Girls Basketball Results Tracker: February 9-14

In this post, we’ll provide updates on Girls Basketball action from across Lebanon County. This will be a rolling summary, continually updated as we receive new details, giving you a one-stop place to stay informed on all the latest happenings.

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Saturday, February 14th

Veritas Academy 55, New Covenant 49

CCAC Championship Game

On Saturday afternoon, New Covenant and Veritas Academy met at Lancaster Bible College with a CCAC championship on the line — a postseason-style matchup between two teams that could very well see each other again in the District 3 1A bracket.

It was no surprise the game was even after one, with the teams locked at 8-8. Qynne Demler and McKenna Kantnereach buried a 3-pointer for the Flames to match Veritas early and keep the opening quarter level.

The difference came in the 2nd quarter. Veritas created separation in a stretch that ultimately decided the outcome, outscoring New Covenant 18-8 and leaning heavily on efficient free-throw shooting. Veritas went 9-for-10 at the line in the first half, and by halftime New Covenant faced a 28-16 deficit.

New Covenant found its offensive rhythm in the 3rd and gave the Flames faithful a reason to believe, putting up 18 points and cutting into the Veritas lead. Demler and Kantner scored six points apiece in the frame, going a combined 6-for-6 from the charity stripe, while Moriah Simniskis added to the push by going 3-for-4 at the line in the quarter. Still, Veritas did enough to steady itself, and New Covenant entered the 4th trailing 40-34.

The Flames tried to rally in the final eight minutes, but Veritas protected its lead the rest of the way. Kantner scored five points in the quarter and Demler added four, but the teams played to a 15-15 draw in the frame as Veritas closed out a 55-49 win.

Demler finished with 17 points to lead New Covenant, while Kantner followed with 16 and Simniskis totaled nine.

While disappointing in the moment, New Covenant (21-3) will have a chance to turn the page quickly as the Flames enter the District 3 playoffs as the #2 seed. Veritas Academy is the #1 seed, leaving the door open for a potential rematch … with even higher stakes.

NC Scoring: Q. Demler 17, M. Kantner 16, M. Simniskis 9, A. Zimmerman 4, A. Yeagley 2, A. Hershey 1

Friday, February 13th

Manheim Township 35, Cedar Crest 31

Lancaster Lebanon League Championship Game

On Friday night, Cedar Crest and Manheim Township met for the third time this season, this time with a Lancaster-Lebanon League title on the line. After splitting the regular-season series and finishing as Section 1 co-champions, the championship matchup was staged on Manheim Township’s home floor, the league’s predetermined site for the basketball finals. The Blue Streaks also brought experience in the moment after last year’s narrow championship loss to Lebanon, and those factors mattered in what turned into another tight battle.

It was no surprise the game was even after one, with the teams locked at 8-8. Township got early threes from Cinaya Robinson and Julia Weaver, while Olivia Young scored 4 points to pace Cedar Crest.

In the 2nd quarter, sophomore Robinson continued to produce, scoring 6 points in the frame as Township carried an 18-15 lead into halftime. Cedar Crest stayed within striking distance behind 4 points from Kaila Francis and a 3-pointer from Elli Malinoski.

The 3rd quarter turned into a defensive grind, with the teams combining for just nine points. Cedar Crest accounted for five of them, getting a basket and a free throw from Ryan Stopper as the Falcons trimmed the margin to 22-20 heading to the 4th.

Township opened the final period with a surge, again led by Robinson, and built a six-point cushion. Cedar Crest answered with late-game punch, cutting the deficit to one when Francis buried a 3-pointer. When Township tried to separate again, Francis delivered yet again, flashing her inner Larry Bird as she knocked down another triple to keep the Falcons within reach.

But Cedar Crest couldn’t get all the way over the top, and Township did what championship teams do late, converting at the foul line in the closing minute to secure a 35-31 win.

With the victory, Manheim Township claimed its first LL League championship since 2011. Robinson finished with 17 points, including three 3-pointers, while Cedar Crest was led by Francis, who scored 12 and also made her presence felt on the glass to limit second-chance opportunities.

Cedar Crest (14-11) will be back in action Monday, opening the District 3 playoffs with a road trip to Dallastown.

CC Scoring: K. Francis 12, O. Young 6, A. Groff 5, R. Stopper 5, E. Malinoski 3

MT Scoring: C. Robinson 18, J. Weaver 7, G. Dumser 4, A. Williams 3, E. Brandt 3

For more on the game, check out LLHoop’s Kyle Morgan’s article, right here

Wednesday, February 11th

Cedar Crest 31, Ephrata 24

After Manheim Township defeated Warwick in the first of two LL League semifinal matchups at Hempfield on Wednesday night, it was the Lady Falcons’ turn to take their shot. In the nightcap, Cedar Crest drew a tough assignment against Section 2 co-champion Ephrata, with all of the action broadcast as part of our LebCo Sports Live series.

Ephrata caught Cedar Crest off guard early, as Emily Bender knocked down three 3-pointers in the opening stretch to spark a fast Mounts start. Bender, who had just four made threes on the season entering the game, was the unexpected hero early as Ephrata jumped out to a 9-2 lead. Cedar Crest settled in by the end of the quarter, trimming the deficit to 14-9 behind 4 points from Kaila Francis and a 3-pointer from Ali Groff.

The pace slowed drastically in the 2nd, with the teams combining for just five points. Ephrata’s lone bucket came from Alyssa Caldwell, while Cedar Crest got a field goal from Groff and a free throw from Ryan Stopper. At halftime, Ephrata held a 16-12 lead.

Cedar Crest’s defense took over in the 3rd. The Falcons held Ephrata scoreless until the final second of the period, when Sophia Devonshire beat the buzzer with a layup to break the shutout. On the other end, Cedar Crest found enough offense to flip the game, fueled by 4 points from Groff, and the Lady Falcons entered the 4th holding a 20-18 advantage.

With a trip to the LL Championship on the line, Cedar Crest finished the job at the line and with timely stops. Stopperdelivered 4 big points in the final quarter, Groff went 3-for-4 from the stripe, and the defense did the rest as Cedar Crest pulled away for a 31-24 win.

Groff led the Falcons with 12 points and was named the OAL Player of the Game. Stopper finished with 7, Francisadded 6, and Elli Malinoski scored 4. Ephrata was led by Bender, who finished with 12.

Cedar Crest (14-10) will play for the Lancaster-Lebanon League Championship on Friday night at Manheim Township, where the Blue Streaks will try to defend their home floor. The two teams split the regular-season series and finished as Section 1 co-champions.

Watch the Full Broadcast

CC Scoring: A. Groff 12, R. Stopper 7, K. Francis 6, E. Malinoski 4, O. Young 2

Ephrata Scoring: E. Bender 12, L. Caldwell 6, A. Caldwell 5, S. Devonshire 2

New Covenant 66, Mount Calvary 60 [2 OT]

On Wednesday night, New Covenant hosted Mount Calvary in the semifinal round of the CCAC Championship Tournament. The Flames had soundly defeated the Chargers twice during the regular season, but playoff basketball has a way of rewriting the script.

New Covenant came out steady, building an early lead behind 4 points from Qynne Demler and a 3-pointer from Moriah Simniski. By the end of the 1st quarter, the Flames held an 11-5 advantage.

In the 2nd, Mount Calvary started to find its rhythm, scoring 15 points in the quarter. New Covenant answered with 11 of its own, led by 4 points from Adrianna Yeagley, but the halftime cushion had shrunk to two, 22-20.

The Chargers took control in the 3rd, pouring in 22 points to swing the game in their favor. The Flames managed 12 in the frame, with Demler and McKenna Kantner scoring 4 apiece, but Mount Calvary carried the momentum into the 4th with a 43-34 lead.

New Covenant wasn’t finished.

The Flames battled back in the 4th and got a huge lift when Simniski drilled a 3-pointer to tighten things up. Still, Covenant trailed by three with under 30 seconds remaining when the season appeared to be slipping away.

That’s when freshman Kantner delivered the moment of the night. Attacking the lane, she finished through contact for a layup and drew the foul after being pushed from behind. Kantner stepped to the line and knocked down the free throw to complete the three-point play and tie it 60-60, forcing overtime.

In the first overtime, Demler scored 5 and Kantner added 3, but Mount Calvary matched the run with 8 of its own to extend the game to a second overtime.

In the 2nd OT, New Covenant finally delivered the knockout punch. Demler, a junior, buried a pair of 3-pointers as the Flames pulled away and sealed a 66-59 double-overtime win.

Demler finished with 24 points, while Kantner had 18. Simniski and Yeagley also reached double figures with 10 points each.

New Covenant (21-2) now advances to the CCAC Championship Game on Saturday at Lancaster Bible College, with tip-off slated for 4:00 PM.

New Covenant advances to the CCAC Championship Game, which will be played on Saturday at Lancaster Bible College. Tip-off is slated for 4 pm.

NC Scoring: Q. Demler 24, M. Kantner 18, M. Simniskis 10, A. Yeagley 10, L. Zimmerman 4

Tuesday, February 10th

Northern Lebanon 50, Brandywine Heights 15

NL Scoring: K.Weimer 17, S. Phillips 15, S. Martino 6, H. Sheroky 4, Z. Zerman 3, R. Hopkins 3

Lehigh Valley Charter 51, Our Lady of the Cross 20

Monday, February 9th

Cedar Crest 46, Lancaster Catholic 41 [2 OT]

In a game broadcast as part of our LebCo Sports Live Series on Monday night, the Section 1 co-champion Cedar Crest Falcons hit the road to face Lancaster Catholic, the Section 3 champions, in the quarterfinals of the Lancaster-Lebanon League playoffs. Earlier this season, Catholic won a tight 31-28 game — and the rematch somehow delivered even more drama.

Cedar Crest worked its way out to a 10-5 lead by the end of the 1st quarter, with Elli Malinoski knocking down a pair of threes on her way to 7 points, while Ali Groff added a three of her own.

The Falcons controlled the early part of the 2nd quarter, but momentum began to shift toward the Crusaders. By halftime, Catholic had trimmed a point off Cedar Crest’s lead to make it 19-15. In the quarter, Kaila Francis went 2-for-2 at the line on her way to 4 points, and Malinoski added another three. For Catholic, Mia Bonafede (6 points) and Morgan Gaylord (5) carried the offense early — especially with leading scorer Nevaeh Kennedy largely held in check by the Cedar Crest defense through the first two quarters.

In the 3rd quarter, the two teams played to a 10-10 draw. Cedar Crest was led by 6 points from Francis, while Catholic got another big stretch from Bonafede, who matched that effort.

Then came what looked like the final quarter — until it wasn’t.

Lancaster Catholic continued to battle and grabbed its first lead with 13.7 seconds left in regulation when Kennedy converted a layup after a missed Cedar Crest free throw. After a pair of Bonafede free throws, the Falcons found themselves down three on the final possession. Malinoski got the call to take the tying shot — and as time expired, she was fouled on the attempt. That set up three free throws with 0.0 on the clock. The sophomore, with ice in her veins, knocked down all three to force overtime.

In the 1st overtime, the teams traded baskets and finished in a 4-4 tie, sending it to a second extra period. In the 2nd overtime, Cedar Crest took control. Malinoski hit a field goal, Francis delivered four free throws, and Groff added two more from the line as the Falcons closed it out.

Snatching victory from the jaws of defeat, Cedar Crest walked away with a 46-43 win in what was an epic, heavyweight battle.

Malinoski led Cedar Crest with 18 points, including three threes and a 4-for-5 night at the line. Francis added 16 points and went an impressive 10-for-12 from the charity stripe.

For Lancaster Catholic, Bonafede led the way with 14 points, Gaylord scored 11, and Kennedy finished with 9.

Cedar Crest will now move on to the semifinals Wednesday at Hempfield, where the Falcons will face Ephrata with a spot in the L-L League championship game on the line.

Watch the Full Broadcast

CC Scoring: E. Malinoski 18, K. Francis 16, A. Groff 5, O. Young 5, R. Stopper 2

LC Scoring: M. Bonafede 14, M. Gaylord 11, N. Kennedy 9, E. Stefenan 3, N. Celluci

New Covenant 47, Covenant Christian 27

On Monday night, the CCAC Western Conference champion Flames hosted Conestoga Christian in the quarterfinals of the CCAC playoffs.

New Covenant got out to a small early lead, going up 12-8 in the 1st quarter behind two threes from freshman McKenna Kantner.

It was in the 2nd quarter where the game was decided, as the Flames outpaced Conestoga by a 16-4 margin. That outburst was led by 8 points from Kantner and 5 points from Moriah Simniskis. By halftime, the scoreboard read 28-12.

While the 2nd half was played much more closely, junior Qynne Demler provided a steady closing punch, scoring 11 points after halftime to help seal the deal as the Flames moved on to the CCAC semifinals.

Kantner finished with 21 points, including three three-pointers. Demler, New Covenant’s all-time leading scorer, added 17 to help her team advance.

New Covenant (20-2) will play next in the CCAC semifinals on Wednesday.

Also, the New Covenant boys play their quarterfinal game Tuesday, which will be broadcast as part of our LebCo Sports Live series.

NC Scoring: M. Kantner 21, Q. Demler 17, M. Simniskis 7, L. Zimmerman 2

Palmyra 48, Carlisle 26

Cumberland Valley 57, Lebanon 46

Harrisburg Academy 56, Our Lady of the Cross 10

Previous Trackers

February 2-7

January 27-31

January 19-24

January 12-16

January 5-9

December 29 – January 3

December 22-26

December 15-20

December 8-13

December 1-6

November 28-29