HARRISBURG - The expressions on the faces of the Mahanoy Area players said it all.
When the buzzer went off, the Golden Bears had looks of disbelief.
For the second year in a row, District 1 champ Church Farm ended Mahanoy Area's season in the PIAA Class A boys' basketball playoffs, winning this time 56-52 in a second-round game at Central Dauphin East High School.
For the Golden Bears (25-3), this defeat was much tougher to take than last year's 42-36 loss at Hamburg.
Not only was it the end of a great run by Mahanoy Area seniors Larry McNeil, Dylan Mahmod, Andy Kuzma and Tyler Cavenas, but also the end of an era for Mahanoy Area head coach Mickey Holland.
After the game, Holland said this season, his 33rd for the Golden Bears, will be his last. He didn't want to comment on why he is retiring from coaching, but said he would later this week.
For Mahanoy Area's core of seniors, Tuesday was the finale to what was a great two-year run that saw them go 47-9 overall, win back-to-back District 11 Class A championships and the school's first Schuylkill League title since 2006. This year's team is just the third to win both league and district titles in the same year, joining the 1991 and 1999 teams.
"We have some great teams and these guys are certainly right up there with the best of them," Holland said. "You are talking a two-year season here. These guys are right
there with the best. It is very hard and we've become so close."
This year's Golden Bears hoped to make an even deeper run into states, but it wasn't to be.
Griffins senior guard Aofofa Anyam had a lot to do with it. Not only did he have a double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds, he added five steals, with four coming in the second half.
None was bigger than late in the game.
With the game tied at 52 after Cavenas hit two foul shots in a double-bonus situation with 1:21 left, Anyam had a chance to give Church Farm (25-4) the lead on the Griffins' next possession but missed an open layup. Cavenas grabbed the rebound, and Mahanoy Area called timeout with 51.3 seconds left.
The Golden Bears were looking to perhaps score off a back-door cut and if that wasn't available, run the clock down for the last shot.
But Anyam made sure it never happened.
On the possession, Anyam snuck up behind Matt Yedsena 20 feet from Mahanoy Area's basket and knocked the ball away from him. Anyam went in for an open layup to give Church Farm the lead for good with 39 seconds remaining.
McNeil then missed a shot inside in traffic on Mahanoy Area's next possession. Joey Shelton grabbed the rebound and passed down court to Anyam, who scored in transition for the last points of the game with 17 seconds to go.
Mahmod then missed a 3-pointer and Shelton grabbed the rebound, sealing the victory.
"(Anyam) is a good player," Holland said. "They have very good players."
Cavenas led the Golden Bears with 21 points, while McNeil added nine points and five rebounds and Mahmod collected 13 points, eight assists, six rebounds and three blocks.
Tyler Ofray added 16 points and seven rebounds for the Griffins, who won their 22nd consecutive game, while Michael Mohamed had 12 points.
Church Farm advances to face District 12 champ Math, Civics and Sciences in Friday's quarterfinals. The Mighty Elephants defeated District 4 champ Sullivan County 57-39 on Tuesday.
The game was going Mahanoy Area's way for most of the evening as the Golden Bears were patient offensively, taking the shots that the Griffins were giving them. A 6-0 run late in the first half gave Mahanoy Area a 28-21 halftime lead.
The Golden Bears then started working the ball inside to Cavenas deep in the low post during the third quarter, as he scored 10 points. Mahanoy Area led 42-37 with 1:10 left in the third, but Church Farm took a 44-42 lead at the end of the frame thanks to a 3-pointer by Mohamed and back-to-back steals and layups from Anyam.
The game was tied four times in the fourth quarter.
"I thought we kept them from doing what they want to do pretty good," Holland said. "We did the best we could. Sometime you just have to say the other guys are exceptionally quick and good basketball players.
"I thought our help defense was pretty good. Most of their points through this year have come in transition. We did a great job of taking transition away, which is just hustle. Our kids did everything I asked them to do.
"It was just a great game, a very hard-fought game."