The Cedar Crest boys' basketball team hasn't played in many "big games" in recent years.

But that is about to change in a big way. In fact, it already has.

The Falcons won their seventh straight - you read that correctly, seventh straight - game on Thursday night, vaulting headfirst into Lancaster-Lebanon League playoff contention with a gut-check 59-54 win over Hempfield in Landisville.

The win, combined with Warwick's loss to McCaskey, lifts Crest into a three-way tie for second place in Lancaster-Lebanon Section One with Warwick and Manheim Township, and for the league playoff spot that goes with it.

The Falcons and Warwick will dissolve at least a portion of that three-way deadlock on Tuesday, when they square off in Lititz in a matchup dripping with postseason implications.

Crest is in that enviable position after avenging a 71-46 loss to Hempfield on Jan. 2. This time, the Falcons turned the tables behind a balanced effort led by Killian Klopp's 17 points. Andrew Eudy added 15 points and Clay Penchard contributed 14 points to the big win.

Elsewhere Thursday night:

Boys'

basketball

roundup

  • Northern Lebanon 69, Garden Spot 60: In Fredericksburg, the Vikings bounced back from Tuesday's OT loss at the buzzer to Manheim Central to upend the Spartans behind another big effort from Sammy Light.

    Light poured in a game-high 31 points and nailed five 3-pointers as Northern Lebanon improved to 14-5

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    overall and 9-4 in Section Three while staying tied for second place in the section with Lampeter-Strasburg.

    Richard Iwuagwu added 13 points in support of Light, and Pat Stevens pitched in with 11.

  • Lebanon 66, Solanco 49: At Lebanon High, the Cedars kept themselves in the league playoff hunt, winning their third straight with the aid of a game-high 18 points from Jorian Ginnetto.

    Now 8-9 overall and 6-7 in Section Two, where it is tied for second place with Cocalico, Lebanon grabbed a 33-27 halftime lead, then effectively settled the outcome with a 15-6 run through the third quarter.

    Josh Spaulding and Drey Murray each hit for 13 points, and Evan Zimmerman made it four Cedars in double figures by hitting for 12 points.

  • Pequea Valley 76, Annville-Cleona 50: In Kinzers, A-C's rough season got a little rougher in a 26-point loss to the previously-struggling Braves, who posted just their second Section Four win of the season.

    Zach Weaber and Paxson Hayes were bright spots in defeat for A-C (4-15, 2-11) with 17 and 11 points, respectively.

  • Lampeter-Strasburg 68, Elco 29: In Myerstown, the Raiders endured a scoreless first quarter en route to the lopsided defeat.

    Now 4-15 overall and 1-12 in Section Three, Elco was led by seven points apiece from Caleb Buchmoyer and Teddy Saunders.

  • Mount Calvary 76, New Covenant 45: In Elizabethtown, the Flames got burned by the home team despite 21 points from Nate Dawson.

    The loss left New Covenant with a record of 2-13.