores and freshmen coming that are eager to learn and play the game the right way. So, I’m excited to see if we can continue to uphold the standard of how we play and how we do things.”

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Central Mountain senior Hunter Hoy attempts a free throw during the team's 60-27 loss to Hollidaysburg in the District 6 Class 5A semifinals at Hollidaysburg on Tuesday.

Hollidaysburg 60, Central Mountain 27

(DISTRICT 4/6 CLASS 5A SEMIFINALS)

CENTRAL MOUNTAIN (27)

Blake Walker 1 0-0 2, Max Verrelli 2 0-0 5, Hunter Hoy 4 1-2 9, Caleb Mahoney 1 1-2 3, Noah Wells 1 1-2 3, Darius Shade 1 0-0 3, Collin Confer 1 0-0 2. Totals 11 3-6 27.

HOLLIDAYSBURG (60)

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Central Mountain senior Max Verrelli drives to the hoop during the team's 60-27 loss to Hollidaysburg in the District 6 Class 5A semifinals at Hollidaysburg on Tuesday.

Jayden Wolfe 1 0-0 3, Tyson Delerme 2 0-0 5, Jay Albarano 1 0-0 2, JJ Stultz 2 0-0 4, Brady Steiner 1 1-1 3, Gavin Bell 3 0-0 6, Vincent Albarano 5 0-0 10, Dylan Anderson 1 0-0 3, Kasen Metzger 7 0-0 15. Totals 27 2-3 60.

Cent. Mountain – 9 7 6 5 – 27

Hollidaysburg – 16 19 15 10 – 60

Three-pointers: Central Mountain 2 (Verrelli, Shade); Hollidaysburg 4 (Wolfe, Delerme, Anderson, Metzger).

Records: Central Mountain 9-14 (5-5 Heartland-I); Hollidaysburg 21-3 (16-2 Laurel Highlands).

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Central Mountain junior Noah Wells drives to the hoop during the team's 60-27 loss to Hollidaysburg in the District 6 Class 5A semifinals at Hollidaysburg on Tuesday.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Central Mountain junior Blake Walker makes a pass during the team's 60-27 loss to Hollidaysburg in the District 6 Class 5A semifinals at Hollidaysburg on Tuesday.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Central Mountain senior Jeremy Reese plays defense during the team's 60-27 loss to Hollidaysburg in the District 6 Class 5A semifinals at Hollidaysburg on Tuesday.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Central Mountain senior Hunter Hoy dribbles up the court during the team's 60-27 loss to Hollidaysburg in the District 6 Class 5A semifinals at Hollidaysburg on Tuesday.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Central Mountain senior Caleb Mahoney shoots the ball during the team's 60-27 loss to Hollidaysburg in the District 6 Class 5A semifinals at Hollidaysburg on Tuesday.