While all the pace and pageantry of this championship affair wore off in a New York minute, Harrisburg Christian will remember the end result just the same.
Aided by Macaela Campbell's 13 points, including a pair free throws in the waning seconds, the Knights claimed their third straight Commonwealth Christian Athletic Association title via a 42-38 triumph over short-handed Mount Calvary.
VIDEO: MACAELA CAMPBELL'S FREE THROW SEALS KNIGHTS VICTORY IN FINAL SECONDS
In the tight-whistle finale at East Pennsboro, the Chargers actually played the final 10 seconds with just four on the court. Four starters bowed out on fouls, including 6-0 center Melissa Foerster, the Knights nemesis throughout.
Harrisburg Christian had their own issues but caught fire early in the second half with a wild 12-0 run that produced a 31-22 lead with eight minutes to go. Campbell and the Knights made sure it stuck.
“It was definitely a hard-fought game. But, for us, that just makes it all the more better,” said Knights guard Katie Bechtel. “That we pulled together in the face of adversity and came out on top was great.”
VIDEO: KATIE BECHTEL AND SIERRA DIXON TALK CCAC TITLE
Foerster finished the afternoon with a team-high 12 points, teaming with Sara Shambaugh and Alexis Rutt to push Mount Calvary ahead 17-15 at the break. Still, a pair of starters in guards Kaitlin Landis and Adrienne Allebach were already in serious foul trouble when the second half began.
That allowed the Knights (16-7), also playing long minutes without Macaela Campbell, center Sierra Dixon and Sam Krasevic, to finally get in gear.
“You just have to keep pushing through,” said Dixon. “Even if you don't agree with the calls, you can't change anything. You've always got to look at the bright side.”
Dixon's three-point play started the third-quarter rally before buckets by Brianna Campbell, Krasevic and Bechtel turned that two-point deficit into a 27-17 Knights lead.
“Them getting into foul trouble, really deep foul trouble, allowed us to open it up,” said HC skipper Steve Bechtel. “With Landis out of the game, that's when the run happened. It's always a battle when we play them, so you've got to take advantage of those little streaks when you get them.”
Despite its short rotation, Mount Calvary (17-7) kept charging, getting a Rutt triple and Shambaugh stickback to cut into the deficit. In fact, Rutt's 18-footer brought the Chargers within 35-33 with 4:00 remaining before Macaela Campbell took charge.
With both Dixon and Krasevic on the pine, Campbell posted the final seven points for Harrisburg Christian. Her last two free throws – Campbell was 7 of 12 from the line – made it a two possession game with 10 ticks to go.
“All the playoff games up until now were called very loosely, but this game was called tight as a drum,” said Mount Calvary coach Dr. Daniel Sheard.
“Even with that I thought we played a decent game. We didn't come out real strong in the second half, but we had to come back from a 10-point deficit.”
Rutt totaled 11 points off the Mount Calvary bench while Foerster, who contributed 17 rebounds, fouled out with 2:32 remaining. Bechtel and Krasevic shared 18 points for the Knights, who also got vital minutes from BrieAnna Seibert (six rebounds).
Ironically, Harrisburg Christian and Mount Calvary could meet for a fourth time in next week's District 3-A Tournament. The Chargers, seeded fourth, will host either No. 12 Upper Dauphin or the fifth-seeded Knights next Saturday.
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