York stuns Hempfield at the buzzer
Written by: TJ Eck on January 6, 2024
The few fans that braved the winter weather and made their way to Buchanan Gym in Landisville were treated to a wild finish between Hempfield and York Saturday afternoon.
“Our guys showed a lot of grit down the stretch and we were able to grind out a hard-fought victory against a very well-coached Hempfield team,” said York head coach Clovis Gallon.
Trailing by double digits after three quarters of play, York stormed back to earn a 57-56 victory thanks to an offensive rebound putback by Steven Cubilete at the buzzer.
“My man Monford (White) set me up,” said Cubilete. “I got the rebound, I made it.”
Cubilete’s heroics came during a frenetic ending to the game.
Hempfield led by one when York’s Armonni Borges was fouled with 3.9 seconds left. Borges stepped to the line and missed both free throws but off the second shot, White grabbed an offensive rebound. White’s ensuing shot was off the mark but Cubilete was there for a backside rebound and scored the game-winning bucket just before the final horn sounded.
“Steven’s just a dog,” said Gallon. “He has a nose for the basketball. He plays really, really hard and he’s been waiting for an opportunity.”
It appeared like Hempfield was going to run away with this non-league matchup between AAAAAA District 3 teams.
The Black Knights were back in action less than 24 hours after an emotional and critical Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 1 win over Penn Manor Friday night in Landisville. Hempfield showed no signs of a letdown in the early going against York.
HHS was led by superstar Ben Troyer. The senior forward scored 14 points in the first half as the Black Knights took a 31-17 lead into the locker room. After York opened the third quarter on a 7-0 run, Troyer again stepped up. He scored on five straight possessions, including two dunks and an old-fashioned three-point play to keep Hempfield in front, 48-36, after the third frame.
“He’s the ultimate competitor,” said Hempfield head coach Danny Walck when discussing Troyer postgame. “It’s a pleasure to coach him and he just keeps getting better and better.”
Despite Troyer’s effort, York battled back. With star point guard Juelz Tucker in foul trouble throughout the contest, the Bearcats turned to David Warde. Warde knocked down a pair of three-pointers and scored a two-point basket during a fourth quarter run that allowed York to tie the game with under two minutes to play.
“A light switch went off and the guys started being more disciplined with the shot selection and sharing the basketball and then we were able to extend our defense and get into our full-court press,” said Gallon.
Warde led York in scoring with 16 points while Tucker added 13 points and four rebounds. White posted a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
Ben Troyer led all scorers with 28 points to go along with six boards. Spencer Troyer finished with 11 points and four rebounds for the Black Knights.
Hempfield will now look to rest up after playing intense, high-pressure games on back-to-back days.
“It’s a tough scenario when you are back in that fast, that quick, that much energy being spent on Friday night and come back in on Saturday,” said Walck. “I am proud of their effort, without a doubt. We’ll learn from this. I am sorry that we didn’t win it but we are gonna learn from it.”
After four straight home games, the Black Knights hit the road for a L-L League Section 1 matchup with McCaskey on Tuesday night (Jan. 9).
Steven Cubilete’s game-winning bucket
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