Basketball games are rarely determined by just one factor. But coming into its District 3-AAAA Round of 16 game at Cedar Crest, Hempfield knew one of the most important keys to its success was defending the Falcons' outside shooting.
The Black Knights held Cedar Crest to just two treys in the game, none in the second half, and defeated the Falcons 43-36 to move on to Friday's quarterfinals.
Defending Cedar Crest's guards did not happen in a vacuum. While Hempfield was clamping down around the 3-point arc, the Falcons' Alyssa Austin posed a threat inside.
"We were trying to keep her touches to a minimum," Hempfield head coach Brian Rife said. "But we wanted to defend the 3-pointers most of all."
Although Emily Wagner did make a couple of 3-pointers for Cedar Crest during a close first half, Cedar Crest's outside opportunities became rarer and of lesser quality as the game went on.
"They are a guard oriented team, and our coach told us we have to take them away and take away their left hand," Hempfield guard Nikki Rhoades said.
For more on Hempfield's win over Cedar Crest, click here
Meanwhile, center Alecia Rohrer matched up with Austin in a battle that went back and forth through the game.
Austin had four points, three rebounds and two blocks in the first quarter, and her putback helped Cedar Crest to an early 9-5 lead.
But Rohrer started to get more opportunities in the second period, and Hempfield led 20-16 at halftime.
Austin opened the second half by blocking another shot, and then scored on a put back on the other end of the court. That ignited an 8-0 run to put the Falcons up 24-20.
But in the last 9:30 of the game, Rohrer had two field goals, was 4-for-4 from the line and blocked three shots as Hempfield established control.
Until the last 50 seconds, Hempfield's lead was just by one possession, but it felt larger than that as Cedar Crest had three starters foul out in the last three minutes. Then, shortly after the last of those foul outs, Falcon head coach James Donmoyer was called for a technical foul.
Rhoades was 7-for-8 in free throw shooting in the last minute to put Hempfield up 43-34 before Austin made a layup for the game's final score.
In terms of the foul situation, Nikki Wagner getting in foul trouble early in the second half particularly hindered Cedar Crest. She ended the first half with two fouls, but was whistled twice in the first 2:08 of the third period.
With six minutes to go [in the third] I had to sit her until the fourth quarter," Donmoyer said. "Then, she can't play [aggressive defense]. The fouls limited it."
Both of the Wagner sisters and Alex Rich fouled out.
Although this ended the season for the Falcons, after reaching the Lancaster-Lebanon League championship game, things are looking up for their near future.
"If you look at this game, it seems like the end of the world," Donmoyer said. "But I think we had a good season. We went 19-7, and we have five starters back. How can you feel bad about the future?"
Hempfield, meanwhile, has more immediate concerns: defending District 3-AAAA champion Wilson awaits in the quarterfinals at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Garden Spot.
"Wilson, if not the best team in the district, is one of the top teams in the district," Rife said. "They're really going to be tough to beat."