Smeltz Leads Upper Dauphin to Victory Over Greenwood, Snaps Losing Streak

Staff Writer
6 days ago
1 min read

ELIZABETHVILLE, PA — Behind a game-high performance from Delaney Smeltz, the Upper Dauphin girls' basketball team secured a hard-fought 33-25 victory over Tri-Valley League rival Greenwood on Thursday night. The win was a significant milestone for the Trojans, snapping a six-game losing skid and marking their first conference win of the season.

Trojans Jump Out Early

Upper Dauphin established control from the opening tip, utilizing a balanced attack to outscore the Wildcats 10-4 in the first quarter. While Greenwood’s defense tightened in the middle periods, holding the Trojans to just 12 points across the second and third frames, Upper Dauphin never relinquished the lead.

The Trojans' efficiency at the charity stripe proved to be a deciding factor late in the game. Delaney Smeltz was clinical, finishing with 12 points, including two shots from beyond the arc and a perfect 4-for-4 performance from the free-throw line.

Wildcats Keep it Close

Greenwood refused to go away quietly, mounting a steady comeback effort in the second half. Led by a trio of scorers—Sylvia Gantt, Danica Zurenko, and Georjean Rickert, who each contributed 6 points—the Wildcats outscored Upper Dauphin 8-7 in the third quarter to trim the deficit to just four points (22-18) heading into the final period.

However, the Trojans' depth was too much to overcome. Paige Williams added 8 points in the paint, while Autumn Yerger chipped in 6 to help Upper Dauphin pull away with an 11-7 run in the fourth quarter.