SOL Boys' Basketball Wrap (12-18-12)

Check out all of Tuesday’s SOL boys basketball results. To view photos of the Souderton/Hatboro-Horsham game, please visit the Photo Gallery.

American Conference

CHELTENHAM 48, PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 39
The Panthers improved to 2-0 (3-3 overall) in the league after defeating the rival Colonials for the first time in eight long years. The Panthers were actually outscored in the first quarter 10-6, thanks to a slow start and some missed opportunities, but they got within two points of the Colonials by halftime.
Aaron McGlawn was the top-scorer in the win with 16 points followed by Guy Henderson with 13. Aaron Burton (9 points), John Howard (8 points) and Shakur Jackson (2 points) rounded out the scoring for Cheltenham. The Colonials were led by Michael Reddick (10 points) and Anthony McKie (9 points).
“This was an awesome win,” coach Brian Johnson said. “It was huge.”
Johnson’s goal was to keep PW to less than 12 points a quarter, and the Panthers’ game plan paid off as they outscored the Colonials in the final three quarters and came away with the victory.
Johnson credited his squad’s success to its consistent team defense.
“Kevin Graham was wonderful defensively, and he was getting his hands on the basketball, talking, and doing all the little things,” said Johnson. “He defended his position well.”
The Panthers also received a standout performance by captain and three-year varsity player Aaron Burton.
“He played huge and was outstanding both offensively and defensively,” said Johnson.
With 2:32 left on the clock in the final frame, Henderson scored to put the Panthers up by seven and keep the game out of reach for the Colonials (1-1 SOL, 3-2 overall).

NORRISTOWN 65, UPPER DUBLIN 54
The Eagles led by just three at the half (24-21) but exploded in the third quarter to outscore the Cardinals 24-6, creating an insurmountable 27-point lead. The Cardinals fought back in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Eagles 27-17, but it wasn’t enough.
Both the Eagles and the Cardinals had three players crack double digits. Luke Kelley (14 points), Jahbri Hargrove (12 points) and Bernard Gordon (11 points) led the Eagles while Morey Hershgordon (18 points), Andrew Carber (14 points), and Kevin Woods (10 points) paced the Cards. Norristown upped its record to 2-0 in the league (3-1 overall), while Upper Dublin falls to 0-2 in the SOL (1-3 overall).

WISSAHICKON 44, SPRINGFIELD 41
The Spartans jumped out to a 22-16 lead over the Trojans, but Wissahickon was unstoppable in the second half, outscoring the Spartans 28-17 to come away with their second league victory. The dramatic second half comeback was led by junior Chris Carradorini who had a game-high 21 points, all of which were scored in the second half. Todd Bentley (8 points), Chris Vila (5 points), Chase Wilson and Gordon Bentley (4 points), and K.J. Lassiter (2 points) rounded out the scoring for Wissahickon. William Dahm had the team-high 17 points for the Spartans, followed by Malik Ball and Christian Yoast (6 points), Chris Stone (5 points), and Matt Kewson (4 points). The Trojans are now 2-0 SOL, 3-2 overall, and the Spartans are 0-2 SOL, 1-4 overall.

UPPER MORELAND 60, UPPER MERION 51
The Golden Bears recorded their first league win over the Vikings on Tuesday night at Upper Merion. Kevin McFall scored eight of the Bears’ 14 points in the first quarter and set the tone offensively for the evening. Upper Moreland led 29-24 at halftime but sealed the deal in the second half with outstanding outside shooting.
Golden Bears coach Brian Corrado was thrilled to pick up his first win on the road after four straight home games.
“(Upper Merion) is a tough place to play, and we knew it would be a battle, but it was important to establish how we play on the road this year,” said Corrado.
James Martin, who led the Golden Bears with 16 points, was the standout in the second half, draining four three’s. Tommy Robinson also had a late-game streak, burying three consecutive buckets in the fourth quarter to increase the lead.
The Vikings (1-1 SOL, 3-2 overall) were led by Justin Lewis, who had a game-high 21 points. Scoring in double digits for the Bears (1-1 SOL, 3-2 overall) along with Martin, were Matt Kohn(15 points) and McFall (12 points).

National Conference

ABINGTON 64, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 51
The Ghosts continued their winning ways, handing the Indians their first loss of the season and upping their overall record to 6-0 (2-0 SOL). Anthony Lee led the offense with 18 points, Jordan Simmons scored 16 points and Anthony Durham also recorded double-digits with 16 points. The Indians’ (3-1, 1-1 SOL) top scorers were Kyle McCloskey (18 points) and Brandon Knotts (17 points).

BENSALEM 67, NESHAMINY 48
The Owls (2-0 SOL, 2-2 overall) exploded to a 20-4 lead in the first quarter and never looked back. Leo Vincent proved too much for the Redskins to handle as he racked up five three-pointers and a total of 27 points to go along with seven steals and five assists. Point guard Stephen Johnson (8 points), Donnie Reed (8 points) and Dion Jones (10 assists, 2 points) helped pace the offense. Jaylen Picket (14 points), Marvin Carr (10 points) and Stephon Tucker (10 points) led the scoring for the ‘Skins (0-2 SOL, 0-5 overall).

PENNSBURY 80, WILLIAM TENNENT 44
The Falcons 29-7 scoring explosion in the first quarter made the chances for a Panther victory slim on Tuesday night. Five Falcons nabbed twin digits in the convincing victory. Steve Ciotti had the game-high 18 points, Cameron Jones and Sean Pepper each added 14 points, Louis Troh scored 11 and Mekhi Bryant scored 10 points. The Panthers’ (0-2 SOL, 2-3 overall) biggest offensive threats were Matt Alden (14 points), Connor Spornack (12 points) and Horace Spencer (10 points). Pennsbury improves to 1-1 in the league and 3-1 overall.

TRUMAN 61, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 36
The Tigers (2-0 SOL, 4-1 overall) recorded their second league victory after cruising past the Golden Hawks (0-2 SOL, 2-3 overall). The Tigers were led offensively by Merdic Green, who had 18 points, and Lucas Waters, who scored 15 points.
Tigers’ Head Coach Alan Munford called the win “taking care of business.”
“This was certainly one that we needed if we want to make any type of run at playoffs,” he said
Mumford admits that tonight things were clicking for his team but credited the play of Christian Crane and Will Faccenda for the Hawks.
“They tried to attack our pressure pretty good and they got good looks at the basket,” the Tigers’ coach said.
The Tigers’ strong start this season can be attributed to teamwork and a balanced attack with many different players able to step up on any given night.
“We relied on each other and played as a team,” said Mumford. “They are unselfish, and I am very proud of them for it because it is helping us succeed.”
The Tigers host Council Rock North on Friday and the Hawks face Pennsbury.

Continental Conference

HATBORO 64, SOUDERTON 52
The Hatters increased their narrow one-point halftime lead to twelve in the second half to defeat Big Red and improve their overall record to 5-1 (2-0 SOL). Two players scored 45 of the Hatters’ 64 points. Navy recruit Mike Brown was unstoppable scoring a remarkable career-high 33 points, followed by Zach Quattro who added a noteworthy 21 points. Ryan Kelly (6 points), Walt Kimble (3 points) and Jack Lavery (1 point) rounded out the scoring for Hatboro.
Souderton had a standout performance from John Kanas, who tallied 22 points, while Austin Murphy and Kurt Muhlberger each added 10 points.
Hatboro coach Dennis Steinly said he doesn’t take any win for granted.
“The kids have been great, their attitudes have been good, they cheer for each other and are happy to support one another,” the Hatters’ coach said.
Along with Brown, who shot 13 for 17 from the foul line, Steinly commended the ball handling skills of Kimble and the overall performance of Quattro.
“Zach’s real tough inside defensively and he grabbed a lot of rebounds,” Steinly said. “Offensively he helped spread the defense out.”
The Hatters will aim to continue their success when they host Pennridge on Friday, while Souderton (3-2 overall, 1-1 SOL) hosts CB West on Thursday.

CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 38, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 31
The Patriots opened up a 24-9 lead at the half but narrowly escaped with the win over the Bucks, who mounted a solid second-half comeback. The Bucks outscored the Patriots 12-1 in the third quarter to cut the deficit to four going into the final frame. However, the Patriots held on to clinch their first league win and knot the league records of both teams at 1-1. The Patriots had three players lead the team with seven points: Brendan McLaughlin, Bennett Kardane and Danny Reilly. The Bucks leading scorer, Kyle Salvitti, also scored seven followed by Cal Reichwein and Jared Kelly who each added six points. The Patriots upped their overall record to 3-2 while the Bucks fell to 2-3.

CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 77, NORTH PENN 50
The Titans (2-0 SOL 3-2 overall) netted a convincing win over the Knights on Tuesday. The Titans used a balanced attack, as eleven players combined to outscore the Knights in every quarter.  Matt Scamusso scored all of his game-high 19 points in the first half and was 8-for-9 at the foul line for the Titans, who led 43-25 at the intermission. Kevin Raymond (12 points), Bryce Dobisch (11 points), and Adam Tamny (10 points) also chipped in twin digits in the victory.  The Knights (0-2 SOL, 2-2 overall) were led by Jin Lim (9 points) and Mike Swanson (8 points)

PENNRIDGE 60, QUAKERTOWN 40
The Rams picked up their first league win on Tuesday night, winning by 20 points over the Panthers.
"We felt it was a big game not only because it was Quakertown, but we wanted to get to 1-1 in the league," coach Dean Behrens said. "I felt we played our best game of the year. We have been trying to gel as a team - two players were playing football, and some guys are inexperienced on the varsity level.
"We had two players in double figures, and Danny Shane (sophomore) came off the bench and had his best game, hitting two big three's in the fourth quarter. Kyle Bigam and Jeff Garner played their best defense of the season, and Kyle McClathcy was invaluable on the boards."
Leading the offense was Zach Muredda, who had a game-high 20 points, followed by Alex Krivda (14 points), Kyle Bigam (9 points) and Danny Shane (8 points). The Panthers lone double-digit scorer was Mark Respsher who had 12 points followed by Brett Wolf with nine points. Quakertown falls to 0-2 in the league (2-4 overall) while Pennridge is now 2-3 overall and 1-1 in the league. The Rams will face Christopher Dock in a non-league game on Wednesday. 
"Our goal is to be 3-3 heading into Hatboro, which is playing great," Behrens said.

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