L-L/Mid-Penn Showcase Recap
Written by: TJ Eck on January 20, 2024
Columbia holds off Middletown, ends 3-game skid
Columbia head coach Kerry Glover had a message for his team entering Saturday’s matchup with Middletown.
“I told them last night in our group chat, I was like ‘Hey, tomorrow it’s time to start another winning streak’,” said Glover.
Glover’s group heard his message loud and clear and delivered a 49-46 victory Saturday afternoon in the opening game of the L-L/Mid-Penn Showcase at Doe Run Elementary School in Manheim.
The Crimson Tide trailed by three at the end of the first quarter. They seized control of the game with a 10-0 run to open the second frame and led 29-21 at halftime.
Columbia retained an eight-point lead through three quarters. That’s when the Blue Raiders made a fourth-quarter run. Middletown’s Aleel Batts knocked down a three-pointer before scoring another basket and getting fouled to pull the “road” team within five with under four minutes to play.
Jordan Poole answered with a three-pointer for Columbia before Batts scored again to make it 46-40 Crimson Tide. Middletown pulled within two, 46-44, after buckets by JP Horetsky and Mason Blazer.
After Columbia’s Artie Poindexter converted one-of-two free throws, Blazer scored two more to make it a one-point game with 23.2 seconds remaining. Poindexter was again fouled and again went one-for-two from the line.
Columbia held on to a 48-46 lead when Middletown committed a critical turnover with 7.8 seconds remaining. The Crimson Tide’s Demari Simms was fouled and made one-of-two from the charity stripe.
After a Middletown timeout, the Blue Raiders were unable to get a shot off in the final seconds and Columbia held on for the hard-fought victory.
Poole led the way for the Crimson Tide with a team-high 14 points to go along with four rebounds and two steals. Ladarian Miller knocked down four three-pointers and logged 12 points.
“That’s what they do,” said Glover. “They did what they normally do.”
Blazer led all scorers with a game-high 21 points while hauling in 12 rebounds (eight offensive). Batts chipped in 12 points for the Blue Raiders, who drop to 9-7 overall.
Columbia improves to 9-5 overall with the win and ends a three-game losing streak. Victories like Saturday’s will hopefully pay dividends for the Crimson Tide when the postseason rolls around.
“It’s huge,” said Glover. “One thing when I first came to Columbia was trying to change our non-league opponents…because everything that I heard was they’re always Section 4 or Section 5 good. So when we get an opportunity to represent the L-L League…I look forward to that.”
Hempfield overcomes early deficit, takes down Cedar Cliff
Saturday’s game against Cedar Cliff could not have started much worse for Hempfield.
The Black Knights fell behind 12-0 before trailing the Colts 18-2 in the first quarter.
“I thought our quick shots were feeding them offensively,” said Hempfield head coach Danny Walck.
But after the opening onslaught, Hempfield settled in and stepped up the effort defensively. After allowing 20 points in the first quarter, the Black Knights clamped down on defense and held Cedar Cliff to just 33 points over the final three quarters as the Black Knights stormed back for a 64-53 victory in the second game of the L-L/Mid-Penn Showcase at Doe Run Elementary School in Manheim.
“Outstanding” is how Walck described his team’s effort after falling in an early deficit.
“You’re gonna run into that,” said Walck about the early struggles against the Colts. “You have to keep your composure, belief in yourself and your teammates and I thought (we) did that.”
Hempfield standout forward Ben Troyer did it all for the Black Knights on Saturday. He finished with a team-high 20 points, five rebounds, two steals, and three blocks.
But it was Troyer’s supporting cast that helped carry HHS to victory. Point guard Nick Deeg nailed three three-pointers and scored 16 points while Caden Axe and Camden Weyforth logged nine points apiece and Spencer Troyer added eight points for the Black Knights who improve to 9-5 overall.
“Nick has a pretty solid offensive game and I think Caden chipped in a couple around the bucket,” said Walck. “Spencer had a rough day but he had some good takes and we need him to be aggressive like that.”
Cedar Cliff was led by Sam Grube, who poured in a game-high 22 points. The Colts drop to 5-9 overall.
Penn Manor falls to Lower Dauphin in high-scoring affair
Senior forward Ethan Benne and junior guard Michael Lower kept the scorekeepers busy Saturday afternoon but it wasn’t enough for Penn Manor.
The Comets dropped a non-league affair to Lower Dauphin, 76-69, in the third game of the L-L/Mid-Penn Showcase at Doe Run Elementary School in Manheim.
Benne, the leading scorer in the Lancaster-Lebanon League, continued his offensive dominance by scoring a game-high 32 points. The future Millersville Marauder knocked down three three-pointers and converted 13-of-15 free throws. Lower, one of the top shooters in the L-L League, nailed five triples and logged 25 points in the loss.
Lower Dauphin was led by a balanced effort. Point guard Brady Hofsass scored a team-high 23 points while Nick Fry poured in 19 points. Nico DeFrank (11 points), Landon Miller (11 points), and Wes Heagy (10 points) also scored in double-figures.
The Falcons improve to 8-6 overall while Penn Manor drops to 11-5 overall.
Central Dauphin cruises past Cedar Crest
Central Dauphin built a huge first-quarter lead and cruised to an impressive victory over Cedar Crest, 80-57, Saturday evening in the fourth game of the L-L/Mid-Penn Showcase at Doe Run Elementary School in Manheim.
The Rams stormed out to a 24-3 lead after the first quarter and led 42-17 at halftime.
Nine different players scored for Central Dauphin, led by Lleyton Fried with 22 points. Jelani Easter scored 17 points while Wayne Fletcher II added 16 points in the victory. The Rams improve to 11-4 overall.
Fernando Marquez led the way for Cedar Crest with 19 points. Owen Chernich knocked down three three-pointers and scored 11 points for the Falcons. Cedar Crest suffers its first loss since December 9 and drops to 10-3 overall with an eight-game winning streak coming to an end.
Late rally comes up short as Manheim Central falls to Bishop McDevitt
Manheim Central rallied in the fourth quarter but came up short in a 49-44 loss to Bishop McDevitt in the final game of the L-L/Mid-Penn Showcase at Doe Run Elementary School in Manheim Saturday night.
The Crusaders held a 10-point lead, 43-33, after three quarters. That’s when the Barons employed a trapping, pressure defense and forced multiple Bishop McDevitt turnovers.
Manheim Central’s Aaron Enterline stole a pass, drove to the hoop, and scored to bring the Barons within one, 45-44, with just over one minute remaining in the contest.
After Patrick Denisco nailed two free throws for the Crusaders, Manheim Central had a chance to tie the game in the final seconds. But Bishop McDevitt’s Jaxson Davenport came away with a steal and Jacobi Tate would drill two free throws to ice the game.
Bishop McDevitt was led by a balanced attack. Davenport and Max Henderson scored eight points apiece while Denisco finished with seven points. The Crusaders improve to 8-6 overall.
Enterline was the best player on the floor Saturday night. He led the Barons with 18 points while grabbing four rebounds and picking up four steals to go along with two blocks. Chase Book knocked down three three-pointers and finished with nine points while Jackson Tracy contributed eight points in the loss.
Manheim Central drops to 12-3 overall.
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