Times Observer Photo by Steve Younger Eisenhower’s Wyatt Lookenhouse connects on a 3-pointer against Cambridge Springs during Friday’s game in Russell.

The Eisenhower boys basketball team squared off with Cambridge Springs on Friday night and never backed down, but in the end the visiting Blue Devils earned a hard-fought 61-58 victory.

The Blue Devils (10-4, 6-0) came out with the hot hand and jumped out to a 19-11 first-quarter lead. Senior Wyatt Lookenhouse dropped in 6 points in the stanza to pace the Knights.

Eisenhower (9-7, 4-2) kept the score within reach, waiting for their shooting to come around. Johnny Palmieri and Kael Hunt both connected on a 3-pointer to pace the Knights, but the Cambridged continued its hot shooting and 36-27 at halftime.

“It wasn’t our best half of basketball, that’s for sure,” Eisenhower coach Ryan Mangini said, “but I was proud of the boys. They hung tough and never let up in that first half.”

Mangini made a couple of adjustments and had the Knights put pressure on the Blue Devils to start the second half, and it paid off.

Hunt and Palmieri connected on a trey apiece and Kyler Black dropped in 7 points as the Knights outscored Cambridge Springs 17-10 in the third quarter to pull within 46-44 to start the fourth quarter.

The stage was set for an exciting closing quarter and both teams did not disappoint as Hunt and Palmieri again connected on 3-pointers as the Knights tied the game 50-50 with 5:30 remaining. The two teams traded baskets, but Eisenhower could not take the lead or stop the Blue Devils’ Josh Reisenauer, who scored 10 points in the quarter. The Knights did have a final chance to tie the game with 29 seconds left, but a 3-point attempt was off the mark and Cambridge Springs held on for the win.

Eisenhower was led by Wyatt Lookenhouse with 16 points and teammate Kyler Black added 15. Reisenauer took game honors with 22 points

“I was impressed with our players,” Mangini said. “We had limited timeouts and they managed the game well down the stretch. Cambridge Springs is a good basketball team. They are very well coached and the Reisenour kid hit some big shots down the stretch under a lot of pressure by our guys. I think the crowd was the biggest this season and certainly the loudest so far. It certainly helps us when our student section is into the game. We play Saegertown next week and we’ll need our student body in force.”

The Blue Devils won the junior varsity game 43-32. Mayson Wonderling led the Knights with 9 points and Daniel Brown took game honors with 22 points for Cambridge Springs.

CAMBRIDGE SPRINGS (61)

Counasse 3 0 8, Reisenauer 10 2 22, Leib 0 0 0, Schmidt 5 2 12, Trautman 2 1 5, Mazzadra 1 0 2, Campbell 2 0 5, Riley 3 1 7, Totals 26 6 61.

EISENHOWER (58)

Black 5 5 15, Lookenhouse 6 4 16, Palmieri 3 0 9, Bunk 3 1 7, Seymour 0 0 0, Hunt 5 0 11, Lindemuth 0 0 0, Totals 22 10 58.

3-point goals — Counasse 2, Campbell, Palmieri 3, Hunt.

Cambridge Springs 19 17 10 15 — 61

Eisenhower 11 16 17 14 — 58

Jayvees: Cambridge Springs 43, Eisenhower 32