BY JEFF FALK
LEBANON – If you’ve got a great team over there, and I’ve got a great team over here, don’t we have to play? Especially, if we’re not all that far away.
To be the best, you want to play the best – you want to beat the best. But it goes beyond that.
It speaks to the essence of competition. It’s what sports are really all about. And it’s a great way to learn more about oneself.
But it’s also something that has the power to blur the line between winning and losing, to somehow make it secondary – even though one would give everything she or he had to prevail.
The Cedar Crest girls’ basketball team and the Northern Lebanon girls’ basketball team had to play.
On Tuesday night at a sold-out Lebanon High School, the Falcons bested the Vikings 49-40 in a semifinal of the Lancaster-Lebanon League that lived up to its billing as the Lebanon County Girls’ Basketball Game of the Year. While Cedar Crest led by no more than a few possessions most of the way, Northern Lebanon was never able to muster a serious threat to the Falcons’ lead.
Not only was it ‘the game everyone wanted to see’, the contest will go down as one of the top sporting events in Lebanon County during the 2017 calendar year.
With the result, Cedar Crest extended its school record for wins to start a season to 24. The unbeaten, Section One champion Falcons will take on McCaskey, a 44-42 victor over Lancaster Catholic, on Thursday at 7 p.m. at Manheim Township High School in the L-L League championship game. Cedar Crest defeated the Red Tornado twice during the regular season, 63-47 in Lancaster on December 16th and 62-42 in South Lebanon on January 17th.
The loss was just Section Three champion Northern Lebanon’s second of the year, against 22 victories. The Vikings will be the top seed in the District Three Class AAAA tournament and will host the winner between Berks Catholic and Susquehanna Township in the quarterfinal round on Friday, February 24th.
“I thought we did alright,” said Cedar Crest head coach Jim Donmoyer. “It seemed like it was sold out. Two county schools. I’ve had my kids for a long time, and Kenny’s (Northern Lebanon’s Battistelli) has had his kids for awhile. I don’t know if everyone realizes this, but Lebanon County has some pretty good basketball.
“We didn’t set out to be undefeated,” Donmoyer continued. “But we’re here and we’ll enjoy it. It was a great high school basketball game.”
“I’m not sentimental like that,” said Battistelli, the Vikings’ head man. “I don’t care about that stuff. To me, this is a bad memory. I’m going to try to forget I walked into this gym tonight. Nothing good comes from being unsuccessful. It was a big game for a lot of people. Cedar Crest has a history and tradition. They have great stories. This doesn’t make me feel anything but sad.
“I know me and my kids would like to play Cedar Crest five more times, until we give them our best shot,” continued Battistelli. “They beat us fair and square. But as far as sentimental stuff goes, the good stuff is the only sentimental stuff.”
“It was just about the league playoffs,” said Cedar Crest star guard Ariel Jones. “Northern Lebanon was a great team to play. I knew we could never give up, because they could come back.”
The Falcons gained control of the outcome in the second period, and once they got it, they refused to let it go.
When it came, it came in the form of a 12-0 run, one which switched a 15-12 deficit into a 24-15 lead. Jones was at her best during the spurt, with two three-pointers, a lay-in and two foul shots, while running mate Alyssa Austin contributed a pair of free throws.
Cedar Crest led 26-20 at the intermission.
“If we need a basket, Ariel is going to get it,” said Donmoyer. “Kenny knows that. The league knows that. Everyone knows that. As she goes, we go. She’s the MVP of the Lancaster-Lebanon League.”
“If we’re going to lose a game, we want the other team to beat us,” said Battistelli. “We didn’t play like us tonight. It’s no fun losing.
“All the things we see day in and day out weren’t there automatically,” added Battistelli. “Cedar Crest is really, really good. But Cedar Crest has nothing to do with our boxing out or our rotations. We played hard. We played really, really hard. But we didn’t play well.”
After Austin opened the second half with an inside move, the Vikings countered with three Megan Brandt baskets inside, to pull to within 28-26 of the lead. But behind Jones, Austin and Raven Morgan, Cedar Crest maintained leads of three-to-five points throughout the third quarter.
“We knew they played great defense,” said Jones of the Vikings. “And they rebound very well. I knew they held teams to around 30 points a game. But I thought if we played the way we can, we’d be OK.”
“It would’ve been absolutely incredible,” said Battistelli of a league championship that never materialized. “I really, really would’ve liked them (his players) to experience that. I think these kids are capable of winning any title out there.
“I hate losing with this group so much, because I like this group so much,” added Battistelli. “But at the end of the day, they’re high school girls and you don’t really know what’s happening in their brains. They would run through a brick wall for each other.”
On a Jade Rolon jumper, an Austin lay-in and a Rachel Witherite three-pointer, the Falcons opened the final quarter with an 7-2 burst to extend their lead to 43-35. Zoe Zerman drained a Northern Lebanon trey with 3:02 to go to move the Vikings to within 46-40, but it would prove to be their last gasp.
Thanks to some missed opportunities at the charity stripe, Northern Lebanon did not score the rest of the way.
“Our defense played well,” said Donmoyer. “We knew they had a couple of shooters. We just had to make sure where they were.”
Jones popped for 23 points, and Austin added 14 points and five blocks. Zoe Zerman and Brandt evenly split 30 points for the Vikings.
The Falcons’ total of 49 was 18 more points than Northern Lebanon had given up on average this season.
“We were terrible on offense,” said Battistelli. “At the end of the day, we couldn’t execute. We didn’t play well, but we were in the game the whole way.
“We could’ve put Zoe on Jones,” added Battistelli. “But I thought we actually did a pretty good job of controlling her. I thought Jones worked really hard for her points. Brandt had a good second half. If she has a better first half, we’re having a different conversation right now.”
A three-pointer by Austin, a drive by Jones and a jumper by Austin added up to an early 7-0 run and a 7-3 Cedar Crest lead. But courtesy of contributions from Zara Zerman, Liz Voight, Amber Kintzer and Brandt, the Vikings notched 12 of the game’s next 17 points to grab a 15-12 margin early in the second period.
“I think we’ve got our hands full before we get that Catholic,” said Battistelli of a possible District Three match-up with Lancaster Catholic. “We’ll bounce back. We always do.”
To purchase images in this article email jkfalk2005@yahoo.com, or to view more go to https://lebanonsportsbuzz.com/photo-gallery/.
| DATE |
OPPONENT |
TIME |
RESULT |
|
|
| 12/09 # |
@East Pennsboro
|
6:00 PM |
W 61-44 |
|
|
| 12/10 # |
@Cedar Cliff
|
7:30 PM |
W 55-43 |
|
|
| 12/13 |
Wilson West Lawn
|
7:30 PM |
W 66-48 |
|
|
| 12/16 * |
@McCaskey
|
7:30 PM |
W 63-47 |
|
|
| 12/19 * |
Warwick
|
7:30 PM |
W 65-47 |
|
|
| 12/21 * |
@Conestoga Valley
|
7:30 PM |
W 41-27 |
|
|
| 12/28 # |
@South Western
|
6:00 PM |
W 52-34 |
|
|
| 12/29 # |
@York Suburban
|
7:30 PM |
W 42-26 |
|
|
| 01/03 * |
Manheim Twp.
|
7:30 PM |
W 66-47 |
|
|
| 01/06 * |
Hempfield
|
7:30 PM |
W 54-40 |
|
|
| 01/09 |
Lebanon
|
7:30 PM |
W 55-21 |
|
|
| 01/10 * |
@Penn Manor
|
7:30 PM |
W 69-44 |
|
|
| 01/13 * |
@Elizabethtown
|
7:30 PM |
W 59-33 |
|
|
| 01/17 * |
McCaskey
|
7:30 PM |
W 62-42 |
|
|
| 01/20 * |
@Warwick
|
7:30 PM |
W 51-28 |
|
|
| 01/24 * |
Conestoga Valley
|
7:30 PM |
W 57-27 |
|
|
| 01/24 |
@Palmyra
|
7:30 PM |
W 51-28 |
|
|
| 01/27 * |
@Manheim Twp.
|
7:30 PM |
W 54-41 |
|
|
| 01/31 * |
@Hempfield
|
7:30 PM |
W 53-44 |
|
|
| 02/02 |
@Cocalico
|
7:30 PM |
W 57-37 |
|
|
| 02/03 * |
Penn Manor
|
7:30 PM |
W 50-30 |
|
|
| 02/07 * |
Elizabethtown
|
7:30 PM |
— |
|
|
| 02/11 # |
@Lebanon Catholic
|
2016-17 Northern Lebanon Girls’ Basketball Schedule
| DATE |
OPPONENT |
TIME |
RESULT |
|
|
| 12/09 # |
Littlestown
|
7:00 PM |
W 56-22 |
|
|
| 12/10 # |
Palmyra
|
7:00 PM |
W 43-24 |
|
|
| 12/13 |
@Middletown
|
7:30 PM |
W 66-52 |
|
|
| 12/14 |
@Garden Spot
|
7:30 PM |
W 53-23 |
|
|
| 12/16 * |
Annville-Cleona
|
7:30 PM |
W 58-24 |
|
|
| 12/19 * |
@Lebanon Catholic
|
7:30 PM |
L 42-45 |
|
|
| 12/21 * |
Columbia
|
7:30 PM |
W 56-36 |
|
|
| 12/27 # |
McCaskey
|
6:00 PM |
W 47-36 |
|
|
| 12/28 # |
@New Oxford
|
7:30 PM |
W 53-38 |
|
|
| 01/03 * |
@Pequea Valley
|
7:30 PM |
W 54-33 |
|
|
| 01/06 * |
@Lancaster Catholic
|
7:30 PM |
W 49-35 |
|
|
| 01/10 * |
Lancaster Mennonite
|
7:30 PM |
W 50-21 |
|
|
| 01/13 * |
Elco
|
7:30 PM |
W 51-22 |
|
|
| 01/17 * |
@Annville-Cleona
|
7:30 PM |
W 48-18 |
|
|
| 01/20 * |
Lebanon Catholic
|
7:30 PM |
W 44-31 |
|
|
| 01/21 |
Tulpehocken
|
7:30 PM |
W 57-29 |
|
|
| 01/24 * |
@Columbia
|
7:30 PM |
W 55-34 |
|
|
| 01/26 |
Manheim Central
|
7:30 PM |
W 48-23 |
|
|
| 01/27 * |
Pequea Valley
|
7:30 PM |
W 62-41 |
|
|
| 01/31 * |
Lancaster Catholic
|
7:30 PM |
W 50-41 |
|
|
| 02/03 * |
@Lancaster Mennonite
|
7:30 PM |
W 53-37 |
|
|
| 02/07 * |
@Elco
|
7:30 PM |
— |
|
|
| 02/11 # |
@Hempfield
|
— |
— |
|
|
PIAA District Three
Class AAAA Power Rankings
| AAAA |
School |
W |
L |
T |
Rating |
TWP |
OWP |
| 1 |
Northern Lebanon |
21- |
1- |
0 |
0.745498 |
0.944690 |
0.502041 |
| 2 |
Wyomissing Area |
21- |
1- |
0 |
0.719206 |
0.953125 |
0.433304 |
| 3 |
Bishop McDevitt |
18- |
4- |
0 |
0.718183 |
0.855319 |
0.550573 |
| 4 |
Lancaster Catholic |
18- |
3- |
0 |
0.717888 |
0.869136 |
0.533029 |
| 5 |
Eastern York |
14- |
8- |
0 |
0.633947 |
0.686957 |
0.569158 |
| 6 |
York Suburban |
13- |
9- |
0 |
0.617953 |
0.652466 |
0.575770 |
| 7 |
West Perry |
16- |
6- |
0 |
0.601307 |
0.726027 |
0.448871 |
| 8 |
Berks Catholic |
11- |
9- |
0 |
0.588617 |
0.582126 |
0.596550 |
| 9 |
Susquehanna Township |
10- |
12- |
0 |
0.557850 |
0.514423 |
0.610927 |
| 10 |
Boiling Springs |
9- |
10- |
0 |
0.528173 |
0.526992 |
0.529617 |
| 11 |
Littlestown |
13- |
9- |
0 |
0.521781 |
0.592511 |
0.435333 |
| 12 |
East Pennsboro Area |
9- |
11- |
0 |
0.515968 |
0.472500 |
0.569094 |
| 13 |
Eastern Lebanon County |
8- |
13- |
0 |
0.460719 |
0.380510 |
0.558752 |
| 14 |
Kennard Dale |
7- |
15- |
0 |
0.447336 |
0.366029 |
0.546712 |
| 15 |
Hamburg Area |
8- |
14- |
0 |
0.414205 |
0.377990 |
0.458468 |
| 16 |
James Buchanan |
5- |
16- |
0 |
0.392577 |
0.280206 |
0.529920 |
| 17 |
Lancaster Mennonite |
5- |
17- |
0 |
0.371422 |
0.227477 |
0.547354 |
| 18 |
Bermudian Springs |
5- |
17- |
0 |
0.346486 |
0.215640 |
0.506409 |
| 19 |
Schuylkill Valley |
2- |
20- |
0 |
0.280226 |
0.094340 |
0.507421 |
PIAA District Three
Class AAAAAA Power Rankings
|
| AAAAAA |
School |
W |
L |
T |
Rating |
TWP |
OWP |
| 1 |
Cumberland Valley |
17- |
1- |
0 |
0.838316 |
0.965596 |
0.682751 |
| 2 |
Cedar Crest |
22- |
0- |
0 |
0.814043 |
1.000000 |
0.586763 |
| 3 |
Central Dauphin |
19- |
3- |
0 |
0.792272 |
0.906130 |
0.653112 |
| 4 |
Central York |
20- |
2- |
0 |
0.767343 |
0.937255 |
0.559672 |
| 5 |
Cedar Cliff |
17- |
5- |
0 |
0.736588 |
0.823404 |
0.630480 |
| 6 |
Governor Mifflin |
16- |
6- |
0 |
0.710903 |
0.806723 |
0.593790 |
| 7 |
J P McCaskey |
15- |
7- |
0 |
0.705614 |
0.767490 |
0.629987 |
| 8 |
Manheim Township |
14- |
8- |
0 |
0.699771 |
0.742489 |
0.647559 |
| 9 |
Central Dauphin East |
13- |
8- |
0 |
0.698065 |
0.723356 |
0.667155 |
| 10 |
HEMPFIELD |
14- |
8- |
0 |
0.690738 |
0.734177 |
0.637647 |
| 11 |
Dallastown Area |
12- |
10- |
0 |
0.653054 |
0.635556 |
0.674440 |
| 12 |
Wilson (3) |
12- |
9- |
0 |
0.642893 |
0.674365 |
0.604427 |
| 13 |
Red Lion Area |
11- |
11- |
0 |
0.598714 |
0.599537 |
0.597708 |
| 14 |
Waynesboro Area |
14- |
7- |
0 |
0.597029 |
0.716628 |
0.450854 |
| 15 |
Carlisle |
8- |
13- |
0 |
0.563163 |
0.480818 |
0.663807 |
| 16 |
Conestoga Valley |
8- |
13- |
0 |
0.547699 |
0.481390 |
0.628743 |
| 17 |
Elizabethtown Area |
8- |
14- |
0 |
0.539605 |
0.459596 |
0.637393 |
| 18 |
Penn Manor |
8- |
14- |
0 |
0.537248 |
0.470297 |
0.619077 |
| 19 |
Warwick |
7- |
14- |
0 |
0.534636 |
0.441253 |
0.648771 |
| 20 |
Exeter Township |
7- |
15- |
0 |
0.494586 |
0.386364 |
0.626858 |
| 21 |
Reading |
4- |
18- |
0 |
0.445699 |
0.253968 |
0.680037 |
| 22 |
Ephrata Area |
5- |
17- |
0 |
0.419216 |
0.295455 |
0.570480 |
| 23 |
Chambersburg Area |
3- |
19- |
0 |
0.398022 |
0.171196 |
0.675253 |
| 24 |
William Penn |
3- |
18- |
0 |
0.391174 |
0.197772 |
0.627555 |
| 25 |
York Country Day School |
4- |
15- |
0 |
0.291718 |
0.158311 |
0.454772 |
|
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