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Boys' Basketball: District 3-AA Playoffs: Upper Dauphin Area 58, Reading Holy Name 54 (20T)
'We can' is Trojans' rallying cry
By Mike Hutchins, Contributing Writer

HERSHEY - Could anyone have been blamed for thinking about what they would be doing Feb. 25, the day after Upper Dauphin Area's opening round District 3-AA playoff game with Reading Holy Name?

Let's face it - with 2:50 to play the Lions had a 10-point lead, 44-34. Jon Angstadt, Holy Name's go-to player who had been bottled up by a tight Trojans' defense led by Tyler Koppenhaver, found his rhythm and was either scoring or finding open teammates after UDA flashed a triple team at him.

Some fans were heard talking about the impending snow and others talking about a promising baseball season for the Trojans.

A reporter covering  the next game scheduled for the gym (Annville-Cleona vs. Columbia) arrived with Holy Name up 10.

After asking and being informed which team was ahead, his response had something to do with the Tri-Valley League teams not belonging on the same court.

"Why don't they get them out of District 3 anyway,'' he said.

Only one group had itself focused. It was the only one that mattered, as the Trojans pulled out an incredible 58-54 double-overtime win Feb. 24 to advance to the quarterfinal round of the district playoffs.

"To be honest, I was over there on the bench wondering what I was going to do tomorrow without basketball,'' UDA Head Coach Jeff Thompson said.

"That (victory) was all the kids. This is a senior team and I think they willed that win,'' he added. "Those kids said 'We can.' It is amazing what youth can do. We were buried and they rose up and got it done.''

In the first four-minute overtime frame, Upper Dauphin continued its momentum and jumped out to a 50-46 lead behind buckets by the inside duo of Zach Markel (21 points, 12 rebounds) and Scott Dreher (11 points). This time, Holy Name came back and tied the game 50-50 with 1:30 to play. Ty Raubenstine drove the lane for a layup with 55 seconds to play and the Trojans found themselves back in front.

The Lions' Angstadt, who led all scorers with 26 points, hit a jumper with 12 seconds left to set up the second overtime.

In that final four-minute frame, Upper Dauphin scored all of its points from the foul line, knocking in seven-of-10 from the charity stripe. Ben Zigner got things started by going a perfect four-of-four to open a 56-52 lead with 34 seconds to play. Angstadt again hit a bucket, cutting the score to 56-54 with 14.9 seconds to play.

The teams traded free throws and Upper Dauphin still led by two when Raubenstine got to the free throw line with 8.8 seconds remaining. He hit the first. The second rimmed out, but Markel grabbed the re-bound, was fouled and made one of his freebies to seal the 58-54 win.

"We weren't going to give up,'' Markel said. "We re-membered last season when we were down like that to Millersburg and came back to get them.''

"We just kept thinking 'We got to keep playing.' It (the season) can't stop here,'' Raubenstine said.

The Trojans seemed to have trouble getting their legs under them in the first half, making just six-of-22 shots. In the first quarter alone, Upper Dauphin was one-for-11 from inside 10 feet. Fortunately, Britton Kosier and Markel both hit three-pointers to keep things close. Holy Name led 12-9 after the first eight minutes.

The Lions quickly opened a 10-point lead at the outset of the second quarter and seemed primed to run away with things. Upper Dauphin turned up the pressure, came up with three consecutive steals, converted each into points and trailed 20-16. Holy Name had an answer, including a 35-foot three-pointer by Colby Kutz as the closing horn of the first half sounded.

It was much the same in the third quarter. Upper Dauphin battled tough, pulled within four points, 29-25, but two quick buckets, including another three-pointer by Kutz, and the lead for Holy Name was back to nine, 34-25.

Angstadt, clearly frustrated by the relentless defense Koppenhaver put on him in the third quarter, finally shook free in the opening moments of the fourth quarter as his club opened its 10-point lead.

After a break in the action with 2:50 to play, the Trojans pulled their belts a few notches tighter and started the comeback.

"The kids found some way to get the job done and create tempo against a team that what they do best is slow the tempo. They reacted well as a team,'' Thompson said.

Markel drained a three-pointer with 2:30 to play.

Zigner came up with a steal and hit Koppenhaver with a crisp pass. Koppenhaver knocked down a three-pointer to make it 44-40 with 1:30 left in regulation time.

Holy Name missed a free throw and Koppenhaver came up with a big rebound that led to Raubenstine's trey to make it 44-43 with 1:15 to play.

Angstadt, like starting players do, easily canned a pair of free throws with 33 seconds to play to put his club up three, 46-43.

Markel, bloody lip and all, followed with his third three-pointer of the night to tie the game.

"That was an incredible shot,'' Raubenstine said of Markel's last three-point basket. "At the end of practice (the night before the game) he took like 30 straight shots from that same exact spot.''