On a night when Lehighton’s biggest star had her brightest career moment, a pair of lesser known players sparkled down the stretch.

Because they did, the Indians were able to rally for a 54-50 Schuylkill League victory over Tamaqua in a game that had huge playoff implications for both teams.

Hailey Miller once again did it all for Lehighton as she scored a game-high 20 points, pulled down seven rebounds, and sprinkled in a handful of assists and steals. Miller’s big night also included the 1,000th point of her high school career.

But Miller’s performance alone wasn’t going to be enough to beat Tamaqua on Friday night.

To do that, the Indians needed clutch scoring from Charli McHugh and reserve Katie Wojton. McHugh scored six of her 16 points in the closing minutes, while Wojton drained a pair of fourth quarter three-pointers - one to tie the game and another that gave Lehighton a late lead it would never relinquish.

“I’m not surprised at all,” said Miller about the performances by her teammates down the stretch. “They are both really talented players. I see that in practice from them all the time.

“They both really stepped up for us tonight. This was a huge game as far as qualifying for the District 11 playoffs is concerned. We needed this win, and both of them made key plays for us when the game was on the line.”

Lehighton coach Joe Berezwick agreed.

“Both teams needed this game, and that was reflected in the effort you saw out on the court tonight,” said Berezwick. “I thought Tamaqua played very well and was in control most of the game, but our girls hung around and kept battling.

“I was getting a little concerned when we fell behind by six points in the fourth quarter, but Wojo (Wojton) hit two important threes to bring us back, and then Charli got a couple of big layups off our transition game in the closing minutes. We really needed their offense tonight and they delivered.”

Tamaqua led most of the opening half before a late Indian flurry put them ahead 29-25 at halftime. That advantage didn’t last long, however, as the Raiders battled back and eventually opened a 42-36 lead with six minutes remaining in the game.

“Definitely our best effort and performance of the season,” said Tamaqua coach Erika Davis. “I thought our kids hustled, battled hard, and played a really solid game. In the end, we just came up a little short.

“A couple of turnovers late, a couple of rebound opportunities we didn’t secure ... but give Lehighton credit. They hit some big shots and made a few more plays down the stretch.”

The big shots started when Miller and Wojton drained three-pointers on back-to-back Lehighton possessions that tied the game at 42-42 with 5:05 remaining.

Tamaqua got buckets from Trenyce Wingler and Lorelei Plasha to regain the lead, but a pair of free throws by Aaliyah Fisher and another triple from Wojton put the Indians up for good at 47-46 with 1:51 left.

It was then McHugh’s turn as she reeled off the next six Lehighton points - the final two on a pair of free throws with :41 remaining that made it 53-48. A Serena Jones bucket gave Tamaqua hope, but Miller sealed it by hitting the front end of a one-and-one with :05 left that gave Lehigton a four-point lead.

“Every game is so important now,” said Berezwick. “We still need three more wins, but this was big. We had a little losing streak in the middle of the season, but our girls bounced back nicely, and we have been playing pretty well the last couple of weeks. Now, we have to build on this.”

THE POINT ... Miller’s 1,000th point came off a steal and driving layup with 3:44 left in the second quarter. She entered the game needing 11 points to reach the mark.

THE RECORDS ... Lehighton improved to 8-8 overall and 4-6 in the league. Tamaqua drops to 6-10 and 1-8. Teams need a .500 record either in the league or overall to qualify for districts.

COACH’S TAKE ... Berezwick said Wojton has a “shooter’s mentality” and “won’t hesitate to take a big shot.” He called McHugh the team’s “defensive specialist.” Adding, “she always watches the other team’s best player, so that probably takes a little bit away from her own offense, but as you saw tonight she has a lot of offensive ability too.”

LEHIGHTON

McHugh 7-2-2-16, Haley 0-0-0-0, Williams 0-0-0-0, Miller 8-1-3-20, Bowman 3-1-4-7, Wojton 2-0-0-6, Fisher 1-2-2-5. TOTALS: 21-6-11-54.

TAMAQUA

K. Robb 0-0-0-0, Jones 5-7-7-17, Meckes 4-0-0-8, G. Robb 1-0-0-3, Wingler 6-2-2-14, Hope 0-0-2-0, L. Plasha 3-2-2-8. TOTALS: 19-11-13-50

Lehighton 15 14 5 20 - 54

Tamaqua 18 7 13 12 - 50

Three-pointers: Lehighton - Miller 3, Wojton 2, Fisher 1; Tamaqua - G. Robb 1.