Wildcats fend off frisky ‘Shore, 62-46
BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP, PA – It was a raucous atmosphere from the opening whistle Monday night as Central Mountain staged its Senior Night for the Wildcat boys’ basketball team. The student section was jammed, the opponent was rival Jersey Shore and the game was back-and-forth into the third quarter. But ultimately the Wildcats asserted themselves on the way to a 62-46 win.
The victory was the fifth in a row for the streaking ‘Cats, now 9-9; the loss the sixth in a row for the Bulldogs, now 5- 12. It did not come easily for Central Mountain.
Coach Tyler Bardo started five of his six seniors on Senior Night and fellow senior Ashton Probst was the first off the bench; the regular starting five, including Probst, taking the floor several minutes into the first period. Jersey Shore took advantage and opened a 14-7 lead at one point. But the Wildcats got untracked, went on a 7-point run to tie things up and the first period ended up at 17-17 as junior Jack Hanna hit an NBA-distance 3-pointer just before the buzzer. Jersey Shore led 26-25 midway through period two but the Wildcats finished strong and led 30-26 at halftime.
Hanna and Cayde McCloskey drained threes in period three and Central Mountain outscored ‘Shore by a 12-11 clip to end the third quarter leading 42-37. Then Jersey Shore went cold to start period four and junior Hayden Pardoe hit a three, followed by another from McCloskey and the Wildcats went on to open up a 57-37 lead and coast home; coach Bardo able to return all his seniors to the game and also get many junior varsity players into the final minute, the final score 62-46.
The Wildcats had four players in double-figures, led by McCloskey’s 19, Hanna with 14, Pardoe with 12 and Probst with 10. Other scorers were Levi Schlesinger, Owen Persun and Brady Myers with 2 each and Ryan Pentz, back after an injury, with 1.
Jersey Shore’s Kaimen West almost single-handedly kept the Bulldogs in the game. He had 14 of his team’s 26 points at halftime and finished with 19, including five 3-pointers.Tristin Gallick and Spencer Brion were next with 7 each.
Afterwards coach Bardo acknowledged his team is playing its “best ball right now” He said he had told the team in practice before the game that the squad members were likely the only ones envisioning them going from 4-9 to 9-9 “but here we are.”
The Wildcats have a challenging final 10 days or so before the cutoff for district playoffs. This week they travel to Shamokin (8-5) on Wednesday, host Selinsgrove (3-14) on Thursday and travel to Danville (10-5) Saturday. The Wildcat jayvees also won on Monday, 47-43.
The Wildcat seniors recognized before the game included players Ashton Probst, Brett Gerlach, Cayde McCloskey, Owen Persun, Ryan Pentz and Ethan Simmons; managers Demahje Lowry, Kaylee Rupert, Maddy Briggs and Aubrielle Pinero. Senior members of the Jersey Shore were also recognized.
JS 17 9 11 9 = 46
CM 17 13 12 20 = 62
