By Ben Destefan
Posted Feb. 20, 2014 @ 10:15 am

GREENCASTLE — Same formula, familiar result.

This time, though, there happened to be a lot more on the line.

Defined by a balanced, up-tempo offense, the Greencastle-Antrim girls’ basketball team remained true to form Wednesday night, furthering its storybook season with a 61-35 victory over Gettysburg in the first round of the District 3-AAA playoffs.

With the win, third-seeded G-A (22-1) advances to Saturday’s quarterfinals against No. 6 Lancaster Catholic (23-2) at Dallastown Area High School, with tip-off scheduled for 3 p.m.

The victory also guarantees the Blue Devils at least two more games, now needing just one additional win to earn a berth in the state tournament.

“It feels really good,” G-A head coach Mike Rhine said. “We did what we needed to do tonight, especially being at home. You could see the girls playing with confidence and such unselfish basketball. If we can do that the rest of the way, that’s all you can ask for.”

From a barrage of 3-pointers to stellar post play, the Blue Devils’ tendency to spread the scoring produced four girls in double figures Wednesday night, each of which matched or exceeded their respective season average.

Freshman Jenay Faulkner led the attack early, netting 11 of her game-high 16 points in the first half. Katie Gelsinger and Hannah Crist both added 12 points while Chloe Hoover recorded a double-double in the win, ending with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

As evident by the final score, the Blue Devils’ wealth of firepower once again proved too much for Gettysburg (14-9), who lost to G-A for the third time this season.

Compounding the Warriors’ frustration was the inability to get open looks for star senior Cami Boehner, who entered the game averaging nearly 22 points per contest.

Bothered by G-A’s relentless, box-and-one defensive scheme, Boehner was held to just 11 points, culminating into a one-sided show by the break.

In the opening minutes, however, 14th-seeded Gettysburg seemed poised to create a back-and-forth battle by establishing an initial 9-8 lead.

Unfortunately for the visitors, their slim advantage quickly evaporated into a 13-point deficit by the end of the first quarter, igniting a raucous home crowd that only fueled the turn of fortunes.

Jumpstarted by a lay-in from Hoover for G-A’s first lead, the Blue Devils closed the frame on a 14-0 run, highlighted by eight points from Faulkner en route to a 22-9 margin.

Beginning to seize control, G-A’s run-and-gun style paired with excellent ball movement extended the advantage to 18 in the second, capped by Faulkner’s third 3 of the night to beat the buzzer, sending the Blue Devils into the locker room up 38-20.

The cushion continued to grow in the third, as a designed play inside to Hoover followed by a Gelsinger putback and a fast-break bucket by Jane Herman pushed the lead into the 20’s midway through the period.

After a Gettysburg timeout, Crist knocked down a 3 from the top of the arc to give G-A its largest advantage of the game at 49-22.

Maintaining a 22-point margin to start the fourth, the Blue Devils began slowing the tempo before eventually pulling the starters late, each of whom exited to a well-deserved ovation.

“I just can’t say enough about the way we moved the ball in the first half,” Rhine said. “They were playing a box-and-one on Hannah so we had her get open on the wing, enter the post and get the ball inside. From there Katie did her thing and Jenay got hot on the perimeter. It was just a textbook example of how we want to play.”

Aside from the ability to score, Faulkner continued her emergence as a complete, all-around talent, finishing with eight rebounds, seven assists and four steals to go along with her game-high point total.

Herman contributed seven points to round out the impressive night for G-A’s starting five while Cierra Brown served as Gettysburg’s second leading scorer with six points in the loss.