By Matt Kellam

Declan Hershs’ three from the wing as time expired moved Lancaster Mennonite into the championship game of the Gettysburg tip-off tournament by way of a 63-60 victory over the Shippensburg Greyhounds Friday night.

The final shot was set up after Shippensburgs J.T. Thomas, who led the Greyhounds with 28 points, had tied the game at 60 with 12 seconds left.  The Blazers took the inbound pass, drove the length of the court and Camden Hurst found a wide open Hersh on the wing for the winner.

“We had no one defending him,” said Greyhound head coach Ray Staver. “The most dangerous player on the court is the one without the ball.”

The see-saw first half battle saw the Greyhounds take a nine-point lead in the second quarter before the Blazers closed to within 2 at the half, 34-32.

After Shippensburg scored the first four points of the second half for a 38-32 lead, the Blazers went on a 12-0 run to lead by six, 44-38.  Two free throws by Thomas broke the run.  Thomas scored all 10 of Shippensburg’s third quarter points and the Blazers led 46-44 going to the fourth.

The Blazers opened the fourth quarter by scoring the first two baskets around a Graison Michaljuk foul shot to lead 50-45, but back to back steals and buckets by Jayden Statum cut the lead back to one, 50-49.

After the second basket, Statum was called for a technical and Camden Hurst, who led L-M with 17 points made both free throws and the Blazers also got the ball.

A bucket by Anthony Smith, who scored 14, pulled the Greyhounds back to within 1, 52-51, but back to back field goals by Taylor and Mast put the lead back to five. “They made clutch shots,” added coach Staver.

After a Shippensburg time out, Smith scored and a Thomas steal resulted in a basket by Statum to make it a one-point game. The teams traded foul shots, 60-57, to set up the tying shot by Thomas.

“We have a lot to work on,” commented coach Staver after the game. “We only got 2 points out of our bench, we didn’t defend well in man-to-man, and we had too many turnovers.  Lancaster Mennonite just outhustled us.” Staver did commend the play of Thomas saying, “He played exceptionally well.”

The Greyhounds will play at six Saturday against the loser of the second game between Gettysburg and New Oxford.

LANCASTER MENNONITE
David Weaver 3 0-1 6, Savier Sumrall 3 2-2 9, David Shell 0 0-2 0, Camden Hurst 6 5-7 17, Declan Hersh 5 0-0 12, Jadyn Taylor 3 0-0 6, Jaedon Mast 6 0-0 13. Totals: 26 7-12 63.
SHIPPENSBURG
Jayden Statum 7 0-0 14, Spencer Edey 1 0-0 2, Graison Michaljuk 0 2-4 2, Anthony Smith 6 2-8 14, Jeremy Thomas 11 4-5 28. Totals: 25 8-17, 60.
Lancaster Mennonite           15        17       14       17  —    63
Shippensburg                         18        16       10       16  —    60
3 point shots- Lancaster Mennonite 4 (Hersh 2, Sumrall 1, Mast 1); Shippensburg 2 (Tho