LEBANON - There's a new solo leader in second place in L-L League boys' basketball Section 2 action.
That team is Lebanon.
And the Cedars can thank Josh Spaulding for that.
After a timeout to diagram the final 10.2 seconds, Lebanon's senior big man took a feed from Drey Murray with time running out and beat the buzzer with a runner in the lane, giving the Cedars an electrifying 56-55 win over Cocalico on Tuesday night.
"We talked about the play we wanted to run and being ready to execute," Lebanon coach Tim Speraw said. "And the kids executed the play, the ball bounced around and went it. It's very satisfying. It's great for Josh. To end the game that way was just awesome."
VIDEO: Josh Spaulding's buzzer-beater shot and celebration.
VIDEO: Josh Spaulding chats about his game-winner.
END RESULT: Lebanon (7-7, 10-9) moved one game ahead of Cocalico (6-8, 9-10) for second place in the section. Elizabethtown has already clinched the outright section crown. Right now, Lebanon is in the driver's seat for the No. 2 spot - and the league playoff spot that comes with it. But it's not a lock; the Cedars play at Elizabethtown on Friday before finishing up at Ephrata next Tuesday. Cocalico is at Ephrata on Friday before hosting Solanco next Tuesday. So keep your L-L League playoff tiebreaker criteria handy. Both teams also have one more non-league game: Cocalico hosts Conrad Weiser on Wednesday and Lebanon is at Garden Spot on Saturday.
OVERCOMING LESCOE: Lebanon held together down the stretch despite a huge effort by Cocalico freshman Tucker Lescoe, who dropped seven 3-pointers and pumped in a career-high 25 points. Three of those 3's came in the fourth quarter, when the Eagles overcame an 8-point deficit with 2:45 to play. Lebanon had the taller Spaulding mark Lescoe and Cocalico's other top sniper, Oliver Denlinger, in the first half. Denlinger was held to 6 points. Lescoe, meanwhile, went off from long range. "How about that kid?" Speraw said. "Holy cow. The kid's a player. He never quits. We threw pretty much everything but the kitchen sink at him and he kept kept coming out on top. Man, that kid can shoot the ball. Holy smokes that kid can shoot."
BACK AND FORTH: Lebanon led 14-12 after the first quarter and 27-18 at the half, before Cocalico used a 20-9 third-quarter blitz to grab a 38-36 lead heading into the fourth. The Eagles finally caught Lebanon in the third when Spencer Moser splashed a 3 to make it 36-all with 1:20 to go in the quarter. Denlinger hit a pair of free throws to make it 36-36 after three. Lebanon had the quick getaway in the fourth. Spaulding had a pair of buckets in the lane and Evan Zimmerman nailed a pair of 3-pointers from the right wing, as the Cedars built an 8-point cushion. But Lescoe scored 13 fourth-quarter points - including four deep treys - as Cocalico eventually went ahead 55-54. Cue Spaulding, who helped the Cedars win their fifth game in a row. Good timing.
QUOTABLE: Lebanon coach Tim Speraw - "We've been preaching since this five-game stretch started to win the next game. And if we can keep winning the next game, we put ourselves in a better spot each time. We'll need stuff to fall the right way. But this definitely helps."
QUOTABLE: Cocalico coach Travis Wealand - "I love our kids and they're great to coach, so I wish this one would have bounced the other way. You never know what's going to happen. ... Any loss is a stinger, but especially here, with how we fought back. It's tough to take, but we have resilient kids. I know we'll bounce back. We have to focus on us and keep getting better every day. Our goal is to extend our season, so we definitely want to be here. If we can take care of our business, hopefully we're in the position to be there. If that happens, great. But I'm really proud of our guys either way."
NOTABLE: Spaulding paced a balanced attack with 15 points for Lebanon. Murray and Zimmerman added 11 points apiece. ... Zach Rissler scored a season-high 14 points for Cocalico, as Denlinger, who came into the game with 51 3-pointers, never got a in a flow, Shea Evans and Brock Gosling sat with foul woes, and Spencer Moser - another one of the Eagles' snipers - was limited to two field goals - both 3's and both in the third quarter. ... Cocalico out-rebounded Lebanon 23-20; Spaulding grabbed a game-high 6 boards for Lebanon and Rissler had 5 rebounds for Cocalico. ... Lebanon turned the ball over 15 times; Cocalico just 9 - none in the first quarter and just once in the fourth.
JEFF REINHART: jreinhart@pennlive.com
ON TWITTER: @JeffReinhartPN