Pioneers end Wildcats’ record-breaking season
BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP, PA – No one was sure what to expect from the Lampeter-Strasburg basketball team which made the long trip from Lancaster County to the Central Mountain gym for a first-round PIAA Class 5A playoff game Saturday night. It turned out the Pioneers are quite good. L-S and host (and quite good) Central Mountain played through three even periods before the visitors hit several early final quarter 3-pointers to pull away to a 64-56 win.
The victory put the Pioneers (20-7) into a PIAA second round game against District 7 runner-up Peters Township on Tuesday. The loss ended the Wildcats’ season with a school-record 24-3 log, along with a second straight District 4-6 title and the Heartland Conference regular season and post season crown.
Three-pointers proved to be the difference in the game, L-S draining eight overall to five for the Wildcats. Central Mountain had no answer for the Pioneers’ 6-3 senior Luke Hines. He came into the game averaging 9.5 points per game, but dropped 29 on the Wildcats, including four treys.
Central Mountain jumped to an early 8-2 lead but L-S closed to a 13-8 deficit after one and forged a 26-26 halftime score. The visitors were up by three after three at 39-36 but hit those three early 3-pointers in the final quarter to help open a 52-39 lead by midway through the fourth and then held off a late CM push, the Wildcats cutting the deficit to 56-50 with 1:15 to go, but would get no closer.
Central Mountain was led by Hayden Pardoe with 19, followed by Essex Taylor with 16 (including 12 in the second half) and Jack Hanna with 13. Hunter Hoy had 5 and Levi Schlesinger 4. Pardoe also had four blocked shots.
Wildcat coach Tyler Bardo summed up the game as he credited the Pioneers for their performance: “They hit more shots than we did. We’ve got to give them credit; they hit some big shots.”
The Wildcats spent a longer time in the locker room before emerging afterwards. Coach Bardo said, “It’s tough, it’s tough right now.” He said based on the season to this point, which saw CM win multiple nail-bitters, the team “had expectations…but missed a couple opportunities. That’s life, sometimes the ball doesn’t bounce your way; they’re (the players) are dealing with that.”
Bardo lauded his senior group, building the basketball environment in the area during his six years as head coach, stating they “bought in” what it takes to have a successful program. No one would dispute the Wildcats are now that.
CM 8 18 10 20 = 56
LS 13 13 13 24 = 64
