It was the matchup all of Lycoming County has been waiting for. Fans lined the Loyalsock gymnasium hours before the game even began.
Two undefeated teams. Two state-ranked squads in Double-A.
For Hughesville and Loyalsock, one was going to walk away with a victory, while the other had to deal with losing to a rival. Of course, four quarters wasn’t enough, either.
The game tops this week’s headlines in Central and Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Hughesville was down. But the Spartans were not out. The green machine rallied from a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter to force overtime. There, Hughesville took control, outscoring Loyalsock 20-4 for a 65-49 victory in a Heartland Conference battle.
Hughesville only scored 21 points in the first three quarters, but rallied for an amazing 44 in the fourth and overtime.
"You're talking about some steely cats. They've been through a lot of stuff on the court, they've been all over the place and we've played tough games against national competition in the summer so nothing is going to get them too high or too low," Hughesville coach Nick Tagliaferri said to the Williamsport Sun-Gazette. "During the course of the game they're really excited and playing hard and keeping each other up, but it's a conference game in January. It's important to us and we're thankful to have a team like Loyalsock in our conference."
The loss left the Lancers stunned.
"We thought the game was only 28 minutes long instead of 32. We were in control with four minutes left and made some poor decisions from getting the ball to the wrong people to taking ill-advised shots," Loyalsock coach Ron Insinger told the Williamsport newspaper. "We'll get a lot of mileage out of it. Hopefully we'll see them a minimum of two more times and hopefully next time we play them we'll be more prepared to go the full game."
Brian Gerney had 29 points to pace Hughesville, while Isaac Bittle had 17 for Loyalsock.
Abington gets the best of West Scranton
Abington Heights is still in the race to grab a title in the Lackawanna League’s Division 1, thanks to a clutch performance by Justin Klingman (who started his first game in place for injured Nate Basalyga), as the junior scored 14 points to lead the Comets past West Scranton, 56-44
"There was a little pressure at first, but once you get settled in, all the nerves go away," Klingman told the Scranton Times-Tribune. "We had to move everything around. I just wanted to come in and not make mistakes."
Abington came out firing, and outscored the Invaders in each quarter.
"Klingman came in and he did a great job," West Scranton coach Jack Lyons said to the Scranton newspaper. "Their three guards played excellent and we didn't have any answer for them. There were a couple of key turnovers and it came down to their guards outplaying our guards. There's no question."
Tests for Central Mountain, Central Dauphin
It’s four weeks away. One of the most talked-about matchups in the country is still on target for Hershey’s Giant Center, as Central Dauphin and Central Mountain, both ranked in the top seven of the nation, could clash heads in the PIAA Class AAA Team Duals.
Each one has a tough test ahead. Central Dauphin faces off with one-loss Cedar Cliff. Central Mountain has a tough home match with Big 7 foe Shikellamy on Tuesday. While each is expected to get past that match, despite being tested at several weights, the attention turns to injuries.
Central Dauphin is wrestling without star 171-pounder Kenny Courts, as he has missed the last few duals with an undisclosed injury. It’s unknown how long Courts will be out.
Central Mountain is missing senior 215-pounder Cody Dolan, who didn’t wrestle in last weekend’s Jersey Shore Duals or the latest CM victory, an 81-0 win over Hollidaysburg. Word around Clinton County is Dolan could return as early as this Saturday’s meet with one-loss Bald Eagle Area or even against Shikellamy. Dolan, who already committed to play baseball at West Virginia University next year, has only been defeated once this season.
With those two out, the entire complexion of a dual could change.
Williams sets school record at Guilfoyle
There’s no doubt that Alli Williams is one of the best girls basketball players in the history of Blair County. Recently, she just added another notch to her already-accomplished resume.
The St. Francis University recruit broke the Bishop Guilfoyle record for most points scored in a career when she netted 17 points in a victory over Cambria Heights.
Williams, who has won two state titles while at Guilfoyle and was named Class A Player of the Year, has 1,407 points in her Lady Marauder career. She eclipsed the record of Chris O’Connor, who had 1,395.
"It's a true honor," Williams told the Altoona Mirror. "When you think of all the people who came through here; Mary Forr and Angela Greaser were amazing, and to hold the record is an honor."
She also has the school record for steals and also ranks high for rebounds.
"She's a remarkable person, and she's a fantastic basketball player," BG head coach Mark Moschella told the newspaper. "Two things have to happen to score that many points in a career. One, she has to work awfully hard to get open and two, her teammates have to get her the basketball."
Guilfoyle, ranked No. 1 in the state by the Harrisburg Patriot, sits at 12-0 on the year.
MaxPreps Central and Northeastern Pa. Top 5 (Last Week’s Rank in Parenthesis)
Boys Basketball
1. Hughesville, District 4 (2)
2. Hazleton Area, District 2 (NR)
3. State College, District 6 (1)
4. Loyalsock, District 4 (3)
T5. Abington Heights, District 2 (4)
T5. Crestwood Area, District 2 (NR)
Dropped out: Carbondale
Girls Basketball
1. Bishop Guilfoyle, District 6 (1)
2. Pine Grove, District 11 (3)
3. Abington Heights, District 2 (4)
4. Nativity BVM, District 11 (5)
T5. Holy Redeemer, District 2 (NR)
T5 South Williamsport, District 4 (2)
Dropped out: Old Forge
Wrestling
1. Wyoming Seminary, Prep School (1)
2. Central Dauphin, District 3 (2)
3. Central Mountain, District 6 (3)
4. Easton, District 11 (5)
5. Parkland, District 11 (NR)
Dropped out: Blue Mountain
Tom Fox is sports editor at The Lock Haven (Pa.) Express and covers Central and Eastern Pennsylvania for MaxPreps. He can be reached at tfox@lockhaven.com.
