The Pioneers got a game-high 16 points from Emma Drouillard and outscored Solanco in all four quarters to pull out a 40-30 victory at home January 28. Paige Phillips paced the visitors with eight points as the two-time defending champ Solanco slipped to 2-6 overall. The win leaves L-S on top of the Section Three standings at 5-1.

Solanco scored first in this one but threes by Hailey Leaman and Drouillard put the Pioneers, who rebounded after their 41-33 setback to Manheim Central, back in front for good, 6-4. The game was tied twice in the second quarter before L-S went on a 7-0 run with a three ball from Kiersten Hostetter (8 points) and four points from Jenna Daveler (7 points) to stretch the advantage. They led 17-11 at the break and by as many as 14 early in the third. A Drouillard trey was sandwiched around four points by Maggie Visniski, pushing the lead to 27-13.

"We opened up that lead and then lost their best shooter twice," recalled head coach Tony Fink. "We missed some inside shots and we missed eight free throws, but Jada Willard gave us some energy in the second quarter and Emma and Jenna hit some big threes to open up the game.

"A win is a win in this difficult year," he added.

Phillips knocked down a pair of treys after that, giving Solanco some life and cutting the lead to 30-22 with two minutes left in the frame. They got to within six, 36-30, but the Pioneers canned 4-of-6 free throws in the final 35 seconds to clinch the win.

"We did outrebound them, (34-22) but we did not capitalize on our second chance points," said Solanco head coach Chad McDowell.

SWIMMING

The Lady Pioneer swimmers took first and second in every single event on Thursday, January 28 and cruised to a 137-26 win over visiting Manheim Central. The win caps a 5-1 season for the girls.

Zara Paisley (50 and 100 free) and Elizabeth Horner (100 backstroke and 100 butterfly) each won two individual events and swam on two of the three winning relays. Paisley anchored the 200 medley relay with Kara Scranton, Abigail Wolff and Ashley Prouse while Horner anchored the 200 free relay with Bre Fluhr, Emma Kury and Ellie Parido. They both swam the 400 free relay with Abby Welchans and Kara Scranton chipping in.

"We changed our lineup in this one to put other key individuals in the lineup," said head coach Kylie Turner. "Both teams continued to have PR times in almost all events, bettering our seeds for the league meet (Feb. 5-6)."

Clair Eckert (200 free), Welchans (500 free), Emma Kury (100 breaststroke) and Scranton (200 IM) also contributed first place efforts.

The boys' team finished their season at 4-2 after winning 10-of-11 events against the Barons, in their last regular meet of the season, for a 95-55 victory.

"Last year the boys only beat Manheim by one point," recalled Turner. "This year we beat them by 40. It was another exciting meet."

Nathan Eberly, Kyle Spaulding, Ryan Smecker and Andrew Reidenbaugh won the 200 medley relay and the and the 200 free and went on to capture individual firsts as well. Reidenbaugh doubled in the 100 and 50 free and Spaulding won both 500 free and breaststroke. Eberly capped the two-win performers with top times in the 100 back and 200 free.

"The 200 free relay team almost got the school record," Turner noted. "They missed by 1.5 seconds.

"Top times came from Nathan Eberly, Christian Rota, Kara Scranton, Ashley Prouse, Ryan Smecker, Bre Fluhr, Abby Welchans and Kyle Spaulding."

Smecker picked up a win in the 200 IM and Christian Rota was first in the 100 butterfly.

BOWLING

After picking up a 5-2 win over Elco at Rocky Springs, the Pioneer bowlers suffered a tough 4-3 loss to that same team just three days later, this time at Berks Lanes on Thursday, January 28.

In the 5-2 win, L-S lost the first game but came back to take games two and three and total pins. Nick Bukowski (484 series) and Ethan Snyder (434), both freshmen, led the way. High game of the match was a 174 by Bukowski in game three.

"That second match, at Berks, was close the whole way," said first year head coach John Achille. "Although they won two of the three games, we did win total pins. All games came down to the last two frames. They made spares and we did not.

"Ethan and Nick have been the most consistent through seven matches," Achille continued. "Sawyer Lancaster, one of our two seniors, has been a solid number three guy and Katie Pope, another freshman, improves each outing."

Other members of the team include senior Evan Mize, junior Jacob Haas, and freshman Peter Mecouch.

"We're young and inexperienced but the kids are improving and are great and fun to work with," Achille said. "The seniors have been awesome leaders. At this point, it looks like Ethan, with a 521 series average and a 174-game average, will qualify for L-L Singles (top 50 qualify)."

BOYS' BASKETBALL

Five players contributed to the scoring total in Quarryville, January 28 and three of them hit double figures. Led by Isaiah Parido and Ty Burton, both with 18 points, and Berkley Wagner, with a season-high 11 the Pioneers swept the series against Solanco with a 55-40 win. They are currently 5-1 in Section Three and 6-1 overall.

"Burton was our focus as he had 26 against us the first time," noted Solanco head coach Dave Long. "We held him to six in the first half but then Parido stepped up."

This was a little closer than the final indicated. The Pioneers, with six points from Luka Vranich, held a slim 10-8 at the end of the first quarter. Then Parido got hot from downtown, canning three triples and, and Wagner tossed in six points, sparking L-S to a 28-22 lead at the break.

Halftime did not slow Parido who knocked down another three treys and the visitors held a 14-11 advantage in the quarter. L-S, who collected nine threes on the night, did the most damage down the stretch. Burton, a freshman, tallied 11 of his 18 points, and 11 of Lampeter's 13. They held Solanco to seven to wrap up the win.