ERIE – A hot start and a strong finish helped Cambridge Springs secure a berth in the PIAA Tournament with a 59-43 win over Eisenhower in the District 10 Class 2A third-place game.
The Blue Devils outscored the Knights, 16-7, in both the first and fourth quarters. They also clamped down defensively on Eisenhower’s newest 1,000-point scorer, holding Wyatt Lookenhouse to just three points.
Offensively, four of the five CS players who scored reached double figures. The Blue Devils did most of their damage in the fourth quarter from the free throw line. They had just a single field goal in the frame but went 14-19 from the charity stripe.
The Knights, meanwhile, shot just 3-10 from the line for the game.
Kyler Black had a team-high 17 points and was the only Eisenhower player in double digits. Kris Bunk had eight, and Kael Hunt had seven.
Parker Schmidt had a game-high 21 points to lead the Blue Devils. Ethan Counasse had 13 points, Josh Reisnhour had 11 points, and Owen Riley had 10.
Cambridge Springs advances to the PIAA Tournament and will play the District 9 runner-up. Otto-Eldred and Clarion-Limestone will meet for the D9 title on Saturday.
Basketball playoff coverage is sponsored in part by Olewine Financial Group.
