BY JEFF FALK
SOUTH LEBANON – Lebanon County has certainly held its own in girls’ basketball, over the years. The locale has produced more than its share of great teams, and great players who have gone on to compete at the next level.
But rarely – if ever – has the county had as many as four natives go on to play college basketball at the Division Two level.
Introducing, Alyssa, the Marauder, Megan, the Husky, Zoe, the Golden Bear, and Ariel, the Raider – Lebanon County’s menagerie of Division Two recruits.
Cedar Crest seniors Ariel Jones and Alyssa Austin recently committed to furthering their athletic and academic careers at Shippensburg University and Millersville University, respectively. While Northern Lebanon 12th-graders Zoe Zerman and Megan Brandt have promised their talents to Kutztown and Bloomsburg Universities.
For years growing up, Brandt, Zerman, Austin and Jones have competed with and against one another. They are more than remotely acquainted with one another.
They also comprised four-fifths of Lebanon Sports Buzz’s preseason all-Lebanon County girls’ basketball team.
“We’re all friends, on and off the court,” said Austin. “I played on their AAU team last summer. I’ve been around them a couple of years.”
“All four of us were on the same AAU team,” said Zerman. “We all grew up playing against each other. I’ve known them my whole life. It explains where we come from.”
Together, Jones, Austin, Zerman and Brandt competed with Advanced Hoops, an AAU squad based in Harrisburg. Not only did they fare quite well as a group, but they also gained the type of exposure needed for Division Two recruiting.
“We did really well,” said Zerman. “Ariel pushes the ball. She scores at will. We all kind of blended pretty well. We won a few tournaments here and there.”
“They’re amazing,” said Austin. “All four of us were great together, especially not having played together before. The whole summer was great. We had a really good time.”
When Zerman, Brandt, Austin and Jones finally do matriculate, it will be to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. And what makes their college decisions so unique is that they will all compete for different schools in the PSAC’s East Division, and they will all play against each other twice a year.
It will be a natural extension of their good, friendly rivalries.
“It’s going to be weird,” said Austin. “It’s going to be really weird. I never thought about it. It’s going to be crazy. It’s kind of one of those things you don’t know what it’s going to be like until it happens.”
“We’re all in the East,” said Zerman. “It’ll be weird playing against Megan especially. She’s my left hand. She’s my other half.”
While all four girls are wildly talented, they all bring something special to the table.
Zerman is a strong, poised point guard who can handle the rock, drive fearlessly and shoot the ‘three’. Brandt has a relentless motor and has developed her moves around the basket, as well as her rebounding. Austin is a true force inside who has expanded her range and shooting. And Jones, stronger and longer than she looks, is an incredible finisher, three-point shooter and smooth, confident combo guard.
“I made my decision at the beginning of last month,” said Austin. “I went on a visit and watched some games. I also visited UNC-Wilmington, but I really wanted to stay more local. The campus is nice. I played with some of the people on the team. It makes it more comfortable, in a way.
“It was hard at first, because there was interest from a lot of different schools,” added Austin. “I wanted a smaller type of campus. I think it became easier at the end.”
“I made my decision in June, after my visit there,” said Zerman. “I don’t like decisions, but this one was pretty easy. They (the Golden Bears) reached out to me. They liked the way I played the game. I liked that they saw me and watched me. They had a plan for me.”
The Fab Four are a week removed from an epic clash in the semifinals of the Lancaster-Lebanon League playoffs. On Tuesday, February 14th at Lebanon High School, Jones, Austin and the Falcons defeated Zerman, Brandt and the Vikings 49-40 to advance to the league championship game.
It was a much-anticipated and memorable battle between two squads which entered the contest with just one loss between them. In the end, it was Cedar Crest’s defense which was the difference.
“The crowd was memorable. That was the most people I ever played in front of,” said Austin. “Playing against them (Brandt and Zerman) after playing with them was fun. It’s definitely something I’m going to remember. Once we stepped on to the court, winning was what it was all about. Getting the win was the most important thing.”
“I remember Ariel driving every time,” said Zerman. “I remember it was close, and they kind of got away from us. I was excited to play against them (Jones and Austin), but also sad to play against them. I was happy for them, because they won the league and because we’re all friends.
“It was important because we try to win every game,” Zerman added. “Every game is as important as the next. I don’t ever remember the two high school teams playing against each other before.”
While both Cedar Crest and Northern Lebanon have important goals still ahead of them in the District Three and PIAA postseasons, Austin, Jones, Brandt and Zerman all seem ready physically, mentally and emotionally to compete at the next level. Over the next four years, it should be interesting to see how they fare in the PSAC.
“I’m excited to go to college,” said Zerman. “I know all the girls I’m going to be playing with. I know everybody on the team, and that makes it more exciting. We talk all the time.”
“It’s interesting thinking about playing on the next level,” said Austin. “But leaving this group of girls is going to be hard. Doing what we’ve got to do, that’s my main focus right now.”
To purchase images in this article email jkfalk2005@yahoo.com.
| 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
|
— |
W 63-54 |
|
|
| 02/14# |
@Northern Lebanon
|
— |
W 49-40 |
|
|
| 02/16 # |
@McCaskey
|
— |
49-43 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| DATE |
OPPONENT |
TIME |
LOCATION |
|
| 02/23 # |
McCaskey
|
7:00 PM |
Cedar Crest High School |
|
2016-17 Northern Lebanon Girls’ Basketball Results
| 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
|
— |
W 53-31 |
|
|
| 02/14 # |
Cedar Crest
|
— |
L 40-49 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| DATE |
OPPONENT |
TIME |
LOCATION |
|
| 02/24 # |
Berks Catholic
|
7:00 PM |
Northern Lebanon High School |
|
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