By JO WANKEL

Era Sports Writer

DUKE CENTER — Otto-Eldred’s Manning Splain sank two threes and posted 26 total points during Friday’s 64-39 victory over Nazareth Prep in the first round of the PIAA playoffs.

“At the end of the day, we wanted to win the D9 title and we did that. We wanted to make a run in states, and we prepared really well…” Otto-Eldred coach Derrick Francis said. “Manning Splain is back. And when Manning Splain is back, we are really good.”

Meanwhile, the night didn’t go the way Nazareth Prep coach Tanya Garner hoped following the more than threehour trek from Emsworth, PA.

“We knew it was going to be a fight because they’re just as good as we are. When you play at this time of year, it comes down to possessions and who can execute, you know, and who’s having more of the runs,” said Nazareth Prep coach Tanya Garner. “Basketball’s a game of runs, and unfortunately, they had more runs than we had. It wasn’t our best shooting night at the foul line. So I mean, that’s like a double win.”

Nazareth Prep was only 38% from the line, sinking 8 of 21 for the night.

“I think when they ran the 1-3-1, the key is to attack the back of the 1-3-1 where you want to overload a side, and you want it to be a quick dump-in. You got to be quick hitters, and we just weren’t making that adjustment quick enough,” Garner said. “They were doubling our big guy, running baseline and our opposite player never flashed to the middle to make himself available for that easy dump-in.”

“Our kids fought and I’m proud of them,” Garner added. “They (O-E) played well, and they earned the win, and I wish them the best of luck.”

Discussing the main factors in Friday’s win, Francis acknowledged the talent that Nazareth Prep brought to the court.

“They’re superior athletes. We gotta find ways to outsmart them, make them think and make them turn the ball over. I thought we did a good job of that,” Francis stated. “I didn’t like how we played in the third quarter, I thought our defense was lax.”

Nazareth Prep put the first points on the board on a basket from Will Evans 34 seconds in. Splain started putting points on the board with 5:43 left in the first quarter, sinking two free throws after his shot fell short and a foul was called.

With the score tied at 2-2, Nazareth Prep’s Mikey Keyes pulled down a rebound at the 5:43 mark and made a successful basket of his own to earn a 4-2 advantage, which they held for almost a full minute.

O-E’s Landon Francis sank a three with 4:48 to go to put the Terrors up 5-4.

By the end of the first quarter, the Terrors had built a 10-point lead, with the score at O-E 16, Nazareth Prep 6.

The second quarter saw the Terrors go on a 10-point scoring run before Nazareth Prep answered with a basket from Khylil Johnson, making the From Page B-1

score 28-10. Francis was fouled next, adding two points for O-E to increase the lead to 20 points. O-E led 30-10 with just over a minute left in the half. A successful three from NP’s Leon Harrison was immediately answered with a basket from Francis, and O-E went into the locker room with a 32-13 lead at the half.

During the third quarter, Splain added eight points, including four successful free throws, and Francis made one of his three three’s of the night to add to O-E’s lead. At the end of the third, the Terrors were up 45-27.

Referring to Manning, particularly his contribution in the third, Francis noted ‘When he made that free throw at Clarion and missed the second one, and I knew we were coming back home, I said ‘It’s going to be now or never.’ He’s been good physically for three weeks. Mentally it takes a little bit of time, and he’s back.’

‘The fans are awesome, these kids are awesome. It’s special,’ Francis said, as he looked around a still-full gymnasium following the big win. The fans were asked to remain in the stands following the final buzzer, and the announcement that Francis had accrued a total of 1,729 points as of the conclusion of Friday’s game was met with a crescendo of cheers. The 2024-25 Terrors completed their season with a record of 50-0 in the Terror Dome, a fact that also had the gym echoing with cheers.

While Francis has nothing but love for the fans, he also expects a certain level of respect and maturity. A disturbance on the sidelines near the student section with ten seconds left in the game had the potential to escalate, but Francis didn’t hesitate to make it clear to the fans that the unfavorable behavior was not

welcome. The volatile atmosphere calmed, allowing Jared Obenrader to shoot his second free throw, sinking it as well and adding a final two points to the O-E lead.

Otto-Eldred returns to action Tuesday, facing Serra Catholic, details TBD.

At DUKE CENTER NAZARETH PREP (39) Leon Harrison 3-1-310, Mikey Keyes 6-3-4-15, Evans 1-2-4-4, Caldwell 1-1-4-3, Rucker 1-0-2-2, Johnson 2-0-1-4, Pierce 0-1-3-1. Totals 14-8-21-39.

OTTO-ELDRED (64)

Manning Splain 6-12-13-26, D.Schenfield 2-0-0-5, Landon Francis 6-10-11-25, M.Schenfield 0-1-2-1, Thomas 2-1-1-5, Obenrader 0-2-2-2. Totals 16-26-29-64.

Naz Prep 6 714 12 Otto-Eldred 16 16 13 19

Three-Point Goals:

NP 3 (Harrison 3), O-E 6 (Splain 2, D.Schenfield 1, Francis 3). Total Fouls: NP 19, O-E 15.

Otto-Eldred’s Shene Thomas scores two of his five points during Friday’s game against Nazareth Prep. Thomas was crucial on the boards for the Terrors, who claimed a 64-39 victory and advance to play in Round 2 on Tuesday against Serra Catholic.

Era Photo by Wade Aiken