It was Senior Night at Lancaster last night and what a special night it turned into. Seniors Ryan Andolina, Adam Gabryszak, Noah Kimble, Jake Sarnowski, Mark Sirianni and Joe Harrington walked onto the Java Gym court for what could be their last time. It was those Seniors who set the tone early, that carried the team the rest of the game. The Seniors took all their emotion and channeled it into one of the most impressive opening defensive quarters I can remember. Even though Hamburg had the distinct size advantage, the Legends showed that heart and effort can be bigger. You had Andolina, Kimble and Gabryszak flying around the perimeter, getting their hands on seemingly every pass. You had Sarnowski, Sirianni and Harrington battling down low against Hamburg's 6'7" and 6'10" big men. The Legends held Hamburg scoreless until Hamburg got their first point off a free throw. That was the only time Hamburg saw the ball go through the net in the first quarter. Lancaster led 15-1 at the end of the first.
As the Seniors were getting a much deserved break, each player who came in rode that momentum wave. Lancaster was able to build their lead to 23-5 late in the 2nd before Hamburg went on an 8-0 run to close out the half, trailing 23-13.
That was the closest Hamburg would get as Lancaster continued their dominate defensive performance in the second half. The second half became more of a celebration for the Seniors as it became clear that the night belonged to Lancaster. The Lancaster fans and Student Section showed their love and appreciation all night by creating a loud and an electric atmosphere. The players gave them plenty to cheer about. Channing Francis brought the crowd to their feet with 2 thunderous dunks. Matt Mazur had the crown yelling, "ooooohhhhhhh" in unison as he was rejecting 4 shots. The entire team played their hearts out. This led to Lancaster strolling to a dominate 52-26 victory.
Francis led the scoring with 15 points while adding 6 rebounds and 3 steals. Jack Harrington had 12 points and 5 rebounds. Gabryszak added 9 points and 4 steals. Joe H. had 6 points and 5 rebounds. Kimble scored 5 points and grabbed 6 rebounds. Eric Frys had 3 points and Andolina finished with 2 points. This victory extended Lancaster's win streak to 4 games and gave the Seniors a night to remember. The next game is this Saturday as Lancaster travels down to Jamestown for another big league matchup.
Photos courtesy of Casey Harrington
Comments