Plenty of drama in L-L girls' section races

Every chace tight; Monday's girls' basketball round-up

Intelligencer Journal
Lancaster New Era

Feb 09, 2010 02:24 EST

Lancaster

By JEFFREY REINHART, Online Sports Writer

The L-L League Section 1 race got yet another facelift Monday night, when Manheim Township bumped archrival Hempfield out of a first-place tie compliments of a 39-19 win in Landisville.

That Blue Streaks/Black Knights rivalry never gets old.

The Section 1 race is simply flat-out confusing, and it's compounded because Hempfield and Penn Manor have played one more game than everyone else, and because with another snowstorm headed this way, it will likely take a couple of more days before the whole thing is sorted out.

Here's what we know …

Penn Manor edged Warwick 45-39 on Monday and is in sole possession of first place — ½-game ahead of Cedar Crest, Hempfield and Manheim Township, who all have 10 wins.

But Cedar Crest and Manheim Township have one less loss because the Falcons and the Streaks still have a makeup game from last Friday's snow-out postponements.

Tuesday's games could be effected, and Wednesday's games — should this latest storm hit — are in serious jeopardy.

Penn Manor (11-4) finishes up with Cedar Crest at home on Wednesday.

Cedar Crest (10-4) hosts Warwick on Tuesday before getting the Comets on Wednesday.

Hempfield (10-5) finishes up Wednesday at McCaskey.

And Manheim Township (10-4) hosts McCaskey on Tuesday before finishing up at home against Warwick on Wednesday.

Penn Manor's max wins are 12.

Cedar Crest's max wins are 12.

Hempfield's max wins are 11.

Manheim Township's max wins are 12.

The only head-to-head meeting in that mix is Cedar Crest at Penn Manor, so there is still tons on the table in Section 1.

Meanwhile, the Section 2 race remained tied on Monday when Lebanon and Solanco both won.

The Cedars won their 13th game in a row, topping Conestoga Valley 32-21, while the Golden Mares kept pace with a 66-41 triumph over Elizabethtown.

Solanco is at Lebanon on Tuesday — weather permitting; get used to those two words — with sole possession of first place on the line.

The Section 3 race also got a facelift on Monday, when Elco protected its home court with a 40-29 win over Manheim Central, joining the Barons for first place in the section.

Elco, which trailed by as many as two games in the race as recently as last week, is at Donegal on Tuesday and finishes up Wednesday at Northern Lebanon, which is still alive in the race, but needs wins and some help.

Manheim Central hosts Cocalico on Tuesday before hosting Lampeter-Strasburg on Wednesday.

Um, weather permitting, of course.

And Section 4 also remained unchained on Monday, when Lancaster Catholic crushed Columbia 65-28 and remained ½-game ahead of Lancaster Mennonite, which cruised past Pequea Valley 59-22.

The Blazers have a makeup game Tuesday at Lebanon Catholic before traveling to Annville-Cleona on Wednesday.

Lancaster Catholic finishes up Wednesday at home against Lebanon Catholic, which can't catch Lancaster Catholic or Lancaster Mennonite, meaning the Crusaders and the Blazers will represent Section 4 in the league plays; it will come down to who is the champ and who is runner-up.

Here's more on Monday's games, with updates on where everyone stands heading into Tuesday's games — yep, weather permitting …

SECTION 1

Penn Manor 45, Warwick 39 — The Comets took over sole possession of first place behind Bianca Ygarza (14 points) and Julie Falk (11 points), holding off the hard-charging Warriors down the stretch and getting some help from Manheim Township.

Penn Manor (16-5) led 29-21 at the break and opened up some breathing room with an 11-7 third-quarter spurt, and then held off Warwick, which closed the game on an 11-5 run.

Chloe Hayter and Whitney Reddig scored 10 points apiece for Warwick (6-8, 10-10), which needs one more win to qualify for the District 3 Quad-A playoffs.
Manheim Township 39, Hempfield 19 — The Blue Streaks (14-6) opened the game on a 16-3 blitz, led 26-15 at the break, held the Black Knights (13-8) to 0 fourth-quarter points, and knocked their rivals out of a first-place tie with Penn Manor.

Jordan Brewer, Lisbet Byler and Kiersten Green scored 8 points apiece to pace a balanced attack for Manheim Township, which is still very much alive in its pursuit to defend its Section 1 crown.

Green has 936 career points.
Cedar Crest 63, McCaskey 26 — The Falcons remained very much in the section hunt behind Meghan Phillips (15 points) and Kirsten Clemens (season-high 12 points).

Cedar Crest (15-5) opened the game on a 16-3 tear and led 29-7 at the half.

Porscha Hunter scored 10 points for McCaskey (3-11, 5-15), which dropped its sixth game in a row.

SECTION 2

Solanco 66, Elizabethtown 41 — Taylor Kreider (15 points), Emily Allport (11 points), Gillian Glackin (11 points) and Melanie Siegrist (career-high 10 points) led the Golden Mares (12-2, 15-5), who kept pace with Lebanon in the section chase, and set up Tuesday's first-place showdown against the Cedars in Lebanon — weather permitting.

Sarah Fairbanks scored 11 points for the Bears (6-8, 9-11), who need to win their final two games to clinch a spot in the District 3 Quad-A playoffs.
Lebanon 32, Conestoga Valley 21 — Make that 13 wins in a row for the Cedars (12-2, 16-3), who held the Buckskins to 2 second-quarter points and 3 third-quarter points on the way to remaining tied for first with Solanco, which is set to visit Lebanon on Tuesday.

Gemiqua Benjamin scored 11 points for Lebanon while Jess Martin paced CV (1-13, 3-17) with 7 points.
Ephrata 38, Garden Spot 32 — The Mountaineers snapped their five-game losing skid and picked up their second league victory this season behind Kat Andriani, who scored 14 points for Ephrata (2-12, 3-17).

Lauren Taylor and Julia O'Brien scored 9 points each for the Spartans (2-12, 4-15), who dropped their seventh game in a row.

SECTION 3

Northern Lebanon 43, Donegal 30 — Leah Wilhelm continued her torrid stretch with 11 points and three 3-pointers (giving her 16 treys in her last six games) and Liz Houser scored 12 points for the Vikings (8-6, 10-10), who opened up some breathing room with a 17-4 second-quarter spree and remained mathematically alive in the Section 3 chase.

Northern Lebanon also needs one more win to qualify for the District 3 Triple-A playoffs.

Katie Robinson scored 10 points for the Indians (3-11, 4-16).
Lampeter-Strasburg 64, Cocalico 52 — Kelsey Souders pumped in 24 points and Lexie Lantz scored 11 points for the Pioneers (6-8, 7-13), who led 27-17 at the half and cruised past the Eagles.

Bethany Noll, who missed the last seven games in a row with an ankle injury, returned to Cocalico's lineup and drilled three 3-pointers and scored 13 points, and Lauren Waskowicz scored 12 points and Amber Daub chipped in with 10 points for the Eagles (6-8, 9-11), who must go 2-0 to clinch a spot in the District 3 Quad-A playoffs.

SECTION 4

Lancaster Catholic 65, Columbia 28 — No double-digit scorers for the Crusaders, but Jen Roehm (9 points), Tyler Oleskowitz (9 points) and Emily Martin (8 points) paced a balanced attack for Lancaster Catholic (14-1, 16-5), which broke the game open with a 19-2 third-quarter blitz and remained ½-game ahead of Lancaster Mennonite.

It was the Crusaders' sixth win in a row.

Emily Nobile drilled three 3-pointers and poured in 20 points for Columbia (0-14, 0-20).
Lancaster Mennonite 59, Pequea Valley 22 — Steph Rheinheimer hit three 3-pointers and matched her career-high with 21 points and Jess Rheinheimer and Erin LaVenice chipped in with 11 points apiece for the Blazers (13-1, 17-3), who cruised to a 27-9 lead at the half and remained in a virtual tie with Lancaster Catholic.

LaVenice has 961 career points.

Marissa Ferris scored 12 points for the Braves (3-12, 7-14).
Lebanon Catholic 60, Annville-Cleona 19 — The Beavers (10-4, 14-5) remained mathematically alive in the Section 4 hunt behind Hailey Carangelo (19 points) and Rachel Kleinfelter (14 points), plus a 34-12 first-half run.

Victoria Siebecker scored 9 points for the Little Dutchmen (2-12, 4-16), who failed to score a fourth-quarter point.

Sports writer Jeffrey Reinhart can be reached at jreinhart@LNPnews.com or 291-8777.