Wildcat boys move to PHAC final; Hanna hits 1,000
SUNBURY, PA- Other than a brief second half hiccup Wednesday night, the Central Mountain boys basketball team bounced back nicely from Tuesday’s loss to Williamsport. Wednesday it was the semifinal of the Pennsylvania Heartland Athletic Conference postseason tourney and the Wildcats held off Loyalsock by a 69-58 score.
The game was played at the neutral site Shikellamy High School gym and was highlighted by Wildcat senior Jack Hanna who became just the third Wildcat in school history to score 1,000 points. That notable achievement came on a third quarter layup. The Wildcat bench stood and applauded the accomplishment, but the game continued on the neutral court.
Coach Tyler Bardo has coached Hanna for the last four years and had only good things to say: “Jack achieving 1,000 points is a wonderful accomplishment for an even better young man. The time, care and commitment he gives to preparing himself and playing the right way. He deserves to have that achievement.”
Hanna joins an exclusive club, led by Cole Renninger with 1,562 points and Jonathon Pribble with 1,113. Joe Walker also scored 1,092 points but a portion of those came at Lock Haven High School before Central Mountain came into being. Hanna needed 16 points coming in and now has 1,005 for his stellar four-year career.
Central Mountain led by two at 13-11 after one period and went on an 18-2 blitz in period two, ultimately stretching the lead to 37-18 at halftime. But Loyalsock, which had trouble scoring in the first half, started draining 3-pointers in the second half and forcing Wildcat turnovers. The Lancers pulled to within three, down 56-53 with five and a half minutes to go.
Then Hanna and fellow senior all-star Hayden Pardoe took over. They traded baskets down the stretch, assisted by an Essec Taylor floater, and the lead stretched back out to 9 or 10 points for the duration of the contest.
Hanna finished with 21 points, Pardoe with 27. Taylor had 5, as did Brady Myers. Hunter Hoy had 8 points and Xavier Persun 3.
Coach Bardo applauded the effort of his team, noting that “playing two games within the same 24 hours is never easy when you play as hard as these guys expect to.” He said the ‘Cats battled physical and mental fatigue all night long.
The win gets the 21-2 Wildcats a Friday rematch at Shik High, the opponent Shamokin. The Indians, in the second semifinal Wednesday, downed Danville, 53-43. CM and Shamokin split two regular season games.
CM 13 24 16 16 = 69
L 11 7 26 14 = 58
