Wildcat boys win clutch game at Selinsgrove, 51-42

SELINSGROVE, PA – If the Central Mountain boys’ basketball team wanted at least a piece of the Heartland Conference hoop title this season, the Wildcats needed a road win Wednesday night at first place Selinsgrove. Coach Tyler Bardo’s team got just that, racing to an early lead and coming home with a 51-42 win.

The victory moved Central Mountain into a three-way tie for the top spot in the Heartland. CM, Selinsgrove and Shamokin are all 3-1 at this point. The Wildcats lost to Shamokin earlier this month, then Selinsgrove beat Shamokin last week. The Central Mountain road win over the Seals puts the 12-1 Wildcats in a good spot as their two remaining games with the Indians and Seals are home: Shamokin on Jan. 27 and Selinsgrove on Feb. 3.

Hayden Pardoe was the offensive story for CM. The 6-6 senior scored 14 first quarter points as the Wildcats jumped to a 17-4 lead. By halftime the lead was stretched to 32-11, Pardoe in with 20 at that point, fellow senior Jack Hanna next with 8. Meanwhile the Wildcat man-to-man defense pressured the Seals into turnovers and missed shots.

Selinsgrove inched its way back into the game in the second half, trailing 41-26 after three. The Seals got to within ten, down 49-39 with 1:33 to go and cut it to nine at 51-42 with a minute to go but go no closer.

Pardoe ended with 31 points, Hanna with 11. Hunter Hoy had 4, Essex Taylor 3 and Levi Schlesinger with 2.

Coach Bardo told therecord-online, “It was a battle of styles of play. We moved the basketball well against their zone and now it’s a matter of gaining consistency in that area.”

Central Mountain, as noted, is now 12-1 on the year, the Seals 9-6. The Wildcats are back on the road Friday at Shikellamy (2-4; 4-9).