Hughes helped Holy Cross to two titles

WILKES-BARRE TWP. – Michael Hughes is the leading scorer and 3-point shooter on the Holy Cross boys basketball team, which won Lackawanna League Division 3 and District 2 Class 2A titles on the way to the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association state tournament.

Hughes saw playing time as a freshman at Abington Heights in the 2021-22 season before transferring to Holy Cross where he helped the Crusaders make it to last season’s state semifinal.

The Crusaders won the District 2 title Feb. 26 at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza with a Mercy Rule rout over Blue Ridge for the second straight season.

Hughes was the team’s second-leading scorer with 19 points, along with five rebounds and three assists, in a 73-42 rout in the championship game matchup of Lackawanna division champions.

The 73 points was the second-highest total in nine years of championships at the arena, ranking behind only the 77-41 romp by Abington Heights over West Scranton in the 2017 Class 5A final.

Hughes had 15 second-half points in the title game. He made his last six shots to finish 8-for-14 from the floor. He was 2-for-3 from the line.