ELIZABETHTOWN - When you're hot, you're hot.
And right now, McCaskey's boys' basketball team is scorching.
The Red Tornado won its 14th game in a row Friday night, overcoming an early 8-point deficit on the way to a runaway 97-75 win over Elizabethtown in an L-L League Section 1-2 crossover game.
It was the third time McCaskey and E-town have met in the last year.
Last season, the Tornado survived the Bears 95-87 in OT in an L-L League semifinal clash at Lampeter-Strasburg.
Two weeks later, McCaskey topped E-town 78-54 in the District 3 AAAA seventh-place game at Garden Spot, keeping the Bears out of the PIAA playoffs.
The rematch - with many of the same kids on the floor as last season's two postseason meetings - was Friday in Daubert Gym.
E-town bolted out of the chute, zooming to a 17-9 lead behind Lucas Jewell, who scored 10 of his career-high 37 points in the first quarter.
McCaskey countered with big-man Keyon Cowan, who absolutely owned the paint. He scored 10 of his career-high 30 points in the first quarter, as the Tornado finally caught - and passed - the Bears, grabbing a 23-20 lead.
The Tornado continued to unload in the second quarter. Cowan had 6 more points and Derrick Dixon scored 6 points off the bench as McCaskey used a 25-15 run to grab a 48-35 lead at the half.
McCaskey's leading scorer, Devonne Pinkard, got hot in the third quarter, scoring 9 of his 14 points as the pace picked up. Diante Cherry scored 6 of his 17 points, Cowan had 5 more points and Luis Fuentes came off the bench to score 5 points - including a deep 3 - in the third.
VIDEO: Diante Cherry interview after Tornado's victory.
Meanwhile, the Bears hung tough in the quarter, with Jordan Jones, Jewell and Tyler Koser all coaxing in 3-pointers to keep within shouting distance.
Jones added 13 points for E-town, which dropped its second game in a row after a 5-game winning streak. Warwick handed the Bears their first league loss on Tuesday.
Koser, who ended up gettng a pair of technical fouls and was ejected from the game, scored 7 of his 14 points in the third for E-town.
McCaskey (11-0, 14-2) pulled away for good in the fast-paced fourth quarter, when both coaches kept their starters in until the final buzzer.
Sha-Ki Staten scored 10 of his 16 points and Cowan pumped in 9 more points in the fourth quarter for the Tornado, which dropped a 99-94 decision in OT at Harrisburg on December 8 and an 83-57 decison at Chester on December 11 to open the season - and hasn't lost since.
Jewell splashed a pair of late 3's and scored 17 fourth-quarter points for the Bears (9-2, 11-5), who now own a 4-game lead in the Section 2 race over Cocalico (5-6, 8-7) and Lebanon (4-7, 6-9), who both earned victories on Friday.
PINKARD UPDATE: Chatted with McCaskey senior Devonne Pinkard after the game, and it looks like he has his college decision down to his final three. Pinkard said he was hoping to make it official this weekend, but he wants to make a couple of more visits. His list: Delaware, Drexel and James Madison. Stay tuned.
NOTABLE: McCaksey scored 90 or more points in a game for the fifth time this season; Tornado had 99 points in wins over Solanco and Cedar Crest earlier. ... Cowan snared a game-high 16 rebounds for McCaskey, which out-rebounded E-town 39-23. ... E-town was down a player; top sub Michael Kinderwater (ankle) did not play. ... Pinkard has scored in double digits in all 16 games this season. He's the only L-L League boys' player to score at least 10 points in every game out this season.
JEFF REINHART: jreinhart@pennlive.com
ON TWITTER: @JeffReinhartPN