PIAA 4A Quarterfinal: Lewisburg 60, Bishop McDevitt 58

District 4 champion Lewisburg held off a furious comeback from District 3's Bishop McDevitt to squeeze out a narrow win and advance to Monday night's state semifinals. Sophomore guard LJ Tucker led the way with 23 points as the Dragons advanced to take on Devon Prep for a berth in the state title game in Hershey.    The second quarter made up the difference in the game, with Lewisburg going on a 22-4 run spurred on by an offensive outburst from Tucker beyond the arc. A sharpshooting sophomore, he shook free to knock down four 3's in the quarter with five total before halftime. He displayed a lightning-quick release with deep range off the catch while staying in constant motion to find his way to open space despite defenses keying in on him. Tucker is still slender but is long and rangy with some vertical pop and quickness on his feet, showing steady competitiveness in the floor game. He has to strengthen his handle to be able to better complement his shooting but his ability to shift a game on limited bounces should give him real value moving forward as he grows into his frame.     Michaels didn't light up the scoring column but was nonetheless impressive in his ability to run the show and handle the ball like a seasoned vet. The freshman directed traffic for all 32 minutes, controlling the tempo of the game effectively. He's quick and compact off the bounce, allowing him to get two feet in the paint consistently where he keeps his head up to make plays for others. Michaels finished with eight assists while taking pristine care of the ball. He flashed an ability to space the floor to the perimeter and finish inside with either hand but does need to continue to work to find a consistent means of scoring himself in order to open up his passing reads at higher levels. Nevertheless, his ability to make others better bodes well for his long-term projection.     Tying with a team-high with 14 points, Portee was active on both ends of the floor with a gutsy effort despite the season-ending loss. The junior swingman was aggressive looking to push the ball in transition and attack in the halfcourt as the game went on, showing some polish to his ball skills with quick bursts to the rim when he saw a seam open up. He was quick to loose balls and active with his hands on D while flashing the ability to space the floor to the perimeter with his feet set. Portee also intrigued with a handful of slick passing reads to hit his big man coming off of pick-and-roll action. He's not the most conventional player but his ability to check a multitude of boxes with a team-friendly approach should attract scholarship-level attention over the next year.     Sharing team-high recognition with 14 points of his own, Denisco refused to go down without a fight in what would be his last high school game. He stayed under control throughout the game but was consistently in attack mode, showing a polished skillset both with and without the ball. Denisco was consistently able to get to his spots in the paint for his smooth midrange pullups and floaters, while also being able to create for teammates off his penetration. He spaced the floor effectively to the arc and competed all the way until the final whistle, narrowly missing a halfcourt heave off a steal that would have won McDevitt the game. Denisco profiles as a program staple for D3 McDaniel moving forward.     Another freshman who made a key impact on the game, Baker was quiet to start but came on strong as things went along and McDevitt fought back into the game. The rookie forward scored all eight of his points in the final quarter and change, adding a competitive spark near the rim on both ends of the floor. Baker plays with a clear court sense, working himself into position for easy buckets around the rim with his strong hands and swift finishing touch. He flashes the ability to attack off the bounce from the perimeter as well, as evidenced by his go-ahead bucket off a drive from the top of the key in the closing minutes. He's still a bit of a tweener when looking toward the collegiate level but has plenty of time to iron that out given his foundation of size, instincts, and efficient production.     It came in losing fashion but Jones nonetheless flashed a promising two-way skillset to establish some momentum as he prepares to step into a marquee role as an upperclassman. The sophomore lead guard shared primary ballhandling duties and was a consistent spark with his shiftiness off the bounce. He showed polished pullup mechanics with confident range out to the arc. Jones would score five of his eight points during a key third-quarter sequence featuring a steal and layup followed by a foul on a 3-point attempt, sparking the Crusaders back from an 18-point deficit. His energetic play on both ends of the floor should have no problem making fans out of college coaches in years to come.

District 4 champion Lewisburg held off a furious comeback from District 3's Bishop McDevitt to squeeze out a narrow win and advance to Monday night's state semifinals. Sophomore guard LJ Tucker led the way with 23 points as the Dragons advanced to take on Devon Prep for a berth in the state title game in Hershey.