NEW PARIS - The winning teams in the District 5 Athletic Directors Association All-Star Basketball Games both led wire-to-wire, but one of the games was far more competitive than the other.
The East boys jumped out to a 16-5 lead on the West and held on for a 77-75 win at the Chestnut Ridge High School gym in the night cap of the boys-girls doubleheader. The West girls trounced the East in the first game, 94-54.
Bedford's Josh Wakefield and Southern Fulton's Damon Gordon led the East boys with 12 points apiece. Gordon won team MVP honors.
"Basketball's a game of swings. We were able to build up a lead in the first half then hold them off in the second half," Wakefield said.
"We were all pretty gassed in the second half. Playing for Bedford, we didn't make the playoffs so it's been awhile since I've been on the basketball court."
The West climbed within a bucket of the East several times in the second half but was never able to take the lead.
Conemaugh Township's Dan Zambanini scored on the fastbreak with 28 seconds left to make it a two-point game. Southern Fulton's Seth Hall missed the front end of 1-and-1 in the final ten seconds, but the East grabbed the ensuing rebound and ran out the clock.
Chestnut Ridge's Brad Hengst added nine points, and Wakefield's Bedford teammate, Brad Swartz, scored eight points.
Salisbury's Brandon Miller scored a game-high 16 points, earning him team MVP honors for the West. Meyersdale's Justin Donaldson won the halftime 3-point shooting contest.
In the girls game, the West jumped out to a 20-2 lead and never looked back. Tussey Mountain's Morgan Lemin led the East team with 13 points. Northern Bedford's Ashley McGhee scored 11.
"It was fun to play with a lot of the girls I usually play against. We all know each other and talk after the games, especially the Tussey Mountain girls," McGhee said.
For five Tussey Mountain seniors, it was one last chance to play together before graduation.
"We've been playing together since the fourth grade. It felt good to play together again, but at the same time, it's hard knowing that this was the last time," Lemin said.
Lemin was named the East MVP following the game. Windber's Jill Penatzer received the West MVP award.
She also won the halftime 3-point shooting contest. North Star's Bradie Rhodes led the West with a game-high 16 points.
Proceeds from the game go towards the District 5 Athletic Directors Scholarship Fund. The fund has distributed more than $17,000 to District 5 student-athletes in the past six years.
BOYS
EAST 77, WEST 75
WEST (75): Donaldson 4 2-2 12, Miller 5 4-5 16, Moser 1 3-4 5, Zambanini 6 1-2 13, Harshbarger 1 0-0 2, Duppstadt 0 0-0 0, Spiegle 3 0-0 7, Cooney 3 0-0 7, Bloom 1 1-2 3, Buck 5 0-0 10. Totals - 29 11-15 75.
EAST (77): Young 2 0-0 4, Foy 4 0-0 9, Wakefield 6 0-0 12, Gordon 5 1-2 12, Hall 3 0-0 7, Little 2 0-0 4, Woy 3 0-2 7, Hengst 3 1-2 9, Swartz 4 0-0 8, Everts 2 1-2 5. Totals - 34 3-12 77.
Halftime: East, 37-30. 3-point goals: West 6 (Donaldson 2, Miller 2, Spiegle, Cooney); East 6 (Hengst 2, Foy, Gordon, Hall, Woy).
GIRLS
WEST 94, EAST 54
WEST (94): Lohr 2 0-0 5, Maust 6 0-0 12, Harshberger 5 0-2 10, Muha 2 1-2 5, Feathers 2 0-0 6, Reckner 3 2-2 8, Conahan 1 0-0 3, Null 2 1-2 5, Penatzer 5 0-0 13, Etris 5 0-0 10, Rhodes 8 0-0 16, Short 0 1-1 1. Totals - 41 5-9 94.
EAST (54): McGhee 4 0-0 11, Hollenshead 1 1-4 3, Hahn 0 0-0 0, Lemin 6 1-1 13, Watkins 2 0-0 6, Runk 3 1-2 8, Secrest 2 0-0 4, Clark 2 0-0 4, Gates 0 0-0 0, Barefoot 2 0-0 5. Totals - 22 3-7 54.
Halftime: West, 51-25. 3-point goals: West 7 (Penatzer 3, Feathers 2, Lohr, Conahan); East 7 (McGhee 3, Abbott-Watkins 2, Runk, Barefoot).
