Playing five games in six days was a tall task for the Lady Comets who traveled to Elizabethtown Friday, Feb. 19 and then to Cedar Crest Saturday afternoon. After a Sunday break, they hosted Lebanon Monday, were on the road to Ephrata Tuesday and welcomed Warwick Wednesday.

The playoff bound Section Two Bears used a 17-7 fourth quarter run to erase a 36-35 Comet advantage and steal a 52-43 win. Morgan Miller (12 points), Lily Sugra (10), Kamia Goodley (10) and Syndey Shepos (9) featured a balanced attack but it wasn't enough.

Less than 24 hours later, the Comets struggled through the second half and watched their 21-19 first half lead slowly disappear. The Falcons used a 14-6 third quarter to regain the lead and pulled away for a 49-33 win with a 16-6 run through the fourth quarter.

Free throws were pivotal as the hosts connected on 22-of-28 attempts. The Comets, with Sugra hitting 8-of-10, were 13-of-20.

"We played a great first three quarters against Etown and a great first half against Cedar Crest but unforced errors, not scoring and unnecessary fouls let the game slip away," said Collins.

Sugra (10 points), Goodley (9), Shepos (8) and Miller (6) accounted for the scoring.

Monday the girls hosted the last place team in Section Two and pulled away for a 48-42 win. Down 33-31 heading into the fourth quarter, Manor exploded for 17 points and held Lebanon to nine in picking up the come-from-behind win.

"Once we took the lead in the fourth, we chipped away, attacking the basket and making some key foul shots down the stretch (7-for-12)," noted Collins. "Sydney Shepos had a great defensive game and numerous blocks to help on that end of the floor."

Miller hit a game-high 17 points, with eight in the fourth, and Goodley added 15, including nine in the third.

On the road Tuesday, the Mounts outscored the Comets every quarter in picking up a 66-38 win. Sugra, with 14 points, and Goodley, with 11 were the double-figure scorers.

Hosting Warwick Wednesday night, the Comets shook off a 20-15 first quarter deficit and cut the lead to 38-35 with 11 seconds left but could not pull off the upset, falling short 40-35. Shepos led with 11 points, including the first five of the fourth quarter. Sugra added 10 points.

BOYS' BASKETBALL

The Comets wrapped up the 2020-21 season in a flurry, playing four games in five days, including a season-ending victory over Ephrata Tuesday, Feb. 23.

With a sense of urgency, the hosts shook off a 25-21 first half deficit against the Mounts and went out winners. With Brayde Erb coming alive in the paint (8 points) and Axel Velasquez and Kamrin Carroll each knocking down threes, Manor took a 35-33 lead into the fourth quarter and then ran away with the win, outscoring the Mounts 20-7. Ethan Benne and Jack Shipley sparked the run with 3-pointers and the Comets, with a season-low 12 turnovers, made 6-of-9 free throws to end season on a positive note.

Erb notched 14 points, Shipley knocked down 11 and Benne added nine as the top three Comet scorers.

At Lebanon one day earlier, two quarters proved fatal in a 74-58 loss. Despite an 18-17 first quarter edge and a 17-16 lead in the fourth, the hosts controlled the middle frames, outscoring Manor 41-23 to finish on top.

Three-pointers were the difference in this one as the Cedars held a 9-4 advantage.

Erb netted a game-high 16 points, Shipley added 14 and Benne settled for 10 as the double-digit scorers.

On Friday and Saturday, Feb. 19 and 20, the Comets dropped a heartbreaker to Elizabethtown (49-47) in crossover action and less than 24 hours later earned their first Section One win.

Manor looked poised to knock off the Bears, erasing a one point first quarter deficit with a commanding 22-9 second quarter, the Comets used a 16-0 run to grab a 35-23 lead at the break. E-town, however, outscored the Comets 15-7 in the third and pulled out a two-point win with an 11-5 final frame.

The hosts held a 46-40 lead before the Bears ran off seven straight points to go in front 47-46. Brayde Erb tied things up with 36.4 ticks left. Erb blocked what looked to be E-town's last shot but the Bears recovered and got off the game-winner as time expired.

Erb led the Comets with 11 points. Kamrin Carroll and Jack Shipley both netted nine while Ethan Benne, with a pair of threes, added eight.

Saturday the Comets were looking to avenge a three point first-half loss to Cedar Crest and did so in dominating fashion. Manor doubled the Falcons first quarter effort (14-7) and then extended the lead with a 17-5 second frame. With Shipley knocking down three first half treys, the Comets led 31-12.

The final spread stood as both teams knocked down 29 second half points.

Erb led all scorers with 15 points, Shipley added 13 and Carroll and Benne combined for 15.

WRESTLING

The Comets qualified five wrestlers to the District Three Class 3A sectional championship at Hempfield Saturday, Feb. 20 but only one extended his season.

Manor's Colt Barley, a returning section champ, rose to the top of the podium at 189 with three straight wins. The senior pinned Palmyra's Jase Jones in 2:52 and then built a 15-0 lead over Hempfield's Russ Hanes for a 3:55 tech fall to get to the finals against Manheim Township's Cade Clancy. Meeting for the third time this year, Barley used three takedowns and a reversal to win 8-1. He defeated Clancy 9-0 at the League Meet and 5-2 in a Section One showdown.

"He had a great tournament, claiming his second straight title," said head coach Brandon Vernalli. "He didn't have much trouble and we expect him to take this momentum into the District tournament."

Dylan Coleman (160), also a returning section champ, was Manor's second-best chance to advance. The senior, however, lost 8-1 to eventual champ Dylan Bard in the semifinals. Trying to battle back through the consolations, Coleman, up 6-5 in the third, got caught and was pinned by Lampeter-Strasburg's Joel Bitler, who finished fourth.

Travis Clawson, a 106-pound freshman, opened the tournament with a 7-4 loss to eventual fourth place finisher Marco Tocci of Warwick but regrouped in the consolations to earn an 11-0 major decision over E-town's Austin Reitmeyer.

Clawson's season ended with a 7-6 heartbreaker to bronze medalist Liam Flanigan of Central Dauphin in the consi semis. Tied at 4-4 early in the third, both wrestlers exchanged reversals before Flanigan's escape with less than 30 seconds earned the medal.

"Travis lost to the Warwick kid in overtime earlier this year and lost to the CD kid by the exact same score," noted Vernalli. "It was nice to see him pick up a win."

Dylan Wenger (145) and Gabe Midile (113) also competed.