The post-season got underway for the Pioneer teams with swimming, and girls and boys basketball all extending their seasons over the last week and with successful results.

The Pioneer swim teams competed in the Lancaster-Lebanon League championships at Wilson High School Feb. 11-12 and earned eight top ten finishes. Kara Paisley turned in a pair of standout swims, earning the highest finishes for the Pioneers. On Friday the sophomore clocked a 25.01 in the 50 freestyle for a gold medal finish, improving on last year's seventh place effort. One day later, Paisley settled for bronze in the 100 free with a 54.10.

"Zara has the potential to place high at districts and even compete at states," said head coach Kylie Turner.

Paisley also anchored Lampeter's 400 free relay team, joining Ashley Prouse, Kara Scranton, and Abby Welchans for a fourth-place finish with a 3:49.61. That same group settled for fifth place in the 200 free relay (1:44.50) improving on last year's seventh place.

"The 400 free relay teams for both teams were incredible," said Turner. "Each swimmer produced their fastest splits this season. The girls came close to beating the school record in the 400 free by 1.5 seconds and even the 200 free relay by .03."

The boys' top finisher for the weekend was Andrew Reidenbaugh. The senior moved up two places in the 50 free (23.02) grabbing sixth place. He was also eighth in the 100 free and teamed with Ryan Smecker, Christian Rota, and Kyle Spaulding for a fifth-place time of 3:31.3 in the 400 free relay. That same group was ninth in the 200 free.

Other top ten place winners included Scranton in the 100 fly and the 200 medley team of Kylie Gerhardt, Prouse, Jocelyn Wolff and Krista Lambert.

GIRLS' BASKETBALL

After an exciting end to the regular season that led to a share of the Section Three title, the Lady Pioneers got the post-season underway Thursday, February 10, at Warwick with a Lancaster-Lebanon League play-in game against Section 5 runner-up Pequea Valley (7-3, 12-10 overall).

The Pioneers, who haven't been to an L-L final since 2013, struggled at the start and fell behind 13-11 after the opening eight minutes. L-S picked up the pace after that, winning the next three frames, including an 8-2 run through the third quarter that extended a 25-23 halftime lead.

"That was not our best performance," said head coach Tony Fink. "We missed a ton of layups and free throws (7). At halftime I told them to remember our defensive game plan and they did. We struggled offensively but our defense won the game."

L-S got a team-high 12 points, including two treys, from Jenna Daveler and Maggie Visniski popped in 10 points. Kiersten Hostetter (9), Katie Ranck (8), Ella Horst (5) and Kelsey McTaggart (2) also reached the scoring column.

In the quarterfinals at Penn Manor on Saturday, Feb. 13, the Pioneers were looking to avenge a season-opening 18-point loss to the Comets back on December 11, but when the final buzzer sounded, Penn Manor was on top, 40-34.

"I thought we played very well," said Fink. "I knew one day those missed layups would come back to get us and today they did. Overall, it was a great atmosphere and a great game. I thought we really battled."

This one looked to favor the Comets early. After a 5-5 tie in the first quarter, Manor charged ahead 17-7. The Pioneers responded with an 11-3 run, including a triple by Daveler to end the half, and cut the lead to 20-18.

Neither team gained ground in a 6-6 third quarter, leaving the final eight minutes to determine the outcome. A jumper by Horst with 3:00 left cut the lead to 31-30. It was as close as L-S would get. Down 36-34 with 47.6 remaining, the Comets dropped a pair of free throws and scored a layup at the buzzer to advance.

Daveler and Visniski led the way with 10 points each and a combined 8-for-8 from the foul line. Ranck (7), Hostetter (5), and Horst (2) also contributed.

BOYS' BASKETBALL

With Lampeter's undefeated regular season behind them, the Pioneers now embark on the post season which got underway last Monday in the Lancaster-Lebanon League playoffs. The Pioneers hosted defending league champ Lebanon in the quarterfinals and came away with yet another dominating performance, winning 73-53.

The Cedars scored the first bucket of the night, but L-S answered with back-to-back threes from Ty Burton (game high 27) and Isaiah Parido and never looked back. L-S knocked down five triples in the first quarter (11 in the game) and exploded to a 24-10 advantage.

Lebanon made a run in the second frame, cutting the lead to four (34-30) on a triple from leading scorer Marquis Ferreira (12 points) but Burton fired back with a pair of threes and Luke Hines came off the bench with five, helping L-S to a 40-30 lead at the break.

Burton scored the first five points of the third quarter and Parido (11 points) knocked down two straight three balls, pushing the lead to 55-35 with 2:37 left.

The Pioneers, who used some 2-3 zone in the second half to help keep Ferreira out of the paint, won the fourth quarter 14-11. Luka Vranich added 10 points, including 6-of-8 free throws, Hines netted nine and Berkeley Wagner, who beat the buzzer with a 3-ball in the first quarter, settled for eight. Ben Wert (5), Chase Smucker (2), Dean Herr (2), and Owen Filson (1) rounded out the scoring.

Wednesday at CV the Pioneers punched its ticket to the L-L League finals for the first time since 2018, outlasting Manheim Central 75-68. It was just the second time this season L-S won by single digits.

Burton poured in a season-high 33 points, holding off Baron sniper Trey Grube with 26 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter when the Barons elected to put the Pioneers on the foul line and went to the three-point line to attempt a comeback after falling behind 61-46. That strategy closed the gap to single digits but didn't provide an upset as the Pioneers went 16-for-19 from the foul line, including Burton's 11-of-12 in the fourth.

Wert settled for 20 points, including the first seven of the third quarter as L-S pushed the lead to 39-34.

Parido finished with nine points on three first half treys. He and Vranich (7 points), who dished out six assists, both grabbed five rebounds. Hines, who started for Berkeley Wagner (ankle injury), grabbed four boards, and scored two points.