In a back-and-forth game on the final day of the Stellar Summer League regular season, the Emmaus boys basketball team was able to come back, and then hold on to its lead as it played extra time in a 68-63 win against Southern Lehigh last Thursday night at Cedar Beach.

Joey Polczynski and Kevin Wambold (4 points) had key baskets, and Brandon Rapose (6 points) and Matt Kachelries (16 points) combined to go 5-for-6 from the free throw line to seal the game in overtime.

Polczynski, who has been used sparingly this summer due to his commitment to AAU basketball, tallied 17 points on the night and used his presence inside and outside, grabbing rebounds for easy baskets or spotting up from 15 feet away.

The teams traded leads for half of the first half, but then the Spartans began hitting from deep and took a 40-32 lead into halftime.

That eight-point deficit quickly turned in favor of the Green Hornets. Behind Polczynski and Matt and David Kachelries (13 points), Emmaus came all the way back to tie the game at 45, and then swap leads back-and-forth until Southern Lehigh tied it with a basket just before the end of regulation.

"Coming into the game I think we took them a little lightly because they are a Colonial League team, but they came in and gave us a run for our money in the first half," Polczynski said. "Coach [Farkas] told us at halftime we needed to pick up the pressure and pick up the energy, and I feel like we responded really well.

"We love getting up-and-down the court and the fast-pace style of play," said Polczynski. "The Kachelrieses are great players and can really create for us. It was just a different second half and overtime for us."

In the overtime period, the Green Hornets weren't going to be upset. The Hornets, who have a ton of big-game experience, played together and pulled this one out.

"I was excited to get to be back and play with these guys," said Polczynski. "We are a tight-knit group, and have played together for a while. When we're all here, we're a force to be reckoned with. It's fun to be out there with all of them."

Jacob Scarnulis contributed seven points in the victory over Southern Lehigh.

Emmaus played Parkland in a double-header make-up game just minutes later. With a big crowd anticipating a matchup between two of the top teams in the Lehigh Valley, the Green Hornets started fast, but just didn't have enough in the tank after going the distance and then some less than an hour before. Parkland took down Emmaus 67-52.

Emmaus clinched the two seed in the summer league playoffs, which will begin after the Stellar and Sportsfest tournaments within the next two weeks.