CHAMBERSBURG — In a defensive game, it was the Chambersburg defense that made the play of the game.

Leading by 2 points with 10 seconds left, the Trojans forced Wilson into a really tough shot at the buzzer that came up well short of the basket, ensuring a 41-39 win for Chambersburg in a District 3 Class 6A boys basketball quarterfinal game at a jam-packed CASHS Field House on Friday night.

Landon Buhrman

The No. 4 seed Trojans (19-4) will play a semifinal game on Tuesday at No. 1 Central York (24-2), the defending state champions, at 7 p.m. The Panthers took out William Penn 81-58 on Friday.

“We were really connected on defense for that last play,” Chambersburg coach Shawn Shreffler said. “We felt comfortable no matter what they ran in that situation. They set up high and we switched off well.”

Bulldog point guard Madyx Gruber brought the ball up court and Wilson tried to set a screen at the top of the key, but the Trojans kept all of the Bulldog shooters covered and Gruber had no choice but to chuck up a 3-pointer, but it was never close.

“Colt (Colton Cornwell) was battling inside and our four guards on the perimeter helped with the closeouts,” Shreffler said. “We just found a way.”

The Trojans took a 40-36 lead on a strange fast break basket in which two players collided away from the basket. There was no whistle, however, and Buhrman was uncovered on his layup. Eli McDonald stopped one Wilson possession with a steal, but the Trojans turned it over — only their third turnover of the entire game.

Cam Zullinger got to the foul line for the Bulldogs with 55 seconds left and made both shots. But he was called for a violation and the second shot was taken off the scoreboard. He had apparently stepped over the line before the ball hit the rim.

However, Chambersburg promptly turned it over again and Jon Etim scored to make it 40-39. There was nearly another steal on the next possession, but Cornwell smartly covered the ball and called time out. After several fouls, Cornwell went the line and made 1 of 2 with 20 seconds left to make it 41-39.

The Trojans had two fouls to give, which reduced the clock to 10 seconds before their final defensive stand.

“We expected a tougher game than the first time (a 50-37 win in December),” said Buhrman, who scored 14 points, “but because of that game, we knew all of their plays. Once we settled down on defense, the only thing that hurt us was them hitting some threes.”

Twice in the second quarter and once in the third, Chambersburg held leads of 8 or more points. But Wilson hit seven 3-pointers from 4 different players and kept coming back.

“They made some really timely shots,” Shreffler said.

The Bulldogs also did a decent job on the boards battling the taller Trojans, holding Chambersburg to just three second-chance buckets.

Buhrman said, “They have a bunch of football players in their lineup and they are really strong and physical.”

Shreffler said, “They have a bunch of competitive athletes who are tough, and they know how to win. Their formula works.”

J.J. Kelly had trouble finding the range early, but ended up with 21 points. He scored 9 in the second period when the Trojans took their first healthy lead. They held that lead except for one time in the fourth when Gruber scored on a fast break for a 33-32 lead. Kelly then made two straight baskets to put his team up by 3, but a long range ball by Tommy McFadden tied it up.

Buhrman then scored two straight to give his team a 40-36 lead.

“I thought I might be able to do a little more on offense tonight,” Buhrman said, “but within the flow of the game. When we do our thing we’re hard to defend as a group.”

Shreffler said, “I thought it was a great environment. The kids said it was the loudest they’ve heard it. It seemed to me that the crowd sensed different moments in the game that were big and rose to the occasion. And the student section was awesome, too. I know when I got here at 4:30, some kids had already claimed their seats.”

NOTES: In the other quarterfinals in 6A, Governor Mifflin defeated Mechanicsburg 42-38, and Central Dauphin upset Cumberland Valley 78-74 in overtime … Wilson (17-6), which will play William Penn in a consolation game Tuesday, got 10 points from Zullinger and 9 from Gruber.

Chambersburg 41, Wilson 39
WILSON
Michael Glover 1 0-0 2, Madyx Gruber 2 4-6 9, Cam Zullinger 3 1-2 10, Jon Etim 1 0-0 2, Tommy McFadden 2 0-0 6, Christo Hunsecker 0 0-0 0, Correll Akings 1 1-2 4, Luke Levan 3 0-0 6. Totals 13 6-10 39.
CHAMBERSBURG
Josh Rudy 0 0-0 0, Ayden Silvestre 1 0-0 3, Eli McDonald 1 0-0 2, Stanley Lozius 0 0-0 0, Colten Cornwell 0 1-2 1, J.J. Kelly 9 3-5 21, Landon Buhrman 7 0-0 14, Tyrell Hawkins 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 4-7 41.
Wilson                           9     11     9     10     —     39
Chambersburg            6     16     10     9     —     41
3-point shots — Wil 7 (Zullinger 3, McFadden 2, Gruber, Akings); Chbg 1 (Silvestre). Shooting — Wil 13-36 (36%); Chbg 18-41 (44%). Turnovers — Wil 6; Chbg 4.