A strong second stanza helped the Spartans keep pace at Solanco in Tuesday's L-L League girls' basketball game. Trailing by only nine points at the half, the visitors saw Solanco go on a 17-9 run en route to a 59-32 victory. Garden Spot fell to 3-18 (2-9 league).

Nikki Zeiset and Morgan Pavelik matched one another in offensive production, each scoring seven points and making a three-pointer while doing so. Meredith Horst scored six for the Spartans.

Jenna Ehlers, with 22 points for Solanco, was the offensive force the Spartans weren't able to stop.

Warwick topped the Spartans 56-20 in New Holland on Friday, February 3 as Bella Smithson scored 16 for the Warriors.

Zeiset put up a pair of treys and led the Spartans in scoring with 11. A.J. McClain scored one basket and went 2-for-2 at the free throw line, giving Garden Spot four more points.

BOYS' BASKETBALL

Coming off a tough 47-40 loss at Warwick the previous Friday, the Garden Spot boys' basketball team found its groove on Tuesday, February 7, pouring in 12 three-point baskets in a defeat of Solanco.

The loss at Warwick knocked the Spartans' record to 5-15 on the year. The Warriors outscored the Spartans by only one point in the second half of this Lancaster-Lebanon League contest and managed to hang on despite Spartan junior Lance Binkley pouring in a game-high 23 points.

Binkley, who would go on to connect on four three-pointers in the Solanco game, converted seven treys at Warwick. Jace Conrad and Gabriel Smeltz scored nine and eight points, respectively, each swooshing in a three-point basket also.

The Spartans defeated Solanco 58-46, improving to 3-8 in league play. All 12 of Binkley's points came off treys. Conrad had a pair of treys as he also scored a dozen. Smeltz led the way in scoring with 14 points, also hitting two triples. Michael Heisley finished with nine points, all on three-pointers. Austin Hurst (5 pts) also nailed a three-pointer.

AIR RIFLE

On Groundhog day, the Garden Spot rifle team had a clear view of its targets. Matthew Sauder, Leksi Bender, Magdalene Martin, Ryan Lambert, and Trevor Jones all shot 99's to pace the Spartans over Wilson 495-480 at New Holland.

Catherine Wolf had a 97 for the Bulldogs.

Garden Spot carried the momentum into the following week and compiled a score of 490 on Tuesday, February 7, at Conestoga Valley. The Buckskins edged the Spartans by one point with Sierra Land scoring 100 for CV.

Sauder scored a 99 in this match as well. Bender, Martin and Jones each finished at 98 while Jack Werner shot a 97.

With a three-way tie for first place in the league standings, the Spartans are 9-5, only one match behind the top trio - Ephrata, Manheim Central and Manheim Township.

BOWLING

The Spartans wrapped up the 2022-23 bowling season with a 5-2 loss to Manheim Central at Cain's Lanes on February 3. Garden Spot finished 46-38.

Central came up short in its quest for a Section Three crown. That honor went to Lampeter-Strasburg. The Pioneers finished at 69-15 to Central's 61-23 league record.