Burton and Vranich Combine for 44 as Pioneers Advance to District Quarterfinals

By -


On Tuesday night, the boys' basketball team hosted the Northeastern Bobcats in the first round of the District III playoffs. The Bobcats were 11-6 entering the game, earning themselves the 11th seed in the tournament. The Pioneers (8-3) were seeded in the 6th spot and were coming off a tough loss to Lower Dauphin in their last game. Unlike previous renditions of the District III tournament, there is no consolation bracket. This is due to only the winner of the tournament qualifying for the PIAA bracket. 

Luka Vranich in Game vs Lancaster Mennonite (Jon Klein)

The Pioneers started off the game on an 8-0 scoring run after a bucket from Luka Vranich and two three-pointers from Tyler Burton. The Bobcats answered right back, going on an 8-0 run of their own thanks in part to great three-point shooting. With 30 seconds remaining in the quarter, Burton hit a jump shot to send the Pioneers into the second quarter up 10-8. 

The Pioneers were undeniably the better team in the second quarter, creating space for open shots by energetic off-ball movement. The Bobcats hit their open shots but lacked the creativity of their opponents. L-S went into the break with a 24-17 lead. Tyler Burton was the games' leading scorer in the first half, recording 13 points. 

The Pioneers continued to control the action in the third quarter, once again proving to be too much for the Bobcat defense to handle. Luka Vranich and Sean McTaggart each scored 6 points during the quarter, propelling the Pioneers to a 39-23 lead going into the final quarter of play. Tyler Burton scored 10 points in the fourth quarter as the Pioneers cruised to a 57-38 win. 

THREE STARS:

Tyler Burton: Burton's had a spectacular freshman season thus far, and it continued tonight. Burton finished with 26 points on 61% shooting, including 4 three-pointers. The Pioneers will be a very tough out in this tournament if #3 continues to play at the top of his game. 

Luka Vranich: Vranich rarely took a false step (or shot) tonight. 18 points on 90% shooting from the field. If that's not impressive enough for your liking, how about 9 rebounds and 5 assists to go along with the shooting numbers? When Vranich plays well, the Pioneer offense runs at least 10 times better. 

Sean McTaggart: Another solid performance from McTaggart, who continues to look better and better as his senior season winds to a close. He contributed 8 points, 3 assists, and a game-high 5 steals tonight. 

Honorable Mentions: Nick del Grande, Kaden Hamilton, Karron Mallory, Berkeley Wagner.

STAT LEADERS: (Lampeter-Strasburg Only)

Points: Tyler Burton, 26
Rebounds: Luka Vranich, 9
Assists: Nick del Grande, 6
Steals: Sean McTaggart, 5
Blocks: Tyler Burton/Isaiah Parido, 1
Turnovers: Luka Vranich, 5


With the win tonight, the Pioneers have advanced to the quarterfinals of the District III tournament. They will head to Shippensburg on Thursday night to take on the 3rd seeded Greyhounds. The Greyhounds defeated Big Spring by a score of 63-44 for the right to face the Pioneers. Section 3 foes Manheim Central and Cocalico both advanced to the quarterfinals as well. The Barons will head to Hummelstown for a battle with Lower Dauphin, while the Eagles head north to Hershey to face the Trojans. 

-By Logan Moyer, LS News reporter

Popular posts from this blog

Advice: How to get straight As

By -
Image
Achieving straight As, or an unweighted GPA of 4.0, is the goal of many high school students. Getting straight As involves a lot of hard work, but it isn't impossible. Here is how I believe you can get all As. Do your homework. The number of students who do not do their homework shocks me. But doing your homework has many benefits and will help keep your grades up. Those five points you receive for a homework check matter, and when you get a 0 out of 5, it matters even more. Doing your homework also helps you learn the information, raising your test and quiz grades as well. Don't procrastinate. Procrastination is the downfall of many high school students who are capable of good grades. When you receive an assignment, do it ASAP. And when you are given the date of a test, start studying immediately instead of waiting and then cramming the night before. When you do this, you are likely to be less stressed, which increases the quality of the work you do. Don't put
Read more

Book Review: Read the story of 14-year-old 'Tex' an aimless, trouble-prone youth

By -
Image
Book Review Before school started, I went to Barnes & Noble to get a few books from my favorite author, S.E. (Susan Eloise) Hinton, to read as the year started. I got That was Then This is Now , Rumble Fish , (a third copy of) The Outsiders , and Tex .  I had already read The Outsiders at least nine times, I had finished That was Then This is Now , and I had just finished Rumble Fish , so I decided to pick up Tex and start reading. The author of these books writes them in the only way I can ever read books. First person point of view with a relatable narrator.  This one was told by the point of view of Texas (Tex) McCormick, a fourteen year old boy who is living with his brother Mason because they’re mom died when Tex was little and their dad walked out on them a few months back.Texas (Left) and Mason (Right) McCormick Texas believes that Pop (their dad) will be back soon, but Mason knows otherwise…or at least he thinks he does. Tex has a few close friends and is r
Read more

A Harmonious Evening to Remember: The Lampeter-Strasburg District Chorus Concert

By -
Image
On March 14th, 2024, Lampeter-Strasburg High School hosted the District Chorus Concert. Students from 4th to 12th grade performed captivating songs, and the auditorium was packed full of friends and family members who came to watch the performance.  Preparation for the concert was a long process, but a much needed one. No one knew how to sing the songs in the beginning, but after several rehearsals and time to fix the small details, they got to the level they performed at on the 14th.  The evening started off with the youngest singers of the night: the 4th and 5th graders. Their performance was followed by the Martin Meylin Madrigal singers and chorus, followed by the High School Madrigals and chorus. To end the evening, all groups joined on stage to perform “Ad Astra” together, a beautiful piece consisting of Latin and English lyrics. The song received a standing ovation from many members of the audience.  “I think it was a beautiful event,” stated James Appelgrijn, a junior in the Hi
Read more