February 25^th, 2023 has been a date engrained in the minds of the Lancaster Bible men's basketball team since the start of the school year. From team notebooks to player posters and everything in-between, the date has been a reminder of what the team has set their eyes on. The journey to February 25^th was never easy, and at times it felt as if there were more downs than ups, but the team remained firm and focused, a resilience which has been built within the program over the past four years. With a single goal in mind, the Chargers were able to make that goal into a reality on Saturday, February 25^th as the Chargers earned their first berth into the NCAA Division III National Championship since the 2017-18 season after winning the United East Conference Championship 87-76 over Penn St. Abington.

How It Happened: Energized and prepared for the moment, the Chargers began the game on a tear, starting on a 10-0 run that was capitalized by a thundering Adam Stoltzfus dunk, sending the Charger bench and packed crowd in a frenzy. The Lions managed to regroup, scoring their first four points of the game, but Grant Sareyka and Stoltzfus continued to stay hot, hitting back-to-back jumpers to keep it a double-digit game.
 
The Lions started to find as much of a rhythm as they could, but the Charger offense was firing on all cylinders as an and-one from Andrew Zentner, two free-throws from Seth Beers, and a big triple from Ethan Beachy made it a 32-18 game with just four minutes left in the first half. The Lions managed to put together a run of their own led by leading scorer Alex Salata, and the Chargers had started to cool off, which brought the deficit to within five points. Then a Salata three-pointer at the end of the half brought it to within four points, the closest the game had been.
 
Opening the second half, the Chargers knew they had just 20 more minutes to earn a berth into the NCAA tournament, and the Chargers did just that. Jordan Shewbridge began the half, and what might be the single best performance I've ever seen Shewbridge have in a Chargers uniform in my five years with him, with a three-point bucket off an assist from Seth Beers. Shewbridge then was able to steal the ball on the next possession leading to a Stoltzfus layup to bring the lead back to nine points. The following possession, Shewbridge garnered the Lions' missed shot, came down the floor, and hit his second three-pointer in just over two minutes. The Charger lead was back to double-digits two minutes into the half.
 
In the next eight minutes of the half, the Chargers locked in and Shewbridge went lights-out, scoring 17 points and leading the Chargers to an 18-point lead with just over seven minutes to go in the game. Senior Ethan Beachy hit his second three-pointer of the evening at 6:58, then Shewbridge followed up with one of his own to grow the lead to 22 points, the largest lead of the game. The Lions were able to make one last push before the end of the game, but Sareyka, Beers, and Stoltzfus all made sure to not let the lead slip away. Beers knocked down two free-throws, the clock hit zero, and the Chargers were crowned the 2023 United East Conference Champions.
 
By the Numbers: The Chargers shot 51.8% (29-56) from the floor and 37.5% (9-24) from beyond the arc… they also shot a season best 90.9% (20-22) from the charity stripe… the Lions shot 50% from the floor and 40% from the three-point line…  Shewbridge finished with a career-tying 39 points off 12-18 from the floor and 6-9 from the three-point line… Stoltzfus added 12 points and four rebounds including two big dunks… Beers had 10 points going 6-6 from the free-throw line and dishing out five assists with zero turnovers… Zentner added 11 points and 8 rebounds of his own… Salata finished with 29 points for the Lions.
 
From the Team
 
"Winning the championship for me is just a reminder of all that we've been through as a team. All the ups and downs we've been through as a team through the years were all worth it in the end and many lessons were learned in the process. It's amazing to see how God's hand is on our team and how he's been working through our program."
– Graduate Student Jordan Shewbridge
 

"What a game by both teams!  Abington is a very good team that is well coached!  They had an incredible season! 

The electric crowd was treated to two amazing individual performances by Alex Salata and Jordan Shewbridge. These two guys were amazing for their respective teams today and proved why they were the top 2 guards in the conference this season. 

I thought our start to the game was incredible and the key to controlling the entire game 

We really wanted to wear down Abington with our defensive pressure and transition offense.  They are a really good half-court team on both ends, but I thought they wore down defensively at times and we were able to capitalize in those periods to extend the lead.  Our 10-0 start and 8-0 start to begin each half were two pivotal runs that secured the victory for us. 

Our ability to only commit 5 turnovers while distributing 17 assist was another big contributing factor to our win.  I thought Seth Beers was the difference maker for our assist to turnover ratio. Seth has been our unsung hero during this entire semester.  He did a great job controlling the game on both ends.  I also thought our bigs (Adam and Zentner) were solid on the boards and in the paint.  

I am so proud of these group of guys and coaching staff. They remained committed to the process and mission of our program and culture, despite many set backs. This is a very rewarding and humbling moment for our program.  We thank God for assembling the right group of players and staff members who understands and pursues the crown that lasts forever, which is salvation through Jesus Christ!

We look forward to competing in the NCAA tournament next weekend as we continue to impact others for Christ through the platform of basketball."

- Head Coach Jon Mack

What's Next: The Chargers now await their next opponent which will be decided on Monday, February 27^th at 1:00 p.m. during the NCAA Division III Selection Show. The program will be gathering in the multi-purpose room of the student center on campus at 12:45 p.m. to see where they will be headed for the NCAA Division III National Tournament. All students, family, and friends are welcome to join!
 
More than hoisting the trophy, cutting down the nets, or being named the United East Champions; the accomplishment of February 25^th, 2023 is the fulfillment of what has been a long, hard road of trials and triumph. At the end of the day, it's never been about the result but the journey as character has been produced, endurance has been grown, and Christ has been glorified. But, the journey isn't over and the Chargers aren't done as they now wait for the opportunity to win their first ever NCAA Division III National Tournament game in program history.