Lakeland upsets Elk Lake in District 2 Class 3A quarterfinals

Chase Rosenkrans leads sixth-ranked Lakeland to 67-53 win over No. 3 Elk Lake

Published on Feb. 23, 2026

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Chase Rosenkrans scored 24 points and led sixth-ranked Lakeland to a 67-53 upset win over No. 3 Elk Lake in the quarterfinals of the District 2 Class 3A boys basketball playoffs on Wednesday night. Lakeland used a 26-point outburst in the third quarter to become the fourth team from the Lackawanna Division II to advance to the Class 3A semifinals.

Why it matters

This upset victory by the lower-seeded Lakeland team over the higher-ranked Elk Lake squad highlights the unpredictability and excitement of the high school basketball playoffs, where any team can pull off a surprise win on a given night.

The details

Lakeland (11-12) was led by Rosenkrans' 24 points, while Cole Tonkin had 12 points with three 3-pointers in the third quarter surge. Jake McHale scored 9 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter to help close out the win. Elk Lake was paced by John Heitsman's 23 points, 18 of which came in the first half when the Warriors held a 33-25 lead.

  • On Wednesday night, Lakeland upset Elk Lake in the District 2 Class 3A quarterfinals.

The players

Chase Rosenkrans

A player for the sixth-ranked Lakeland team who scored 24 points to lead his team to the upset victory.

Cole Tonkin

A Lakeland player who helped spark his team's third-quarter surge with three 3-pointers, finishing with 12 points.

Jake McHale

A Lakeland player who scored 9 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter to help his team close out the win.

John Heitsman

A player for Elk Lake who scored 18 of his 23 points in the first half when his team held a 33-25 lead.

Chase Pond

A player for Elk Lake who finished with 19 points in the losing effort.

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What’s next

Lakeland will play at No. 2 Dunmore on Saturday in the Class 3A semifinals. Dunmore swept the Chiefs in both regular-season meetings this season.

The takeaway

Lakeland's upset victory over Elk Lake demonstrates that the high school basketball playoffs can produce surprising results, where a lower-seeded team can rise to the occasion and knock off a higher-ranked opponent on any given night.