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Crist scores 1,000th point as Devils rout Hounds


GREENCASTLE - It's a true milestone when any team has a 1,000-point scorer on its roster. But how about when one team has two players to reach that point just weeks apart?

Then, you really have something.

And if there is any area team worthy of that, it's the Greencastle-Antrim girls, who not only scratched a life-long milestone off senior Hannah Crist's bucket list Friday, but also earned an important Mid Penn Colonial Division victory over Shippensburg, 54-24.

Crist, a senior, scored her 1,000th career point to kick off the second half against Shippensburg on a 3-point shot, similar to how her teammate Jenay Faulkner made her memorable bucket just two weeks ago.

The Blue Devils walked onto their home court with butterflies, and the excitement of potentially getting to celebrate another 1,000-point milestone.

But Greencastle also walked into the gym with the same game plan as always: win.

"I didn't say one word about (Hannah's points), just like I didn't say one word about Jenay's," Greencastle coach Mike Rhine said. "I didn't have to tell them to play any different."

But on an offense that runs off the team's two 1,000-point scorers, it didn't have to do anything different.

Crist scored 14 points in the first half, but missed a 3-point shot at the buzzer for the end of the first half, but Greencastle devised a plan in the locker room to get Crist her points to start the half.

Greencastle (12-1, 6-1 MPC) led 30-15 at halftime.

Before play resumed in the third quarter, Rhine looked at his assistant coaches and indicated that this would be the moment Crist would get her 1,000th point.

"We did run a play for her, but it didn't work out," Rhine said. "It doesn't usually go how I plan, it goes how they plan."

But seconds later Shippensburg grabbed a rebound from a missed Greencastle shot and worked down the court, before Madison Sweitzer stole the ball at half court.

"I saw there were two defenders so I pulled back," Sweitzer said, "and I saw Hannah was open and I thought, 'This is her shot.'"

Crist stepped up to receive the pass at the top of the key and made her shot like she had plenty of times before.

"I'm very relieved now, but I was nervous," Crist said. "A lot of my family is here tonight for me, and it was a little bit more pressure being at home, but I like all that support. And it was nice that it was off a steal from a freshman, and that was kind of cool for her, too."

According to Rhine, Sweitzer is an up-and-coming freshman, who wouldn't have made that steal at the beginning of the season.

"She would have kicked it off her foot at the beginning of the year," Rhine said. "She had an excellent game. She's figuring it out, and she has the potential to be one of our big stars coming through."

Shippensburg (5-10, 4-4 MPC) is rebounding from a tough start, but coach Andrew Markel said there wasn't much good that came from Friday's game.

"The game plan just fell out the window," Markel said. "And we didn't not execute our offense."

That game plan was to stop Crist from getting the ball.

"Tonight we could not stop them from fast breaking to start the game," Markel said.

In the end, Shippensburg could not contain Greencastle's explosive offense that rallied the crowd even after Crist made her shot.

In the final seconds of the third quarter, Faulkner made a half-court shot at the buzzer that made the gym erupt.

"Today was really fun with the atmosphere, and Hannah getting her points," Rhine said. "And when Jenay made that half-court shot ... it was a magical, fun night. A good day in G-castle."

Faulkner ended the night with a double-double, scoring 23 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Crist finished with 21 points and eight rebounds, while Meghan Hirneisen and Sweitzer battled on the defensive end, splitting eight steals evenly. Hirneisen also had four points and eight rebounds.

Shippensburg had no scorers reach double figures, with Mariah Martin leading with seven points. 

Greencastle 54, Shippensburg 24

Shippensburg (24)

Kara Newell 3 0-0 6, Liz Logan 1 1-3 3, Kayleen Sydnor 0 0-0 0, Shannon Staver 2 1-2 5, Mariah Martin 3 1-1 7, Maddie Bender 0 0-0 0, Amber Orndorff 1 1-2 3, Mariah Throckmorton 0 0-2 0. Totals — 10 4-10 24.

Greencastle (54)

Hannah Crist 8 3-7 21, Jenay Faulkner 8 3-3 23, Madison Sweitzer 1 1-2 3, Meghan Hirneisen 1 1-2 4, Lydia Crist 1 0-0 2, Ashley True 0 0-0 0, Jordan Yeager 0 0-0 0, Heidi Schanzenbacher 0 1-2 1, Hannah Haley 0 0-0 0, Morgan Wagaman 0 0-0 0. Totals — 19 9-16 54.

Shippensburg _ 7 _ 8 _ 4 _ 5 _ — _ 24

Greencastle _ 13 _ 17 _ 20 _ 4 _ — _ 54

3-point goals — GA 7 (Faulkner 4, Crist 2, Hirneisen).

JV score — Shippensburg 31, Greencastle-Antrim 19.