LIBERTY — With a prospect to participate in in the District 4 A Championship Sport for the to start with time since 1989 hanging in the equilibrium, the North Penn-Liberty Mounties (14-2) lean edon their protection to protected a 44-36 victory around Our Women of Lourdes Regional Academy Crimson Raiders (10-12).
“I feel a couple of periods Colton (Litzelman) received into a defensive place and acquired a couple of steals and led the cost on the defensive conclusion,” NP-Liberty Head Coach Brian Litzelman reported. “We just tried out to tension their guards and make them get paid stuff.”
In a sport exactly where baskets didn’t occur conveniently for either facet, the Liberty boys have been in a position to use opportunistic performs down the extend to bury their opponent on the way to their to start with trip to the District Championship recreation in 32 many years.
“Being able to play these last two yrs and owning these games has helped us,” Colton Litzelman explained. “We had to push ourselves to engage in protection a very little bit better, and it gave us a minor bit far more self-assurance and we came out with the earn.”
For the duration of the initial quarter, both equally teams had been stalwart on the defensive side of the court docket, and senior stage guard Noah Spencer was ice chilly from the area, missing on his to start with several makes an attempt and not coming away with any details in the very first body.
The defense was able to preserve the sport near, as the Mounties only trailed 9-8 right after the initially quarter.
Although the 2nd-quarter score was a stalemate with both of those groups scoring 12 in the body, it was about the midway element of the frame where Spencer started to see shots fall and the business for Liberty started off to locate a groove.
“I just informed him he’s acquired to go by means of and get to the basket somehow,” Coach Litzelman stated. “He’s got to permit the stream of the video game arrive to him, I assume he was pressured and I assume that being so near to 1,000 (factors) was a nerve-racking condition.”
Spencer arrived into the contest only needing 20 much more details to be a part of the 1,000-stage club, but at the time he set that idea into the back of his head, his pictures started to slide.
His two late buckets furthermore a steal and layup from Colton Litzelman aided them seize a lead with only 30 seconds still left in the half, but a putback with time ticking down from Lourdes’ Maxwell Reiprish gave the Purple Raiders a 21-20 guide at the 50 %.
With the activity in the balance in a problem all too acquainted to the Mounties, they responded fantastically with Spencer getting charge.
Two 3-pointers from the point guard and eight total details in the body served the Liberty team just take management of the match heading into the remaining quarter with a 31-29 guide.
The protection took around down the stretch and even while Lourdes discovered on their own sneaking again into the sport periodically, big plays down the extend on defense for Colton Litzelman, a late 3-pointer from Koleton Roupp, and 6 fourth-quarter points from Spencer proved to be the choosing element as the Mounties held Lourdes to just seven fourth-quarter details to just take the victory on their house floor.
Spencer concluded the sport with 18 factors in the games (14 in the next half) to go together with 10 rebounds, three helps, and two steals.
When the senior dialed in, he helped drive the offense to a victory in a sport wherever factors were being challenging to arrive by. He now sits just two details away from the coveted 1,000-level club.
“I was not also worried about it but of class you want to get it,” Spencer claimed. “I consider I did pressure a little far too a lot this recreation, but being aware of that now I am only two details absent, I’m not way too nervous about it now. Now we can just go participate in to gain.”
Colton Litzleman was the chief on defense, and the senior carries on to be a stopper for the Mounties as they continue their operate to try and capture a title.
He racked up 9 points, 4 rebounds, a sport-large 4 steals such as the greatest engage in of the night the place he came up with a steal even though his crew only led by 4, obtained fouled on the other close, and knocked down two cost-free throws to assist ice the match.
“I was just currently being a heads-up male,” Litzelman said. “Sometimes I enable a bit far too significantly on protection, but that time I did it just suitable. I observed their level guard bringing it down, turned my head, and when I turned again I stole the ball and I just went for it and took it from there and I was like, ‘I’m likely to get us to a District Title sport.’”
Senior centre Brandon Thompson turned in his typical solid recreation as he corralled 10 rebounds to go along with his 8 details, Roupp experienced 3 factors, Kevin Alexander netted four factors and Derek Litzelman added two factors as the Mounties picked up the gain.
The Lourdes workforce was led by Chris Feudale who notched 10 points, Hunter Reed who scored seven, and Joey Nguyen who included 6 in the work.
With the acquire, the Liberty group now faces their finest obstacle of the 2021 season, as they vacation to not only their most important video game as a device but also from the hardest matchup they have witnessed all year in the St. John Neumann Golden Knights (16-3) who have a lineup of particularly talented players and a lengthy background of achievements.
The Knights are coming off a 74-53 struggle in opposition to Sullivan County (9-8) in their playoff matchup to seize a location in the District Finals.
With senior Colton Litzelman anticipated to choose on one of the two Hill brothers (David Hill -23 ppg Davion Hill 21.3 ppg), he will change to some of his matchups earlier this calendar year as a excellent mastering knowledge with the daunting job that is forward.
“I imagine I just have to have to put together the exact same way as I did for (Ty) Barret,” Colton Litzelman said. “I’m not stating the Hill brothers are not spectacular but I still feel Ty is improved.”
The North Penn-Liberty Mounties will vacation to Williamsport on Thursday, March 12 to take on the St. John Neumann Golden Knights at 8 p.m. for a shot at the title.
“I just feel we have to enjoy as a crew,” Mentor Litzelman said. “I imagine if we can set 5 men on the court that can enjoy as a crew, we have a shot.”