Wildcats claim Heartland title with 71-44 win over Selinsgrove
BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP, PA – The Central Mountain boys basketball team scored early, scored from the outside, scored from inside and scored in transition. When the Wildcats’ Friday night home game with Selinsgrove was over, Coach Tyler Bardo’s team had sprinted to a 71-44 win.
The victory gave Central Mountain the Heartland Conference I title, the team’s first since 2018, Bardo’s first year as head coach. It also was the Wildcats’ seventh win in a row, now 17-1 on the year.
As they have often done this season, the ‘Cats came out firing, opening a 16-0 lead, the score 20-9 at the end of the first period. Hayden Pardoe led the way with 8 in the period, Hunter Hoy next with 6. It was more of the same in period two, CM with a 19-13 split for a 39-22 halftime lead.
It wasn’t long into the third period before the game went to the mercy rule, once the Wildcat lead hit 60-29 late in period three. The margin allowed the coaching staff to work everyone into the game, reserves playing the final six minutes.
Eleven different players scored as seven players accounted for nine 3-pointers, led by Hanna’s three treys. Others, one each, came from Pardoe, Hoy, Brady Myers, Dom Longworth, Xavier Persun and Chemiel Forte-Robinson. It was jayvee reserve Forte-Robinson’s three which ignited the crowd as time wound down.
Points were aplenty: Hanna with 17, Pardoe with 16 to lead the way. Others came from Hoy with 9, Essex Taylor with 8, Persun 5, 3 each from Myers, Longworth, Jeremy Reese and Forte-Robinson and 2 each from Levi Schlesinger and Darius Shade.
Spencer George led the Seals with 13 points, Selinsgrove falling to 13-8 with the loss.
The Wildcats rotated their frontline players from the get-go and coach Bardo said he was pleased with how the players responded. He said the Wildcats avoided some lazy play that had marked their third period at Selinsgrove earlier in the season, a 51-42 win. This time CM put up the first eight points of period three to break things open. He said, “We’re not playing our best basketball yet, but we’re getting there.”
The Wildcats will continue their homestand Monday when Tyrone (11-6) visits.
CM 20 19 21 11 = 71
S 9 13 11 11 = 44
