District 3 5A Championship: West York 66, Milton Hershey 42

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>West York jumped out to an early 20-point advantage and never looked back, downing top-seeded Milton Hershey to win its first district championship since 2007. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='2453477' first='Chase' last='Cristofoletti'] led the way with 18 points while classmate [player_tooltip player_id='2453336' first='Breckin' last='Lasher'] added 14. Junior forward [player_tooltip player_id='2861780' first='Abdou' last='Diene'] keyed Milton Hershey with a versatile double-double. Both teams will move on to the 5A state playoffs starting next Friday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2453477"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69a132be2e72f"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Cristofoletti led a balanced effort with 18 points, capitalizing efficiently on opportunities presented by West York's well-oiled machine of an offensive system. He stayed moving offensively as an effective floor-spacing threat off the catch and smart cutter in the halfcourt, finishing around the rim with craft and dexterity. He's quick on his feet with some fluidity as an athlete, making plays on the defensive end to get out in transition for easy buckets. He also intrigued with some punch off the dribble when the opportunity presented. Cristofoletti projects as a nice plug-and-play piece at the small college level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2453336"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69a132be2e7ea"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">A focal point for the Bulldogs in the frontcourt, Lasher showed his IQ and versatility on his way to 14 points in the resounding win. He operated all over the floor, playing with patience but also smartly and decisively on every catch. He flowed smoothly between the interior and perimeter, facilitating from both the high and low post, stretching the floor as a shooter, and showing soft hands as a roller to the rim. Defensively, while a bit limited from an athletic standpoint, he was effective using his size and strength to defend his area around the basket. He should emerge onto scholarship radars this spring and summer but will first look to lead West York on a run in the 5A state bracket.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2861780"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69a132be2e8bf"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Despite the loss, Diene was the most intriguing prospect on the floor while racking up a double-double of 11 points and 11 boards. The junior forward showed outstanding versatility, doing bits of everything on both ends of the floor. More of a natural post, he's developed a robust skillset as a comfortable ballhandler and passer from the perimeter with soft touch as a floor-spacer out to 3. He was a sturdy presence defending the paint and showed good pursuit while rising up with strong hands for high-point rebounds. Despite a bigger body, Diene is light on his feet with swift body control as a finisher in traffic. While a bit under the radar and still refining his overall game, he's one of the more talented forwards in the state with a chance to generate buzz at the D1 level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["3527656"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69a132be2e963"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Despite not scoring in double figures, Ferber was at the heart of West York's buzzsaw of an offense, showcasing his preternatural passing ability and north-south burst off the bounce. A versatile guard, he routinely initiated offense for the Bulldogs in the halfcourt and transition, whipping the ball all over the floor to set teammates up for easy looks. He showed to be an active defender with crisp athleticism and great instincts for the ball to come up with steals and get going the other way. His points came within the flow as a smart cutter and opportunistic downhill driver, although he didn't show much as a shooter from the midrange or perimeter. Ferber is an accomplished quarterback who's likely to play football at the next level but is undoubtedly a college-level prospect with some real upside on the hardwood. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["3042844"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69a132be2ea5e"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">The score was lopsided but Crawford but still able to stand out with his old-school game near the rim while establishing Milton Hershey's only momentum of the game in a third-quarter spurt. He scored a team-high 13 points, showing strong hands on the move as a roller or running in transition with soft touch as a finisher near the rim. Crawford uses a wide frame to carve out good position inside and shows good footwork once he gets the ball in the post. He has a strong build but is able to move his feet a bit and shows flashes of a modern skillset as a shooter and ballhandler. He'll have a chance to be one of the more coveted small-college bigs in the state by this time next year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->