The Lancaster Bible men's basketball team secured an 89-59 win in the United East Semifinal against Wells on Friday, February 24^th, at the Horst Athletic Center. The Chargers are now 19-7 on the year as they advance to the championship game. After the loss, Wells finishes the season at a record of 14-12 overall.
 
How It Happened: Lancaster Bible came into their semifinal match against Wells Express looking for a strong win. Just under two minutes into the game, Chargers guard Jordan Shewbridge got things rolling after grabbing a steal and scoring on the other end, giving Lancaster Bible a 4-0 lead to start things right. To keep the Chargers rolling, junior guard Grant Sareyka scored seven straight points to bring Lancaster Bible a 15-7 lead over Wells just six minutes into the half. Just over a quarter into the game, Sareyka drilled a three to cap off a 9-0 run by Lancaster Bible and bring the team a 26-11 lead. Junior guard Malachi McDowell hit Lancaster Bible's second three of the game with 6:52 left in the first half as the Chargers took a 33-16 lead. With three minutes left in the half, Sareyka finished a tough layup and drew the foul to score his 17^th point. At the end of the half, the Chargers led 47-28 over Wells led by Sareyka's 19 first-half points.
 
Lancaster Bible came out strong in the second half, as they nailed three 3-pointers in consecutive possessions. Just over five minutes into the second half, the Chargers went on a 7-0 run behind a three from Shewbridge. McDowell had a strong second half after hitting two three-pointers and a layup; he scored seven in a row for the Chargers and brought their lead to 73-36. With 5:27 remaining, Shewbridge finished a layup following a dime from Seth Beers, giving him six assists on the game. The Chargers would go on to win the game 89-59 after their dominant second half, and the team earned a spot in the United East Final tomorrow afternoon.
 
By the Numbers: Lancaster Bible shot 45.3% (34-75) from the field and 36% (9-25) from three… Wells shot 39.1% (18-46) and 28.6% (2-7) beyond the arc… Grant Sareyka had a game-high 22 points, shooting 57.1% (8-14) from the field… Malachi McDowell also poured in 15 points, a season-high in his short Charger career… Adam Stoltzfus finished with nine points, 13 rebounds, six assists, and two blocks… Terrance Clayton-Murphy led Wells with 18 points.
 
Information to Know: Lancaster Bible has now made the United East Final three years in a row. The Chargers improve to 14-2 against Wells all-time. The Chargers also remain undefeated against Wells at home with a record of 8-0. Grant Sareyka moves into 22^nd all-time in scoring for Lancaster Bible with 1,026 career points.
 
Up Next: Lancaster Bible will now face the winner of third-seeded Penn St. Abington and second-seeded Penn St. Harrisburg on Saturday, February 25, in the United East Conference Final hosted at the Horst Athletic Center.