Local hoops roundup: Eastern York boys advance past Danville in state playoffs

After a frantic season filled with ups and downs, Eastern York boys’ basketball has a PIAA Class 4A playoff win to its name.

The Golden Knights beat Danville, 56-52, in the opening round of the state tournament Friday night. Playing on the road against the District 4 champions, Eastern York led by as many as 14 points in the third quarter before holding on down the stretch.

The fourth-place finisher from District 3 trailed 11-8 after the first quarter but took a 25-22 lead into halftime. The Knights (19-8) then started the third quarter on a 12-1 run to pull ahead 37-23. The Ironmen (19-8) surged back to within three points entering the fourth but needed another comeback in the final frame that fell just short.

Eastern’s lead was trimmed from 51-41 to 53-50 with 1:42 remaining, and Danville had a look to get within a point that bounced off the rim with just over a minute to play. The Golden Knights made three free throws late to hang on and reach the round of 16.

Head coach Justin Seitz’s team got contributions from its entire rotation in the victory. Carter Wamsley, a 6-foot-6 sophomore, capitalized on a matchup advantage against the Ironmen and finished with 17 points. His running mate, 6-4 senior Austin Bausman, added 12 points, while sophomore point guard Brady Seitz chipped in nine. Jack Weaver hit two 3-pointers and registered seven points. Simon Lipsius scored six and Carter Foote-Renwick notched five.

Carson Persing nailed seven 3-pointers and tallied a game-high 22 points for Danville, while Hayden Winn added 13 points. The Ironmen committed only four turnovers in the contest but simply couldn’t find the bottom of the net enough to pull ahead.

Eastern York will battle Overbrook in the PIAA second round Tuesday at Coatesville Area High School. The District 12 runner-up Panthers (14-13) topped Blue Mountain, 75-58, on Friday.

Thunderbolts postponed: Littlestown, the other York-Adams League team in the boys’ Class 4A tournament, was slated to visit District 4 runner-up Lewisburg at 7:30 p.m. Friday, saw its game postponed due to inclement weather in the area. The contest has been rescheduled for the same time Saturday, adding a night game to a busy local schedule.

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GIRLS’ BASKETBALL

Class 6A first round

Central York 50, Souderton 48 (2OT): The host Panthers never led in regulation, trailing 11-6, 23-17 and 32-27 after the first three quarters. But Central York hunkered down and made its charge in the fourth quarter, closing on a 7-0 run to force overtime at 37-all. The teams traded baskets in the first overtime, then an exchange of 3-pointers put the Panthers up late in the second extra period. 

Indians star Casey Harter’s basket tied the game again in the final seconds, but Souderton’s Erin Bohmueller was whistled for a foul on the inbounds pass with 0.5 seconds on the clock. Central’s Bella Chimienti nailed both free throws for the win.

Mackenzie Wright-Rawls led the Panthers (24-4) with 15 points, while Chimienti scored all of her 13 after the start of the fourth quarter. Jazmine Parker added 10 points and Emily Crouthamel had eight, including the 3-pointer that gave Central a 48-46 lead in the second OT. Harter, a Northwestern women’s hoops signee, topped all scorers with 20 points. Mikayla McGillian added 11 for the District 1 No. 7-seed Indians (22-7).

Central York’s win was the 400th for head coach Scott Wisner, although assistant Sean Potts has served as the team’s acting head coach since January. The Panthers will play Easton on Tuesday at Governor Mifflin Intermediate School.

Perkiomen Valley 57, Red Lion 43: The District 1 champion Vikings (28-1) were never seriously threatened; the hosts led 11-5 after the first period, 26-14 at the half and 41-23 through three. The Lions (18-10) battled to the finish, however, outscoring Perk Valley 20-16 in the fourth quarter. It was certainly a much closer contest than when the teams met in their second games of the season and the Vikings won 73-35.

Bhrooke Axe led Red Lion with 18 points, while fellow senior Kamauri Gordon-Bey added seven. Bella Bacani led Perk Valley with 18 points, and four Vikings tallied at least nine as they moved on to a second-round matchup with Archbishop Carroll.

Spring-Ford 55, Dallastown 27: After a decent start from the visiting Wildcats, this one was all Rams. Spring-Ford led 18-9 after closing the first quarter on a 12-2 run, then extended the margin to 31-10 at the break and 46-19 through three. The District 1 third-place Rams (25-5) will battle Cardinal O’Hara on Tuesday.

Harper Poff led Dallastown (19-11) with seven points, while Haley Jamison and Praise Matthews added four apiece. Mackenzie Pettinelli had a game-high 13 points, and Katie Tiffan scored 10 for Spring-Ford.

Class 3A first round

River Valley 60, York Catholic 52: The Fighting Irish battled all the way to the finish against the District 6 champion Panthers in Blairsville. After trailing 15-9 through eight minutes, York Catholic battled back to enter halftime tied at 25-25. Another evenly matched third quarter left the teams square at 39-39. But River Valley (26-2) lurched ahead with an 11-0 run in the final frame and ended the Irish’s season.

Katelyn Bullen led York Catholic (17-10) with 14 points. Hannah Artley and Alissia LaMantia each finished with 12 for the Panthers, who will battle Laurel on Tuesday.

SATURDAY’S GAMES

3A boys — North Penn-Mansfield at Delone Catholic, 12:30 p.m. 

4A girls — MaST Charter at Delone Catholic, 2 p.m. 

5A girls — Susquehannock at West Chester Rustin, 2 p.m. 

5A girls — Mars Area at York Suburban, 3 p.m. 

4A girls — Eastern York at Allentown Central Catholic, 3 p.m.

6A boys — Central York at Spring-Ford, 3 p.m. 

1A girls — Christian School of York at Jenkintown, 4 p.m.

5A girls — West York at South Fayette, 4:30 p.m.

4A boys — Littlestown at Lewisburg Area, 7:30 p.m. (rescheduled from Friday)