Pine Grove Survives 9-Minute Field Goal Drought to Edge Upper Dauphin Area

Elizabethville, PA — The Pine Grove Cardinals narrowly avoided a stunning collapse, defeating the Upper Dauphin Area Trojans 42-40 in a tight non-conference boys' basketball opener on Saturday, November 29, 2025. The Cardinals built an 11-point lead in the third quarter before a deep scoring drought allowed the Trojans to erase the deficit and tie the game late.

Game Summary: A Game of Runs

The contest was defined by two significant swings of momentum:

• First Half: The teams traded blows in a 7-7 first quarter before Pine Grove found their rhythm in the second. Led by the scoring of Dane Hannevig, the Cardinals outscored UDA 20-13 to take a seemingly comfortable 27-20 lead into halftime.

• Third Quarter Collapse: Pine Grove extended their lead to its peak, 33-22, early in the third quarter. However, the offense froze, going over nine minutes without a field goal. The Trojans capitalized on the dry spell, trimming the deficit from 11 points down to just two, 35-33, heading into the final period.

• Fourth Quarter Drama: The comeback was completed early in the fourth when UDA tied the score at 35-35. The rest of the quarter was a defensive battle. Both teams managed just seven points apiece, but Pine Grove managed to hit just enough shots and free throws in the final minutes to secure the slim 42-40 victory.

Coaches' Corner

Despite the tough loss, Upper Dauphin Area Coach Adam Zigner found a positive takeaway in his team's resolve:

"It wasn't the result that we had hoped for. We could have packed it in down 11 in the third quarter and we didn't. Every guy fought and clawed, we got it back to a tie game, even had several chances to take a lead but didn't take advantage of them. We need to learn from a game like that and grow as a team."

Player Performance Highlights

Pine Grove (42 Points)

Pine Grove's victory was a balanced effort led by Dane Hannevig, who scored a team-high 10 points. He was complemented by Terrin Witmer and Teagan Schneck-Haines, who each contributed 8 points to the winning cause, with Schneck-Haines hitting two three-pointers. Dru Herber added 6 points, while Braylon Farrell and Tanner Kolb each chipped in 2 points to round out the Cardinals' scoring.

Upper Dauphin Area (40 Points)

For the Upper Dauphin Area Trojans, the offense was anchored by junior forward Landon Savage, who led the team with 11 points and a dominant 12 rebounds (8 defensive), achieving a double-double. Maddox Barge added 8 points and 2 assists, while Kaide Heim contributed 7 points and 7 rebounds. Despite the strong individual efforts, the Trojans were hampered by low efficiency, shooting only 32% (12/28) from the field and 48% (15/31) from the free-throw line.