It was an impressive week for the Solanco boys basketball team. The Mules won two of three crossover games including a 67-64 victory over visiting McCaskey Friday night. "It was a real big win," coach Scott Long said. "It was a fun way to end the week." The game was tied at 29 at halftime. "We talked about continuing to box and continuing to protect the basketball," said Long. "We were doing the little things we needed to do. We told them that if we get to the fourth quarter [with the score close], anything can happen." The Mules had a slim lead for most of the second half. "We got the stops we needed and we were able to hold on," said Long. Solanco missed a free throw that would've iced the game, but McCaskey was unable to make a potential game-tying 25-foot shot at the buzzer. "It's a huge win to beat a team like McCaskey," said Long. "We hope it will be a spark and give us energy for the rest of the season." Dylan Hastings paced the Mules with 25 points. Desmond Kreider added 15. Troy Miller provided nine points. Mike Figueroa supplied seven and Aaron Constein contributed six. Miller (11 rebounds) made the most of a chance to start. "Troy played a phenomenal game," said Long. "McCaskey had an outstanding offensive rebounding team. We thought our only chance would be to rebound well. We went with Troy and he did a great job on the boards. We're excited for him." Miller got help on the boards from Figueroa and Luis Alvarez. "Our big, athletic guys showed up and played well," said Long. Last Wednesday, Manheim Township topped the Mules 60-52. Township broke the game open by outscoring Solanco 22-13 in the third quarter. "It was a good first half," Long said. "In the third quarter we did not defend well and they shot the ball well (8 for 11). We have an inexperienced, young team that is still learning to be consistent and we paid for it against Township." Hastings led the Mules with 17 points. Kreider had nine and Alvarez added eight. On Monday, January 11, Solanco downed Penn Manor 65-52. The Mules led 31-20 at halftime. "They have two good shooters so we played a man-to-man all game and did not let them get easy shots." Robbie McHugh spearheaded Solanco's defense. "Robbie is 6-5 and he can play any position on the court," said Long. "He defended their shooting guard and did a great job. We made Penn Manor work for everything." Kreider supplied a team-high 14. Figueroa had 11, Hastings recorded 10, and Alvarez provided nine. Long said the wins over Penn Manor and McCaskey gave the team a confidence boost. "The kids are buying in. They understand you don't have to be the most talented team. It's more about executing and taking care of the details. I think this is a confident group right now. I think the kids believe. The coaches have believed in the kids but it's a lot different to get 15 kids to believe. With what we were able to do this week, we believe we can beat anybody." The Mules host Elizabethtown Tuesday and travel to Conestoga Valley Friday. Long says Solanco has a good shot of qualifying for the district tournament if it can win three of the last five games. "That would be a great accomplishment," said Long. "It's fun to be relevant this time of year." Comments are closed.
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