Most associate the program’s proud tradition with “Lancer Lightning,” but it was defensive thunder Thursday at Shikellamy which helped Loyalsock fight off Selinsgrove and earn a spot in Friday’s Heartland Conference Tournament championship.

The Lancers allowed just one second quarter field goal, contained explosive Ries Naugle for the first three quarters and proved again they can win even when the offense is not humming, defeating co-HAC-I champion Selinsgrove, 53-40 in the semifinals. Jaylen Andrews scored 18 points, Gage Patterson 16 and Loyalsock earned a spot in its eighth final. There, the Lancers will try and win their fifth HAC championship against Danville, which edged Shamokin, 54-53 in the other semifinal.

“The last couple of games, we’ve been hammering down our defense, especially our help-side. Going into districts, that’s going to pay huge dividends,” Patterson said. “We were a little cold in the first half, but that defense leads to offense, and we got going.”

Xavier Jackson opened the second quarter with a 3-pointer as Selinsgrove pulled within 14-13. From there, the Lancers produced quality shot attempts but missed all 12. Instead of growing frustrated, they grew more determined, keeping Selinsgrove from scoring as well.

Jamaire Harden of Loyalsock puts up a shot in the paint as he’s guarded by Ries Naugle of Selinsgrove at Shikellamy High School Wednesday evening. Loyalsock won 53-40. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Two Patterson free throws provided the only points for either team for nearly five minutes and when Jamaire Harden scored off a putback, the Lancers led by five. It stayed that way by halftime, Loyalsock went up 11 early in the third quarter and it largely stayed a double-digit lead until the game’s final three minutes as swarming defense paved the way.

“Defense sets the tone, so as long as we play hard and play aggressive it’s going to happen,” Patterson said. “We had a ton of energy. The bench was loud, and everyone was dialed in and that helped us win the game.”

“It was an ugly game from the standpoint of putting points on the board, but not many wins are really pretty. There are a lot more ugly ones than there are pretty ones,” Loyalsock coach Ron Insinger said. “The key to a good team is winning these kinds of games, so it was good to see them respond.”

Naugle is averaging nearly 21 points per game and has been especially lethal down the stretch, repeatedly topping 30 points. He scored 37 points against Danville last Monday, so Loyalsock knew containing him was vital.

Again, it was a team effort. Bauman opened against Naugle and excelled. Then it was Harden. Then it was Isiah Jennings before Andrews closed on Naugle. All were effective, especially Jennings, who held Naugle without a point on just two shot attempts in the third quarter as Loyalsock built a 12-point advantage.

Jaylen Andrews of Loyalsock saves the ball and passes it to team mate Ethan Nagy (13) against Selinsgrove at Shikellamy High School Wednesday evening. Loyalsock won 53-40. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Naugle had a big fourth quarter and did his best to will Selinsgrove back, scoring 13 of his 22 points and cutting it to 49-40 on a 3-pointer which was closer to midcourt then the arc. Still, all those players staying on him and the entire team communicating well over the first three quarters limited Naugle to nine shots and created enough of a cushion that when he heated up, it was ultimately too late.

“We’ve played against him since third grade, so we know what he’s capable of. We knew if we keep rotating fresh bodies on him, and give people breaks and keep people in his grill, he’s going to tire out,” Patterson said. “We had to force other people to make plays and luckily tonight they were a little cold. We just wanted to keep the ball out of his hands. That was super important.”

“I was pleased with our performance against him,” Insinger said. “We know he’s a game-changer. We have a lot of respect for him.”

Harden helped Loyalsock defensively and also gave the offense a spark late in the first half whether scoring of facilitating. The senior point guard made three of his five steals in the first half and found Andrews on consecutive possessions to ignite a quick 6-0 spurt after halftime which put Loyalsock ahead by 11. He finished with seven points, seven assists, and five steals. Ethan Nagy helped stuff the stat sheet as well, scoring nine points and grabbing eight rebounds. Bauman added three assists and was one of five Lancers with multiple assists.

Bauman found a cutting Andrews to give Loyalsock its biggest lead, 43-27 with 6 minutes, 40 seconds remaining. Naugle heated up from there and gave Selinsgrove hope with his last 3-pointer making it a nine-point game at the 2 ½-minute mark.

Ethan Nagy of Loyalsock pulls in a rebounds as he’s guarded by Jace Diehl of Selinsgrove at Shikellamy High School Wednesday evening. Loyalsock won 53-40. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

But as quickly as Selinsgrove gained that momentum, Patterson doused their comeback flames. The senior guard, who made five steals and pulled down six rebounds, first hit a short-range jumper before making a steal and hitting two foul shots to clinch the win.

“I kept getting that middle all night long, so I was trying to dish it off, but I thought if they’re not going to step up, especially with their center having four fouls, I’m just going to shoot it and hit it and then that translates back to the defense,” Patterson said. “My teammates found me, and all credit to them, and it was a great team win for us.”

“We needed that,” Insinger said. “They were all key points.”

Loyalsock has won 19 straight games and is seeking its first HAC Tournament championship since 2019. Danville defeated Loyalsock in the 2018 and 2020 finals, and as their game, 11 nights showed, these two have built an exciting rivalry over the last decade.

Whatever Friday holds, Loyalsock is gaining valuable playoff experience before the postseason officially begins. The Lancers are focused on one goal Friday night but are hoping experienced gained in Shikellamy can also help them moving forward.

Ethan Nagy of Loyalsock puts up a shot under pressure from Jace Diehl of Selinsgrove at Shikellamy High School Wednesday evening. Loyalsock won 53-40. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

“It’s huge for us,” Patterson said. “Most teams aren’t even playing this week, so to have that preparation and play against bigger teams and get that playoff experience of having to hit clutch shots in big times is going to carry throughout. That’s super big.”

SELINSGROVE (40)

Ries Naugle 9 3-3 22, Xavier Jackson 3 0-0 7, Gavin Bastian 4 0-0 8, Griffin Parker 0 1-2 1, Jace Diehl 1 0-1 2. Totals 16 4-6 40.

LOYALSOCK (53)

Jaylen Andrews 8 2-4 18, Gage Patterson 6 4-5 16, Nate Bauman 1 0-2 3, Ethan Nagy 4 1-2 9, Jamaire Harden 3 1-1 7, Isiah Jennings 0 0-0 0, Tyler Gee 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 8-14 53.

Isiah Jennings of Loyalsock puts up a shot under pressure from Jace Diehl of Selinsgrove at Shikellamy High School Wednesday evening. Loyalsock won 53-40. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Selinsgrove 10 9 6 15―40

Loyalsock 14 10 13 16―53

3-pointers: Selinsgrove 4 (Naugle 3, Jackson); Loyalsock 1 (Bauman).

Records: Loyalsock 22-1. Selinsgrove 15-7.

Jaylen Andrews of Loyalsock puts up a shot as he’s covered by Ries Naugle of Selinsgrove at Shikellamy High School Wednesday evening. Loyalsock won 53-40. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Jaylen Andrews of Loyalsock watches as his shot drops in to 2 points as he’s covered by Ries Naugle of Selinsgrove at Shikellamy High School Wednesday evening. Loyalsock won 53-40. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Gage Patterson of Loyalsock puts up a shot late in the game against Selinsgrove at Shikellamy High School Wednesday evening. Loyalsock won 53-40. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette