Hornets sting Cross County 77-50 in rival win

Harrisburg jumped out a 17-5 lead after the opening quarter and increased that lead each quarter on their way to 77-50 win over their neighboring rival Cross County this past Saturday in Weiner. The game was play at the Cardinals Nest due to flooding in the gym at the Harrisburg campus.

Eastin Gray scored the first six points of the game for Harrisburg with three baskets in the paint before Axson Wallace hit two free throws for the Hornets to make it 8-0 with 3:15 l left. Cross County got on the board with jumper before Axel Heeb hit triple twine to make the score 11-2 Harrisburg. The Thunderbirds scored on a reverse layup as Jakobe Tate hit two free throws and Jayvin Thompson drilled a three-ball from the left corner to push the Hornets lead to 16-4. Cross County hit one of two free throws before Jax Mross hit one of two free throws to make the score 17-5 Harrisburg after one quarter of play.

Heeb converted an old-school three-point play early in the second quarter and Gary and Bryce McCartney followed with back to back baskets to make the score 24-5 Harrisburg. The T-birds hit a jumper in the lane and Tate scored down low before Cross County scored the next four points to make it 26-11 Harrisburg. Gray scored in the paint, the Thunderbirds scored inside and hit one of two free throws and Tate and Mross scored back to back baskets before Wallace canned a three-pointer to make it 35-14 Hornets. Cross County scored the last seven points of the quarter to make the halftime score 35-21 Harrisburg.

The Hornets opened the third quarter with a 9-0 run as McCartney stuck back a rebound, Mross scored down low with Heeb hitting a jumper in the lane and drilling a three-pointer from the top of the key to make the score 44-21 Harrisburg. Cross County hit two free throws and scored down low only to see Heeb convert another old-school three-point play to make it 47-25 with 3:59 left. The Thunderbirds went on a 7-2 run with Thompson hitting two free throws for the Hornets as Cross County cut the lead to 49-32. Heeb canned a three-ball from the right corner and Wallace hit two free throws for Harrisburg before the T-birds hit two free throws and got a steal and layup late to make it 54-36 Hornets at the end of three.

Cross County hit two free throws for the first points of the fourth quarter then Gray scored inside for Harrisburg to make it 56-38 Hornets. The Thunderbirds scored in the paint, Heeb canned a three-ball, Cross County got another basket in the paint only to see Harrisburg get a jumper from Heeb, a basket down low and one of two free throws from Tate to make the score 64-42 with 4:46 left in the game. Cross County drilled a three-pointer but Harrisburg got a basket in the paint from Gray, a three-pointer from Heeb and a jumper from Thompson to push their lead to 71-45. The Thunderbirds scored down low, Gray stuck back a rebound, Tate scored inside and Landon Casebier hit a jumper in lane before Cross County hit a three-pointer late to make the final score 77-50 Hornets.

“I thought we played really well tonight, from opening tip to final horn. Probably one of our best start to finish games all season,” Harrisburg head coach John Paul Geniesse said after the game. “Cross County can score and they are physical and I thought we took that away from them tonight. We played at our pace and hats off or our kids as they played an amazing game tonight,” Geniesse added.

Heeb led Harrisburg with 25 points as Gray finished with 16 points. Tate netted 11 points, Wallace and Thompson scored seven points each, Mross had five points, with McCartney tossing in four points and Casebier chipping in two points for the Hornets.