PIAA BOYS BASKETBALL: Thompson, Lyons lead Holy Cross into Class 3A semis
BETHLEHEM — CJ Thompson was on a mission, and Matt Lyons celebrated a career milestone in the best way possible as Holy Cross kept its boys basketball season alive.
Playing in his third game back after missing the District 2 Class 3A championship with an illness, Thompson led the Crusaders with 15 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals, while Lyons scored the 1,000th point of his career in a 63-52 win over Lancaster Mennonite, the runner-up from District 3, on Saturday in the PIAA Class 2A quarterfinals at Bethlehem Liberty High School.
Holy Cross (25-5) continues to build on its state-playoff legacy by reaching the semifinals for the second straight season. The Crusaders will play District 12 champion West Catholic (11-15), which denied them a fifth meeting with District 2 champion and Lackawanna League rival Riverside with a 55-41 win in another quarterfinal. The semifinal showdown is March 22 at a site and time to be determined by the PIAA.
Last season, Holy Cross reached the PIAA Class 2A final, but is playing in Class 3A this season because of the PIAA competition formula.
“It feels really great to be back,” Thompson said. “I feel lucky and blessed to be healthy again for this state run. I was disappointed to miss out on the district game.
“My motivation is at an all-time high. Coming back for the first state game, I knew that it was going to be a little weird getting used to the pace and running up and down the court, but I feel 100% right now.”
Holy Cross, which had lived on the edge with two dramatic wins over Troy in overtime and Audenried Charter, left nothing to chance against Lancaster Mennonite and improved its overall PIAA playoff record to 32-16.
The Crusaders slammed the pedal to the floor, and their early relentless pace was too much for the Blazers. Holy Cross built a big early lead and was never seriously threatened the rest of the way.
After Lancaster Mennonite (24-4) scored the first two points with a jumper from Daulton Noll, Holy Cross broke away with a 15-2 response. It started with a Matt Lyons putback that set off the horn in the gymnasium, signaling his 1,000th point.
“That was just amazing,” Lyons said. “I have been blessed with the opportunity to get passes and rebounds to score what I have. To get this in a state playoff win is incredible. We had to play hard to get this far, because I wouldn’t have had the chance if we didn’t. To have the community all out in the stands was just phenomenal.”
Holy Cross raced to a lead that stood at 18-9 at the end of the first quarter. The Crusaders made 6 of 13 shots, with Mario Matrone scoring five points in the quarter, which included a 3-pointer.
“We were really prepared,” Matrone said. “We knew that we were going to come out and pressure them and frazzle them. We were ready, and we understand that if you keep a team in a game, there is a chance that you might lose. We were able to build that early lead and carry it to win the game.”
Holy Cross maintained a 30-20 lead at the half as Adam Badyrka and Thompson each scored five points.
For Thompson, he looked refreshed and dialed in right from the opening tap.
He applied fierce defensive pressure on the ball, and his speed overwhelmed the Blazers. Thompson scored 12 points against Troy in his first game back after the illness, then had seven in the win over Audenried. He took over the game against Lancaster Mennonite.
Included in his 15 points were a pair of key 3-pointers in the third quarter that helped the Crusaders stave off any comeback ideas the Blazers might have had for the second half.
Holy Cross kept Lancaster Mennonite at bay with a balanced attack.
In addition to the contributions of Thompson and Lyons, Badyrka scored 13 points, Michael Hughes finished with six of his 11 points in the fourth quarter, and Matrone had 10 as every starter totaled double figures.
“Seeing everybody get their shots to go down was really big for us,” Thompson said.
Lancaster Mennonite’s best attack came in the fourth quarter. Cody Fisher scored six of his 12 points during a 12-2 run that pulled the Blazers to within 51-45. Holy Cross called timeout, and Matrone, Lyons and Hughes extended the advantage to 57-45 with 2:50 remaining.
Still, it was the Holy Cross defense that stood out most.
The Crusaders created havoc and challenged every shot while helping to force 13 turnovers.
“Our defensive intensity was crazy,” Matrone said. “Our on-ball defense with CJ was incredible, and all of our guards were rotating and helping. Then we had Matt inside blocking shots.
“We had a good effort.”
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