How can a basketball team go on for more than five minutes without scoring a basket in the second half of a playoff game and yet manage to win the game?

What is the secret to that?

"That's called 'Defense,' you have to lean on defense," Danny Walck, the Hempfield boys' basketball coach, explained it plainly. "Defense will get you through those situations."

In the District Three Class 6A third-place consolation playoff at Landisville on Thursday, March 2, the Black Knights topped Waynesboro 53-41, improving their record to 21-3.

The Black Knights survived a stretch where they only managed two free throws - going 2-for-6 actually - between the 4:04 mark of the third quarter up until junior forward Ben Troyer's basket at the 6:45 mark of the fourth quarter. The Knights were leading 37-25 when they hit the dry spell. They came out of it in the lead 41-32 after Troyer's basket.

"They were keeping it close," Troyer said. "We wanted that home game so badly that we knew we needed to get something going."

Troyer scored Hempfield's first four baskets of the fourth period, including a steal and a dunk to give his team a 47-32 lead with only 3:39 left to play. He finished with nine points.

The home game he was referring to was Hempfield earning home-court advantage for the opening round of the PIAA 6A state playoffs.

"We wanted to be at the Giant Center tonight, but this is a big win for us in terms of states," said Miguel Pena, who led all scorers with 23 points. Pena, who was recently named Lancaster-Lebanon League Section One Player of the Year (as voted on by league coaches) and made first team all-star, was referring to the district championship game which the Knights and the Waynesboro Indians (21-5) were denied by their respective semifinals round losses.

"These players are a pleasure to coach," Walck said of his upperclassmen. "This is an experienced group and they're still hungry; they want to play more basketball. They have great belief and trust in each other. That's what you want for team chemistry."

Hempfield picked up the momentum in the latter part of the first period, taking a 17-13 lead into the second stanza. Three-point field goals by Pena and Michael Hester - the first of his two treys in the period - helped the Knights take a 29-21 lead into intermission.

Pena nailed two more three-point jumpers early in the second half.

"They kind of keyed in on the screening game," Pena explained. "So, most of my shots came from me creating it. When we were spreading the floor, it was harder for them to guard us."

The shots began going in for Hempfield in the fourth quarter, including Pena going 4-for-4 on foul shots down the stretch and Chase Calabretta (10 pts) also making two free throws.

Jaylon Bean led the Indians with 16 points while Ryan Shafferr scored 14.

"I'm really proud of the effort our team gave - the focus and the awareness to recognize what they were doing and being able to execute," said Walck. "We gave ourselves a chance to win.

"I thought we rebounded the ball very well so as to not give their guys second chances," he added. "They're well-coached and are a very good rebounding team. One of their strongest assets on offense is their transition game. So, we were focused on taking care of the ball against this team. How do they get into transition? If we would turn the ball over."

In addition to Pena's selection as First Team all-star, Troyer, and 6-foot-5 senior forward Kamyn Lawrence made Second Team all-star. Calabretta and Hester received Honorable Mention.

SWIMMING

At the District Three Class 3A Swimming & Diving Championships, held at Cumberland Valley High School on Friday and Saturday, March 4-5, the foursome of Ryan Taylor, Toby Marco, Andrew Gates and Jack Root swam their way to the state championships by finishing eighth in the 400-yard freestyle relay. The quartet posted a time of 3:15.52, earning a spot at the PIAA 3A championships.

The girls' 400 free relay team came up just short of qualifying for states. Anna Koger, Micah Wiglesworth, Lillian Farmer, and Carol Fabian's eighth-place time of 3:40.30 missed the cut.

"The girls were one spot off," Casey Lear, the Hempfield swim coach, said. "They were very close. It's a shame.

"A lot of the races were close. It's a super-fast district," Lear added.

Taylor took 11th in the 50-yard freestyle while Root finished 14th - only .18 seconds behind Taylor (22.10 to 22.28).

"Ryan Taylor really stepped it up in districts as he has all year as a sophomore," Lear said. "He has great potential. All four boys [400 free relay] are coming back next year."

The Knights had two relay teams finish 10th for the boys. Root, Marco, Taylor and Jace Colino posted a combined time of 1:29.39 in the 200 free relay while Gates, Colino, Kiran George, and Will Russell swam the 200-medley relay at 1:41.7.

"Andrew Gates is a freshman backstroker," Lear said. "He's a talented kid. As he grows older and gets more confidence, he is going to be a pretty speedy kid."

George also had a 14th-place finish in the 100 breaststroke.

"Kiran dropped a little bit of time at the district meet," Lear noted. "He holds down our breaststroke."

The boys' and girls' teams scored nearly identical points. Hempfield's boys finished 13th in the team standings with 62 points while 61 points earned the girls the 14th spot.

Wilson High School dominated as both boys (392 pts) and girls (372.50 pts) claimed the team championship.

Fabian teamed with Caroline Schweigert, Emily Taylor and Kendall Stringe for 12th place in the girls' 200 medley relay (1:54.91). Wiglesworth, who earned 16th (25.48) in the 50 free, joined Koger, Taylor and Farmer for 11th place (1:41.75) in the 200 free relay.

"Lillian Farmer, as a senior, performed really well through the season, 200 back and freestyler," said Lear. "She came in and did what she had to do in big meets."

Farmer finished ninth in the 100 backstroke at 59.18 seconds while Fabian finished 15th (5:21.23) in the 500 free. Wiglesworth was 15th (58.34) in the 100 backstroke.