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G-A's Mid Penn Colonial Division title worth the wait


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The Greencastle-Antrim boys basketball team had to wait a few extra days to celebrate winning the Mid Penn Colonial Division title.

But the result was just as sweet.

Friday, in front of a packed house at Waynesboro, the Blue Devils clinched their first MPC title since 2012 with a 62-44 win over the Indians in one of their biggest matchups of the year.

Respective student sections were out in full force, both decked in black and erupting after every basket - making G-A's away win feel more like home.

"Waynesboro-Greencastle is always a big rivalry and I think this is one of the biggest games ever," Greencastle's Bryan Gembe said, "so it felt really good coming in here and getting this win."

Waynesboro came out ready to compete with Greencastle's fast offense, and got the Blue Devils into foul trouble early. But after heading into the locker room with a two-point lead, Greencastle decided to change its pace and slow the game down.

"Offensively we spread them out and found the mismatches where we could," Greencastle coach Rick Lewis said. "In the second half the difference was we got some really great shots. I'm just so proud of the guys. The effort here was amazing. The low of Tuesday (loss to Shippensburg) to bounce back speaks a lot about our character."

Gembe had two big shots right out of the gate in the second half to give G-A a 35-27 lead midway through the third quarter. His efforts, combined with Waynesboro's shooting struggles, aided Greencastle's push in the second half.

"We were only up by two at halftime and I knew we needed something to spark us in the second half and we needed to pull away," Gembe said. "The start of the second half is usually when we pull away and I think I was just feeling it."

"It's been a dream season, and it's so much more than about wins and losses," Lewis said. "We don't have an emotional group and to see them show that kind of emotion, that's why you coach."

NOTES: Greencastle (15-6, 12-1 MPC) nearly put four players in double figures, led by Brandon Stuhler with 19 points. Ben Freeman and Gembe contributed 12 each, while Ian Gelsinger was close to double figures with nine ... The Blue Devils were near-perfect from the line, making 19 of 20 attempts ... Cameron Keck led the Indians (14-7, 9-3 MPC) with 15 points, followed by Mitch Neterer with 13.