Here’s a recap of last night’s local District 3 Single-A action from my story which appeared in Thursday’s New Era. Go buy a copy!
One team is looking to get back to the district championship game for the second year in a row.
The other team is looking to get back to the district championship for the first time in three years.
Living Word Academy and Lebanon Catholic both took big steps toward a return to the District 3 Single-A championship game with impressive victories in first-round games on Wednesday.
Living Word, the reigning CCAC champ and Single-A runner-up, beat Lancaster Christian for the second time in less than week, this time by a 51-46 count at Middletown.
Senior forward Megan Smoker, a Lebanon Valley College recruit, pumped in 20 points for 10th-seeded LWA, which topped No. 7 seed Lancaster Christian 65-54 in the CCAC championship game last Saturday.
Smoker has 1,770 career points.
Sophomore guard Tessa Smucker added 10 points for LWA, which will take on another Lancaster County foe in Saturday’s quarterfinal round: Lancaster Country Day, the No. 2 seed, which had a first-round bye.
That game is set for noon at Garden Spot.
Junior forward Rachel Horst scored 17 points and senior guard Lauren Geib added 14 points for Lancaster Christian, which saw its season to come a close.
Meanwhile, Wednesday night at Hempfield, fifth-seeded Lebanon Catholic, the Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 4 runner-up and a league quarterfinalist, cruised past Steel-High, the No. 12 seed, 60-34.
The Rollers came into the game with the worst record of any team in any District 3 bracket: 1-22.
“Any district win is a good win,” Lebanon Catholic coach Patti Hower said. “Our team is not at the point where we can afford to take anyone lightly, and we didn’t take them lightly.”
Junior guard Samantha Carangelo scored 13 points to lead Lebanon Catholic’s attack, as the Beavers, who improved to 11-14 overall, forced 41 turnovers and held Steel-High to four second-half baskets.
Lebanon Catholic, which won for the sixth time in its last eight games, is seeking a return trip to the finals. The Beavers, who have won 13 Single-A championships, haven’t been in the title game since winning it all in 2004.
Reading Central Catholic has won the last two championships, including last year’s 48-23 win over LWA.
“They feel very confident going into this and we’re where we need to be,” said Hower, whose team shot a respectable 43 percent (26-for-61) from the field and held Steel-High to 12 baskets on 48 attempts (25 percent).
“We’re hoping to get the tradition back,” she said.
Next up for Lebanon Catholic is a quarterfinal date against No. 4 seed Halifax on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at East Pennsboro. Halifax topped Greenwood 56-42 on Wednesday.
JEFFREY REINHART
