Little Lions outlast Mifflin County girls

By rscaife
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Updated: February 22, 2018

LEWISTOWN – Ask any coach and they will tell you one of the hardest things to do in a season is beat a team three times in the same time frame.
Wednesday night, the Mifflin County girls basketball team faced such a challenge as it went head-to-head with rival State College.
The Huskies took care of the regular season in both the home and away contests.
The third one which was for all the money, went to the Little Lions winning, 50-46.
It was a game that wouldn’t be decided to the last 20 seconds of the contest.
State College opened the game with the lead until 1:58 when the Huskies would rally late to tie things at 46.
State College was led by the strong offensive effort by Maya Bokunewicz who finished with a game high 19 points.
Despite being double teamed for most of the night, Mifflin County captain Eleana Eckley was still able to muscle out an 18-point effort.
Teammate Rylie Rittenhouse was also a double-digit scorer with 14.
State College also got a double figure effort from Elizabeth Czekaj with 13.
Going into the the final stanza, State College held an 6-point lead.
Czekaj put her team up by eight when she hit two-of-two from the foul line.
Eckley muscled her way in the lane to put her team back to within six with 6:13 left.
Mifflin County forced a Little Lions’ turnover on the next possession and put the ball back in the Huskies hands.
After working the ball around, Rylie Rittenhouse attacked the basket and cut the State lead to just four.
But just like she did the entire game, Bokunewicz put a pause on the Huskies comeback with a bucket at the five minute mark.
However just seconds later, Eckley got the entire gym of Huskies’ fans roaring with excitement as she launched and netted a triple, making it a 42-39 contest.
The triple forced the State College bench to call time out with 4:01 to go.
But the Huskies comeback continued as Eckley helped her team close it to one as she hit both shots from the line.
Bokunewicz played the role of the spoiler once again as she popped a clutch shot to take the Little Lions back up by three with 3:15 to go.
Rittenhouse hit 1-of-2, cutting it to 44-42.
State College forward Kelsey Love took her chance of helping her team increase its lead. Her jumper upped the lead back to two at 46-42.
On its next March down court, Mifflin County’s Hannah Aumiller made 1-of-2, putting the contest within a triple of being tied.
With 1:58 showing on the clock, Rittenhouse stepped behind the three-point line and with one flick of the wrist, tied it at 46.
The game would stay that way until late. Both defenses made clutch plays with the clock winding down.
Finally with 18.8 ticks on the clock, Lexi Risha was fouled going up for a shot. She was automatic from the line, putting the pressure back in the Huskies.
Mifflin County was able to get the ball to Eckley. Eckley went for the shot and was banged on the play, taking the power of her shot.
Czekaj added to State College’s score with two seconds, ending the game at 50-46.
With the win State College will meet Altoona while Mifflin County ended its season.