Falcons bounce back in a big way with road win at Hempfield
Written by: TJ Eck on January 22, 2024
For Cedar Crest the key was having a short memory.
“I think our guys know that Saturday wasn’t our best effort,” said Cedar Crest head coach Tom Smith. “Unfortunately, I hate to say that. We got thumped. We said, hey just like wins, the 24-hour rule, let it go.”
What Smith is describing was a 23-point loss by the Falcons to Central Dauphin Saturday evening at the L-L/Mid-Penn Showcase in Manheim. The defeat ended an eight-game winning streak. However, Smith’s squad started a new streak Monday night by bouncing back for a 61-46 road win at Hempfield.
The Falcons opened the game on an 8-0 run, led by 16 at halftime, and cruised to a crucial Section 1 victory in Lancaster-Lebanon League play.
“It was a championship game today,” said Smith. “That’s what we talked about today. We have some aspirations and we just needed to make sure we were locked in from the start and our guys did a great job of that.”
The best player on the floor Monday night was Cedar Crest senior forward Fernando Marquez. He scored 14 of his game-high 25 points in the first half and also grabbed seven rebounds. The lefty attacked relentlessly on offense, using his size and strength to finish at the rim.
“That’s just what I do,” said Marquez.
Smith added: “He attacks at the right time. He’s making the right plays. He’s been doing a great job finishing at the rim. He’s shooting the three-ball better….he’s his best when he’s aggressive.”
While Marquez was the star on offense, junior forward RJ Young led a stout defensive effort for Cedar Crest. The six-foot-seven post player blocked seven shots while scoring 10 points of his own.
“I love it,” said Young. “I find blocking shots fun.”
“Some of the blocks he gets are just ‘Wow, he really got that one?’,” said Smith. “He’s coming into himself and having a rim protector like him lets you be a little more aggressive out on the guards.”
While Young was manning the paint, the Falcons sent multiple wings and guards at Hempfield standout senior forward Ben Troyer. Troyer entered Monday night averaging 21.6 points per game. He finished with a hard-fought 11 points against a suffocating Cedar Crest defense.
“The kid is a phenomenal basketball player and he’s beaten teams by himself this year,” said Smith, when discussing Troyer. “We wanted to limit his points. I know that however many he had, he earned them tonight.”
Hempfield was led in scoring by Spencer Troyer, who logged 13 points and five rebounds. Nick Deeg added 10 points and three steals in the loss. The Black Knights drop to 9-6 overall and 4-2 in league play.
Cedar Crest improves to 11-3 overall and a perfect 6-0 mark against Section 1 opponents. Next up is another crucial section game when the Falcons visit Penn Manor Tuesday evening.
Cedar Crest dominated the Comets, 72-28, on December 20 when Penn Manor was without injured superstar and L-L League leading scorer Ethan Benne. Benne is now healthy and will present another challenge for the Falcons defense on Tuesday.
“Just defend him like we defended Troyer,” said Young. “He’s a really good player, we know that. We just have to be up in him the whole time.”
Fernando Marquez & RJ Young – Players of the Game
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