KEYSTONE STILL IN DOUBT: It appears Palmyra (18-0, 12-0) and Hershey will continue to battle for Keystone supremacy until the two proud programs square off on the final day of the regular season.
While Palmyra easily dispatched Bishop McDevitt Wednesday, the Trojans were busy dealing with Lower Dauphin's unrelenting patience in Hummelstown. On the strength of Victoria Blackburn's 18 points – Hershey's point guard posted her team's only field goal of the second half – coach Randy Gambelunghe's Trojans survived a 29-24 tester.
Lower Dauphin, playing without starter Hunter Bracale (concussion), trailed 19-9 at halftime, then held Hershey (15-2, 12-1) to 10 second-half points. Blackburn's trey, her second of the game, accounted for that lone Hershey field goal in the final 16 minutes.
VIEW: Wednesday's box scores and updated standings
NEW KEYSTONE NO. 3: Mechanicsburg took a big step toward qualifying for the District 3-AAAA postseason, rallying behind Hannah Brown for a 40-35 Keystone win over host Trinity.
Brown netted 12 points in the final stanza, a 15-9 Mechanicsburg sprint, while five different players netted long-range treys to pull Mechanicsburg (11-6, 8-4) into third-place in the Keystone Division. Brianna Betz-White equalled Brown's effort in the loss, Trinity's first in four games.
OWNING THE TVL: We're not sure such rude behavior is what coaches had in mind when Tri-Valley League officials welcomed back Juniata (15-1, 11-0) this season. So far, the Indians have been untouchable in league play as Victoria Varner, Carly Burns and Joelle Winey led Juniata's latest success story on Wednesday opposite Millersburg.
Varner's perimeter touch led all scorers with 17 points in Juniata's 55-32 win. Burns (11 points) and Winey added a combined 21 to erase a pair of double-digit performances by Millersburg's Tori Fulkroad and Madison Engle. Juniata's lone setback dates to Dec. 15 against Bald Eagle Area.
SENIOR NIGHT SHOWSTOPPER: Although well outside the District 3-AAAA cutline, Cedar Cliff earned (6-11) a brief reprieve from the rigors of the Mid-Penn Keystone Division on Wednesday.
On senior night, Jess Butts popped in a career-high 17 points and Leah Marshall chipped in nine during a 50-34 non-con triumph over York. Butts also nailed Cedar Cliff's only trey as the visiting Bearcats were overwhelmed by a 25-12 halftime deficit.
INDIANS SKID CONTINUES: Finding a competitive groove has been difficult for Susquehanna Twp., and those struggles continued Wednesday against Keystone foe Red Land. Danielle June poured in 17 points and Ashley Carroll chipped in 13 as the Patriots used a tidy 16-8 fourth-quarter run to bypass the Tribe 54-45.
Despite a game-high 21 points by Lena Williams, Red Land's effort shoved Julie Denniston's crew to their third straight loss.