Wildcat hoops moves to 19-1 with 69-61 win over Dragons
BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP, PA – With just a couple regular season games to go, let it be said that the Central Mountain boys’ basketball team is having a season for the ages. Coach Tyler Bardo’s team won its ninth game in a row Friday night, holding off visiting Lewisburg 69-61. The win stretched the Wildcat record to 19-1 and also ended a 9-game Green Dragon winning streak, Lewisburg falling to 14-7 with the loss.
The Dragons came out firing in period one, opening an 18-9 lead before the Wildcats adjusted defensively and got untracked offensively. Hayden Pardoe hit a couple opening quarter 3s to help bring CM to within 21-15 at the end of the first eight minutes. Pardoe added another 6 points in period two and senior teammate Jack Hanna had 12 by halftime and the Wildcats led 32-31 at halftime.
As has often been the case this season, period three belonged to CM, a 23-9 edge giving the ‘Cats a 55-40 lead heading into the final quarter. Multiple teammates helped out in the third, Hunter Hoy and Essex Taylor combining for 9 as Pardoe added another 9 himself.
But a hustling Lewisburg squad did not back down, cutting the lead to six at 63-57 with 1:47 remaining. CM’s Essex Taylor came up with a big steal at that point and dished off to Hoy for a key basket with under a minute remaining and the Wildcats made sufficient foul shots down the stretch to secure the 69-61 win.
Pardoe finished with 27 points and 4 blocked shots, Hanna with 19 points. Hoy finished with 10, all in the second half.. Taylor had 5, all in period three and Levi Schlesinger and Xavier Persun added 4 each. Lewisburg was led by guard Cam Michaels with 20 points.
Coach Bardo said Lewisburg was a good test, “We need games like this, wire-to-wire. We’ve responded (to the uptempo pace) since the first Shamokin game; we embrace the physicality,”
The Wildcats will be back in action Saturday, a 5:30 p.m. varsity start time for Senior Night the opponent Huntingdon (7-12). The game was moved up from next week which likely will see CM participating in a four-team Heartland Conference postseason tourney, in addition to a Tuesday, Feb. 14 home matchup with Williamsport.
CM 15 17 23 14 = 69
L 21 10 9 21 = 61
