JEFFREY REINHART jreinhart@LNPnews.com
Oh what a night — a wild and crazy night inside Warwick High School, where members of Cedar Crest’s girls’ basketball team, spilling out of the locker room and setting up camp in the hallway and main lobby, were on pins and needles, waiting to hear the final score from the Hempfield-Penn Manor game from across town. A Hempfield win meant a one-game playoff. A Penn Manor win, and Cedar Crest (fresh off a 54-37 win over Warwick) would clinch its second Section 1 championship in a row. The result? No playoff. And it was kinda cool when I got to tell the Falcons that they were indeed the section champs. Never did anything like that before. And thanks to our very own Dave Byrne, who was covering the game in Millersville, and who did a lovely job relaying the play-by-play over to Lititz. The toughest part was writing a game story about the evening’s proceedings. Wasn’t easy. But here’s what I came up with for Thursday’s New Era:
The scene was almost surreal.
Cedar Crest had just topped Warwick 54-37 in the Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 1 regular-season finale for both teams in Lititz Wednesday night.
Falcons’ players and coaches, with coats and backpacks in tow, were headed to the bus, when suddenly someone passed along the score from the Hempfield-Penn Manor game across town in Millersville.
Hempfield, which came into the night tied with Cedar Crest for first place, and needed a victory to force a one-game playoff for the section championship, was about to go into overtime against pesky Penn Manor.
Everyone froze in the hallway outside the locker room, and for the next 10 minutes, listened intently as play-by-play was relayed from the press box at the Hempfield-Penn Manor game.
“Doesn’t get much more exciting than that,” Cedar Crest guard Meghan Phillips said.
And when that final score was passed along – Penn Manor 45, Hempfield 44 – Cedar Crest’s contingent jumped for joy when they were informed that they were the Section 1 champs for the second year in a row.
“We had a great time listening to that,” said Cedar Crest guard Aubrey Hoover, who hit nine fourth-quarter free throws to help ice the game for the Falcons, who finished the regular season 14-2 in league games and 19-4 overall – and atop Section 1 for the second year in a row after being picked to defend their crown.
“It’s great to win the section again – and we’re glad we didn’t have to do it in a playoff,” Hoover said. “Ugh. I probably won’t sleep tonight.”
Shannon Stokes scored 16 points and grabbed 15 boards, Hoover chipped in with 14 points – 12-for-16 at the line — and Phillips added 11 points for Cedar Crest, which needed a one-game playoff victory over McCaskey last season to clinch Section 1.
Thanks to Penn Manor, there will be no playoff in Section 1 this time around.
“I would like to personally thank Penn Manor,” Cedar Crest coach Gretchen Hall said. “Winning the section was one of our goals. It got a little scary here at the end, but it’s great. I know I’m feeling a lot better now.”
Cedar Crest was in charge for most of the game against Warwick.
The Falcons, who will take on Section 3 runner-up Manheim Central in the first round of the league playoffs on Monday, jumped out to a 15-3 lead after the first quarter – Stokes had three buckets in the key and Phillips hit a 3-pointer during the run – and led 28-19 at the break after Stokes had three more field goals in the second quarter.
Warwick, which trailed by as many as 13 points in the first half, did have a spirited15-4 run, highlighted by three 3-pointers by Carmen Cruz, making it 23-19 with 2:16 to go in the half.
Cruz hit six 3-pointers and scored a game-high 18 points for Warwick, which finished the regular season 8-8 in league games and 14-9 overall – and did earn a spot in the District 3 Quad-A playoffs for the second year in a row.
“Cedar Crest is such a skilled team,” Warwick coach Matt Reber. “They have great fundamentals and just so, so much skill – even the kids they bring in off the bench are skilled. That’s what impresses me the most about them.”
The Falcons forced 16 turnovers, gave the ball away just 11 times, and outrebounded the Warriors 44-30.
And then they waited – impatiently – for the score from Millersville.
And when they got the score they wanted to hear, the hallway outside the locker room erupted and the celebration was on.
“Even though we would have loved another game against Hempfield, it’s nice knowing we can have a couple of days here to relax and get ready for the league playoffs,” Stokes said.
“So thank you Penn Manor. You did a great job.”
Also Wednesday:
McCaskey 65,
Manheim Township 47
Danee Simms hit four 3-pointers and scored 21 points and Teasia Myers chipped in with 19 points for the Red Tornado, which locked up sole possession of third place in the section race.
Kiersten Green connected on three 3-pointers and scored 15 points for the host Blue Streaks, who led 24-21 after the first quarter before McCaskey outscored Township 30-14 in the second half.
