McDevitt outlasts Greencastle-Antrim girls in 2 overtimes
The Greencastle-Antrim girls basketball team has rarely had to rely on being a second-half squad.
But Tuesday against Bishop McDevitt in the Mid Penn Conference semifinals, they were.
And they had to be that same team again, and again, and again in a lengthy double overtime battle with the Crusaders to determine which team would move on to the Mid Penn championship on Thursday against Camp Hill, which punched its ticket to the title game with a 58-43 shocker over Cumberland Valley.
In a second half that seemed to be tied more than there was a point differential, Greencastle ultimately fell 51-47 to the Crusaders after two overtimes.
"They did absolutely everything we asked them to do," Greencastle coach Mike Rhine said. "We said keep it close in the beginning, don’t get overwhelmed by their speed and their size and the physicality. We begged them at halftime not to get down by double-digits; keep it close and see what happens."
Greencastle forged back from a six-point deficit at the half to take the lead with less than a minute left in the third quarter, and held the edge for a majority of the fourth before a 3-pointer by Liv Fasick with six seconds on the clock forced overtime.
Fasick was a force to be reckoned with in overtime as she put up 10 of Bishop McDevitt’s 20 points in extra time.
"I challenged them," Rhine said. "I said, 'Are you going to fight? You are going to get knocked down, are you going to back down and let them have it?' Not one of them did. Ninth-graders and 10th-graders out there running against the 'select Harrisburg team.' I’m proud of my girls; I don’t care what the score is."
Rhine said the Crusaders were the best team he's seen on film this season, with talent that will likely reflect some of the competition the Blue Devils will see in the upcoming District 3 tournament. And for a G-A team that starts three sophomores, this game was the perfect audition for not only what the younger players should expect in the postseason, but also introduced some veteran players to a new element: overtime.
No player on the Greencastle (18-5) roster has ever played a high school game in overtime, let alone two in one night.
"I think if we play how we know we can play now, we will be fine (in districts)," Greencastle's Morgan Wagaman said, "if we can be just as aggressive and outrun them and play defense. I just think we need to be strong and match their intensity, if not more."
Jenay Faulkner led the Blue Devils with 34 points and 18 rebounds. Wagaman had eight points, while Madison Sweitzer pulled down nine rebounds in her return to the starting lineup after missing three games due to injury.
"Next year it will be a whole different dynamic in Greencastle basketball, but the girls tonight got some valuable experience," Rhine said. "I told them at halftime, 'You probably think these fans are out of control, but this is what happens in the middle of February. Wait until the middle of March if you ever get there. Get used to it, thrive in it like Jenay does.'"
NOTE: The boys and girls Mid Penn basketball championship games will be broadcast on Thursday starting with the girls at 6 p.m. on ABC27 - Comcast 245.