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Overtime is all ’Cats in D3 win

LINGLESTOWN — Although Greenwood never trailed in its 39-33 playoff victory over Harrisburg Christian Friday, dispatching the Knights was far from easy.

But after an overtime in which only one team scored, the Wildcats found themselves in the semifinals of the District 3 Class A girls basketball tournament, and will be in the state tournament.

Repeatedly the Wildcats established leads only to see them evaporate as the Knights kept charging back to even things up, but never go ahead. In the end, the extra session was needed to complete the task.

“(Harrisburg Christian) is a 22-2 basketball team,” Greenwood coach Jeff Deitz said. “We knew it was going to be a dogfight to the end. We hadn’t played in 15 days, so I’m sure there was some rust. (However) I am not going to take anything away from these girls, they played 36 minutes of tough-nose basketball.”

Senior Nikki Willi led the charge, generating 12 points, 15 rebounds, three steals and a pair of blocks.

Maddy Pyle (nine points) proved clutch, sinking three crucial free throws in overtime help seal the victory.

For the Knights, senior Hunter Chambers delivered a double-double of her own with 15 points, 13 boards and three steals.

Greenwood jumped to an early 9-3 advantage on the strength of five first quarter points from sophomore Mallory Kauffman (six points, eight boards), and a conventional 3-point play from Willi.

However, in a pattern repeated throughout the evening, the Knights finished the quarter on a 7-1 run to break even at 10-10.

A pair of buckets from Anna Cardillo coupled with a pair from the stripe out of Elizabeth Gergal completed the rally. Both Cardillo and Gergal finished with eight points apiece; Gergal nabbed six steals with Cardillo securing eight boards and four swipes.

The ‘Cats kept clawing and built a 17-12 edge midway through the second quarter.

Harrisburg Chriatian erased the deficit with what seemed an all-out blitzkrieg. First, Chambers scored on a putback off a missed free throw, then Gergal drained a 3-ball after a quick Greenwood turnover.

A Kauffman free throw allowed Greenwood to carry an 18-17 advantage to the locker room.

The Wildcats extended their lead to 29-22 by the end of the third quarter, and achieved a 32-22 advantage midway through the fourth.

Bench points from freshmen Alli Walton and Kenedi Stroup were crucial to building the lead.

However, the Knights got back on their horse and continued to fight. Despite shooting poorly all night (11 of 57), they found a way to sink threes down the stretch — a pair from Chambers and one from Gergal — combined with a steal and breakaway basket from Cardillo competed the comeback and tied the game at 33-all.

Stroup was unable to ice the game from the line, misfiring on all four of her late-game attempts. A Pyle layup on the last regulation possession did not go in, forcing the extra time.

“I thought there were some opportunities we had to put the game away and we should have done that,” Deitz said.

In the extra time, Greenwood accounted for all six points, all coming from the line.

A critical turning point came about a minute and a half in to the overtime. Gergal made a steal and was on breakaway to the basket, but Stroup recovered and blocked her shot out of bounds.

A Knights’ assistant was hit with a technical. Sheaffer made one of two, and the ‘Cats got the ball back. The Knights never threatened again after that.

“I don’t understand the technical, especially at that point in the game,” said Harrisburg Christian coach Ed Geyer. “Our girl went in for the basket, (we think) she got fouled, she got hit in the head, the ball got knocked out of bounds and there was no call. I guess my assistant was a little frustrated. Both assistants had been up at different points of the game, and for an official to call a technical there is remarkable.”

Greenwood advances to take on fellow Tri-Valley League member Halifax. The game is slated for Tuesday with a 6:30 p.m. tipoff at Lower Dauphin High School.

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