Wildcat basketball wins showdown over Shamokin

BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP, PA – The Central Mountain boys basketball team had to wait a couple weeks but Friday night got revenge for their only loss of the season to date. It wasn’t easy but the Wildcats withstood a late Shamokin push to down the Indians, 64-55.

Shamokin took a 69-51 win on their home court as they shot lights-out that night. But on Friday it took a while for the visitors to get their three-point game going. In the meantime CM veterans Hayden Pardoe and Jack Hanna put up the points in the first half, 20 between them, helping to build a 24-21 halftime lead after the Wildcats trailed 13-10 after one.

The third period proved to be a key for CM as sophomore Hunter Hoy dropped in four points and junior Xavier Persun came off the bench to drain two threes; after three the Wildcats led 45-34 and never trailed again. Shamokin, featuring four sophomores in its starting lineup, closed the game to three points, at 55-52 midway through period four. But Central Mountain made sufficient foul shots down the stretch to pull away for the important Heartland Conference win.

Hanna stepped up in the final quarter with 8 points to finish with 17. Pardoe had a game-high 23 points, including three first half 3s. Hoy finished with 7, Persun with 6; 5 each came from Essex Taylor and Levi Schlesinger and 1 from Brady Myers.

Wildcat coach Tyler Bardo said the game saw “two really good teams…a game of adjustments.” CM went to a zone for a couple times in the contest, a new look, done according to the coach “to switch our focus…keep our intensity up.”

The win put the Wildcats at 15-1 on the season, with but one loss in the Heartland. Shamokin dropped to 10-4 on the year, the loss its second in conference play. Both Central Mountain and Selinsgrove (9-5) have one conference loss apiece and will have a key contest on the Wildcats’ home court next Friday, Feb. 3. Central Mountain downed the Seals 51-42 on Jan. 18.

The Seals game will be preceded by a game at Jersey Shore (2-10) next Tuesday, Jan. 31.

Shamokin won the JV game, 53-44.

The large crowd was treated to a halftime baton show from Central Mountain student Jasmine McCauley..

CM 10 14 21 19 = 64

S     13  8 13 21 = 55