By TODD STUMPF

The Post sports editor

MEDINA - An already memorable season for Highland's girls basketball team got its signature stamp Tuesday night in the form of maybe the most unforgettable game in program history.

Led by a stellar performance by senior Olivia Petek, and helped out by one crucial call, the Hornets escaped a major first-round upset with a 63-59 triple-overtime victory over eighth-seeded Strongsville in a Medina Division I Sectional semifinal.

"I'm just so proud of everyone," Said Petek, who finished with a game-high 27 points. "We dig ourselves a hole in the first half, but we came out of it and we did great after halftime. I was just really proud of our effort."

With the win, Highland advances to a sectional final at 4 p.m. Saturday (Feb. 25) against sixth-seeded Cloverleaf. The Hornets defeated the Colts by sizeable margins in both regular-season meetings. Strongsville finished (4-17)

Before the Hornets could even think about facing Cloverleaf again, they had to overcome a horrid first half and some late-game heroics on the part of the Mustangs. Trailing 30-17 at halftime after shooting 6-of-25 from the field, the Hornets came all the way back and led by three points in the final moments of regulation.

The Mustangs' tied the game on Nina Vinci's step-back 3-pointer with 28 seconds left. Karissa Steffas' layup with 16 seconds left gave the lead back to Highland, but Strongsville's Nicole Lisi scored at just before the buzzer after a scramble underneath the basket to send the game into overtime.

"If we'd have made a few free throws it would have been ballgame," said Highland coach Mike Murphy, whose team made just 20-of-41 from the line. "Then they make that big three to get them back in the ballgame, and that was huge."

Haley Roddy's layup with 1:14 left provided the Hornets' only points in the first overtime. Highland stayed alive when Roddy (5 points, 14 rebounds) blocked Vinci's layup attempt as time expired.

In the second overtime, each team scored nine points. Petek had six of Highland's. Steffas (had a chance to win it for the Hornets but her 18-footer at the buzzer fell short.

Neither team made a field goal in the third overtime. A pair of Steffas free throws put the Hornets up 58-56 and Strongsville was unable to catch up from that point, in part because of a huge call with 55 seconds left.

Vinci had just hit a pair of free throws when she appeared to steal the inbound pass. Sliding on her backside as she gained possession, and with Strongsville's coaching staff desperately trying to call timeout, Vinci was called for traveling. Both the incorrect travel call lack of timeout left the Mustangs incensed.

The call was especially curious because just moments earlier the exact same scenario played out on Highland's end. The Hornets were given the timeout.

"I think the difference was the official was standing right next to me and I'm yelling Äòtimeout if we get it,'" Murphy said. "Was it a break? Yeah, but I think it was more official's in the right spot."

Ann Marie Kirchner made one free throw to up Highland's lead to 60-58 with 40 seconds left. Twelve seconds later Steffas hit a pair to give the Hornets a four-point lead.

Strongsville got back within 62-59 on a Vinci free throw and had a possession with a chance to tie, but never got off a 3-point attempt. Petek's final point of the game closed the book.

Early, there were no signs that Highland might win this one. The Hornets quickly fell behind 12-4 and trailed by 13 on multiple occasions in the first half.

"The effort just wasn't there," Petek said. "We weren't playing with heart. We wanted it, but we weren't showing it."

The Hornets came out energized in the third quarter and outscored Strongsville 15-6 to get within four. The Mustangs scored two quick hoops and added a free throw to move back to an nine-point lead and were on the edge of putting Highland away, when Petek made what probably was the biggest shot in a game full of big shots.

After the Mustangs missed a wide-open jump shot, Petek buried a three to get the Hornets within six. That five-point swing was the ultimate game-changer.

"That's huge," Murphy said. "You look back at a basketball game and there's always a couple like that. You said, Äòif that would have gone the other way, it would have been a different game.' That would have been a different game, and she made a play."

Now it's on to face Cloverleaf for the Hornets, who learned that no tournament game will be easy, regardless an opponent's record or past outcomes.

"Don't underestimate them," Petek said. "That's the biggest thing."