Warwick Holiday Tournament: Day Two
Written by: TJ Eck on December 30, 2023
Penn Manor holds off Warwick to claim holiday tournament title
Close games have been hard to come by for Penn Manor during the 2023-2024 season.
“At the beginning of the year we had some wins where we played really well, we won kinda going away,” said Penn Manor head coach Larry Bellew. “These last two nights, we’ve had to really execute in the fourth quarter and find ways to win.”
Through the first eight contests of the season, the closest game the Comets played was a 12-point win over Palmyra on December 2. That changed Saturday night when Penn Manor held on late for a 68-59 victory over Warwick in the championship game of the Warriors’ holiday tournament.
The win was anything but easy for Penn Manor. With 2:34 remaining in the contest, the Comets held on to a slim 58-57 lead. That’s when Ethan Benne took over.
The future Millersville Marauder grabbed an offensive rebound, was fouled, and converted both free throws. Moments later, Benne made an acrobatic, driving layup to push the Comets lead to 62-57. He would then ice the game with two more free throws in the final minute.
Benne finished the night with a game-high 29 points while making 15-of-16 from the charity stripe. He added eight rebounds.
“You know you gotta be aggressive, you gotta initiate contact sometimes so my guys did a really good job of helping me out,” said Benne.
Benne was named MVP of the tournament. His performance Saturday night came after he poured in 29 points Friday evening in a hard-fought victory over Dallastown.
“He does a little bit of everything for us,” said Bellew when talking about Benne. “You can’t quantify it. He just does a little bit of everything and everyone believes in him and everybody is a better player because of that.”
While Benne was the star of the night, his teammate and front court running mate Dhamir Wesley played crucial minutes for the Comets. The Villanova football recruit registered a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
“I was more aggressive tonight,” said Wesley. “I usually just pass the ball out but I just wanted to score points tonight and help the team.”
Bellew added: “I thought a couple times in the post, when he got it, he was decisive which he tends not to be. Our guards got him the ball in good rhythm tonight.”
Warwick was led by the tandem of Caleb Johnsen and Carter Horst. Johnsen nailed five three-pointers and scored a team-high 23 points while Horst drilled four shots from beyond the arc and finished the night with 21 points.
The Warriors were on fire from deep, making 12 three-pointers just one night after converting 11 triples in a win over Lancaster Catholic on Friday.
“I told the guys after the game that we played hard,” said Warwick head coach Chris Christensen. “Just a couple of bad stretches, a couple stretches of turnovers…we played hard so I can’t be upset at our effort.”
Warwick drops to 4-5 overall following Saturday night’s defeat. But the Warriors showed that they can go toe-to-toe with one of the best teams in the Lancaster-Lebanon League.
“We had a hard schedule to start for the whole season and we are at the point now where we gotta find ways to win these games,” said Christensen. “We’ll get back to work and see what we can fix.”
Warwick resumes L-L League play Tuesday night (Jan. 2) when the Warriors host Elizabethtown in a Section 2 tilt.
Penn Manor, meanwhile, has gotten back on track with back-to-back wins after two straight losses prior to the Christmas break. Benne missed both defeats while nursing a finger injury. The Comets are now 8-2 overall.
“We did it together,” said Benne. “A big bounce-back week for us and it was preaching together mentality. It’s not one guy, it’s not two guys. It’s all of us.”
Penn Manor is back in action Tuesday night (Jan. 2) when the Comets host Conestoga Valley in a non-league matchup.
Dallastown defeats LCHS in consolation game
Dallastown exploded for 41 points in the second half en route to a 53-33 victory over Lancaster Catholic Saturday evening in the consolation game of the Warwick Holiday Tournament.
The Wildcats struggled mightily against a stout LCHS defense in the first half. The Crusaders held Dallastown to just 12 points through the first two quarters and carried a six-point lead into the break.
Dallastown (4-3 overall) turned up the heat defensively in the third quarter, registering five steals and outscoring LCHS, 18-7, in the frame. The Wildcats put the game away with a 23-point outburst in the fourth quarter.
Kobe McNealy paced the Wildcats’ attack with 20 points to go along with six rebounds. Ten different Dallastown players scored in the victory.
Lancaster Catholic was led by Leo Lambert, who scored 12 points. Crew Wells added 10 points in the loss while Brian Sowers chipped in five points and eight rebounds.
LCHS has now lost seven in a row and falls to 1-7 overall. The Crusaders visit Lampeter-Strasburg Tuesday night (Jan. 2) for a L-L League Section 3 game.
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