Cumberland Valley, Trinity to duel in Mid-Penn boys basketball championship game

Rematches are always sweeter in the postseason.

The Cumberland Valley and Trinity boys basketball teams met in the 2024 Mid-Penn tournament semifinal round, with the Eagles pulling out the victory.

So when they match up at 7:35 p.m.

Thursday at Milton Hershey's Spartan Center for the conference championship, the hunger to defend bragging rights and exact revenge will be elevated.

Here's a preview of the game.

How they got here: The Eagles fended off a furious Mechanicsburg comeback attempt Tuesday with a 54-48 win.

CV led 33-18 at halftime and 41-32 after three quarters before the Wildcats cut the advantage to 47-45 with 1:40 left.

The Shamrocks ran roughshod through Middletown at Central Dauphin Tuesday, pocketing a 74-49 victory.

The Blue Raiders kept it competitive in a seven-point first-quarter deficit until Trinity unleashed a 36-24 halftime lead and a 54-34 third-quarter edge.

CV player to watch: Jared Dolimpio.

The sophomore tied senior teammate Nolan Buzalka for a team-high 15 points Tuesday.

Dolimpio did most of his damage in the first half, scoring 12 points.

Trinity player to watch: Reece Brown.

When the junior is on point, he can be one of the most lethal shooters in the Mid-Penn.

Brown had one of those performances Tuesday, dropping 17 points to go along with three 3-pointers.

He was a driving force to the comfortable halftime advantage with senior Owen Schlager tending to three first-half fouls.

Number to know: 73.6.

The Shamrocks have one of the more high-octane offenses in the state.

Posting an average of 73.6 points per game, Trinity has eclipsed the century mark once this season, scored 90 or more points once and erupted for five 80-plus outings.

Notes: CV braces for title defense, having defeated Hershey 52-41 in last years final.

The conference crown was the Eagles first in program history.

In the 2024 semifinals, Buzalka righted CVs flight path with 20 points which included a late personal 7-0 run and Creston Austin III poured in a game-high 25.

Trinity has reached its second Mid-Penn title tilt in three years.

The Shamrocks advanced to the 2023 final opposite State College and suffered a 66-40 setback.

Seeking their first crown since 2019, the Rocks will rely on Schlager after the Siena pledge bucketed his 2,000th career point in Tuesdays rollover.

Scenes from the Eagles' win over the Wildcats in the semifinals of the Mid-Penn boys basketball tournament at Central Dauphin East High School.

Christian Eby is a sports reporter for The Sentinel and cumberlink.com .

You can contact him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter at: @eby_sports Sent weekly directly to your inbox! Sports Reporter {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items..

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