For the last 2 months, Hempfield did not lose a basketball game, including finally closing out on a LL League title, something Coach Walck has been chasing for the last 3 years. The 3rd seeded Hempfield Black Knights went into Cumberland Valley Monday looking to add another win. It would have been their 18th in a row. JD Hunter and sophomore Nolan Buzalka had other plans for the host Cumberland Valley Eagles. Cumberland Valley ran away from Hempfield, and now plays in Thursday’s District 3 6A Championship against Reading.  

Both offenses struggled in the 1st quarter. Hempfield started out 6-2, but found themselves trailing after the 1st quarter at only a 10-8 differential. JD Hunter led the run for the Eagles, including a 3-point play. After that 6-2 lead early in the game, the Knights never saw themselves in the lead again. The Cumberland Valley Eagles continued to use their tight zone defensive pressure to swarm to the ball and make Hempfield take tough shots. Cumberland Valley hit 3 triples in the 1st half, Hempfield none. Dylan Levis popped 2 of those triples for Coach David Vespignani and the Eagles, both in the 2nd quarter. For Hempfield, they shot 8 of 22 in the 1st half. Miguel Pena led the Knights with 9 at the break, and he knew he needed a quick run to start the 3rd. Cumberland Valley led 27-19 at the intermission, but Hempfield’s kickstart quickly got them back in the game. 

Hempfield opened the 3rd on a 7-0 run to bring the score to a 27-26 score. After CV’s timeout, they built a lead of 36-28 after 3 periods of play. Miguel Pena and Kamyn Lawrence were the only two players to score for Hempfield in the quarter. It is also worth noting that Pena’s triple was the final points for the senior guard. CV believed locking Pena down was one of their main motives for tonight’s game, and they did just that. He was trapped on many double teams, and could barely even look at the rim. That is a big piece of why Cumberland Valley came out victorious. In the 4th quarter, Cumberland Valley kept pace from the Knights thanks to their defense, where Hempfield struggled all night. Swiss-army-knife Nolan Buzalka scored 7 of the Eagles 10 points in the period, and CV finished off the Knights with a 46-35 final score. Hempfield had chances to cut it to as short as 4 in the 2nd half, but the shots just could not fall. Cumberland Valley will look to ride their momentum into their Championship bout with Reading Thursday. Hempfield will also play for 3rd place against Waynesboro Thursday, and the winner receives a home game in the PIAA State Playoffs.