SOL Boys' Basketball Wrap (2-7-14)

Check out the results for SOL boys’ basketball teams in action on Friday night. To view photos of the CR North/CR South game, please visit the Photo Gallery.

Continental Conference

Central Bucks East 50, Central Bucks South 49 (2 OT)
Central Bucks East was faced with quite the challenge.
Go into a rival’s gym and beat them on their home court – all while trying to take away their opportunity at sole possession of a conference title.
The Patriots went into Central Bucks South and did just that, winning by three points in double overtime to help CB East into what will be at least a three-team tie atop the Continental Conference standings.
“Going in, we knew what the stakes were, and we knew it wouldn’t be an easy battle,” CB East coach Erik Henrysen said.  “We didn’t ask them to win a championship on this night.  We just asked them to go out and play our basketball and do what we’ve coached them to do.  The guys were able to share the ball and play unselfish, and ultimately, that’s what got us over the hump.”
CB East led by 10 points at the half, up 28-18, but CB South (13-9, 9-5) came back slowly, outscoring the Patriots by six in the third and four in the fourth. The Titans tied it in regulation with a three-pointer by Ryan Tagliamonte (44-44). Both teams had chances to win it in regulation but came up empty.
It took a bucket by South’s Bryce Dobisch to knot things up 46-46 in the first overtime, setting the stage for a second OT.
After CB South hit one free throw in the final five seconds of the second overtime, CB East inbounded the ball to Tommy Strasburger, who went three-quarters the length of the court and chucked up a three-point attempt.  Fortunately, for the Patriots, a foul was called and Strasburger connected on 2 of 3 free throws with only 0.5 seconds remaining to give the Patriots the win.
“In the blink of an eye, things changed quickly,” Henrysen said.  “Tommy is going to be a really good player.  He’s only a sophomore and what he has that other guys don’t have is that moxie about him.  He’s a guy who embraces the end of the game and wants to be the guy that’s going to make the play and have that responsibility on his shoulders.”
The three free throws were the only points scored by either team in the second overtime.
Strasburger and Brendan O’Neil both led the way for CB East (12-9, 9-5) with 15 points apiece.  Strasburger also added 10 rebounds and three assists.
CB South was led by Bryce Dobisch, who scored 14 points.
With a Pennridge win over Quakertown on Saturday, the three-way tie will turn into a four-way tie of the conference title.
Central Bucks East     10    18     9       7    4    2—50
Central Bucks South    9      9    15    11    4    1—49

North Penn 51, Pennridge 49
A reverse layup by Brian Coleman with only 17 seconds to play helped North Penn to a huge 51-49 win over host Pennridge on Thursday night.
The win - after Friday night’s games - helped the Knights (11-10, 9-5) to a share of the Continental Conference title, a championship that is held by at least three, if not four different teams this year.
Along with North Penn, Central Bucks South and Central Bucks East all finished with identical conference records.  If Pennridge can defeat last-place Quakertown on Saturday, then the Rams will make it a four-way tie for first place.
“I don’t really know what to say to tell you the truth,” North Penn coach John Conrad said.  “I think we feel lucky and fortunate to be where we are.  We thought we played pretty well in the conference.  We didn’t compete well outside, but inside, we were good and it was fun to play those types of teams.  Anybody can beat anybody on any given night, so we feel fortunate to be where we are at this point.”
The Knights led 12-8 after one quarter, but trailed by four at the half (28-24).
Coleman, who injured his foot in the first quarter, scored nine of his 15 points in the fourth quarter while helping the Knights to the all-important victory.
“Brian was huge down the stretch,” Conrad said.  “He battled in that second half, and I think he had our last eight points.  He has been able to do that for most of the year, and he’s never been one to be shy or afraid to take the big shot.”
North Penn also received 10 points from Cordell Lord.
“The only thing we’ve struggled with is consistency, and we feel like when we play well and play hard, we can compete with anybody,” Conrad said.  “Then there are other nights where we can’t compete.  It’s been a struggle for us and frustrating for the guys and for us as well, but I’m hoping to get it turned around at the right point and time.”
Pennridge (14-7, 8-5) was led by Dan Long’s 20 points.  Joe Molettiere added 13, while Mike Tatarowicz tallied 10.
North Penn     12    12    12    15—51
Pennridge         8    20      8    13—49

Central Bucks West 56, Hatboro-Horsham 45
Hatboro-Horsham’s season came to an end with an 11-point loss to host Central Bucks West on Friday night.
The Hatters (7-14, 4-10) were led by Zach Quattro’s 10 points in the losing effort.
The Bucks (13-8, 8-6) were led by Kyle Salvitti’s 23 points.  Salvitti knocked down five three-pointers while going a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line. Kyle Schechter added 11 points for CB West, while Pat Kelley scored nine.
CB West led by only one point (23-22) at the half but outscored the Hatters 15-7 in the third quarter to go on top 38-29.  The Bucks closed it out easily in the fourth.
Hatboro-Horsham    12    10    7    16—45
Central Bucks West    13    10    15    18—56

Souderton 59, Quakertown 52
Souderton improved to 13-9 overall and finished 6-8 in Continental Conference play with a seven-point win over host Quakertown on Friday night.
Jared Bernhart led the Indians with 16 points, while Carter Knight finished with 15.
Souderton took a commanding 30-19 lead into halftime after outscoring the Panthers (7-14, 2-11) 20-7 in the second quarter. Evan Slone added 10 for Souderton, while Quakertown was led by Kevin Norvasis’ 13 points.
Souderton       10    20    11    18—59
Quakertown    12     7    10     21—52

American Conference

Wissahickon 59, Upper Moreland 56 (2 OT)
Chase Wilson had one of the best games of his career – and he had it when his team needed him the most.
With district playoff seeding on the line, the Trojans came out with a huge win, defeating host Upper Moreland by three points in double overtime on Friday night.
Wilson, who drained seven three-pointers, finished with a game-high 30 points go along with his seven rebounds.
“That was a crazy win,” Wilson said.  “We didn’t expect them to take us to double overtime, but they played us great.”
The Trojans led by as many as 13 points in the first half, but Upper Moreland senior Chris Corr – one of four seniors celebrating what was Upper Moreland’s Senior Night – hit a halfcourt, buzzer-beating three to make it a 32-22 game at halftime.
In the third, Upper Moreland (6-16, 4-10) went on a 10-0 run to tie the game.  The Bears only held one lead, a two-point advantage in the first overtime.
Wilson scored 11 of his team’s 13 points in the two overtime periods.
“When the game is on the line, there is one person who we know who will come up and make big play after big play,” said Wissahickon coach Kyle Wilson in regards to Chase Wilson.
Corr finished with 21 points to pace the Bears, while senior Kevin McFall added 20.  Junior James Martin added 11.
“I just got done telling the kids that their ability to bounce back and make plays and grind it out – they gave themselves a chance, and that’s all you can ask for,” Upper Moreland coach Brian Corrado said.  “All four of our seniors showed heart and a lot of resiliency.  It’s not an easy or fun way to end the season, but this is what you want out of your seniors.”
The Bears still have a shot at the District One Class AA playoffs.
The Trojans, who now sit 12-9 overall and finished 9-6 in the American Conference, received 11 points from Chris Carradoroni and 10 points, nine rebounds and six assists from Chris Vila.  Brandon Pace tallied five points and eight rebounds, while Jared Reed recorded six rebounds and four assists.
Wissahickon            18    14    9    7    5    8—59
Upper Moreland    13    9    17    7    5    5—56

Cheltenham 79, Norristown 76
Not only was Cheltenham down by 10 points in the fourth quarter, but more impressively, the Panthers put up 34 points in a fourth quarter which helped them to clinch sole possession of second place in the American Conference.
A three-point Cheltenham (11-11, 11-3) win ended the Panthers’ regular season at .500.
“It was awesome.  I think the guys fought hard and we all came in with the desire to take sole second place,” Cheltenham first-year coach John Timms said.  “The guys fought hard and it was a very rewarding feeling as a coach that the guys came and fought towards the common goal.”
Despite Norristown (12-8, 9-5) leading by as many as 10 points in the final quarter, Cheltenham battled back with the help of Josh Coleman, who came off the bench to score eight points in the final eight minutes.
“Josh was the difference in the game,” Timms said.
Aaron Burton led the way for the Panthers with 25 points, while Anthony White added 17.
The Eagles were led by Curt Lever’s 20 points and Kip Patton’s 19.  Chris Evans added 10. Lever also had seven assists, three steals and three rebounds, and Patton had a team-high 16 boards, including five offensive. Evans added seven rebounds and three blocked shots.
“Today was every bit an example of how guys fighting together works because we were down 10 points,” Timms said.  “It was rewarding to see the guys fight and finish the game the way they did.  The fourth quarter is what did it.”
Cheltenham    11    16    18    34—79
Norristown     13    24    16    23—76

Plymouth Whitemarsh 99, Springfield 31
Plymouth Whitemarsh capped off its American Conference championship-winning season with a commanding 69-point win over visiting Springfield on Friday night.
The Colonials (19-3, 13-1) celebrated their season night with senior Alex Williams getting some playing time.  Williams finished with a career-high 15 points off the bench.  Jimmy Murray hit five three-pointers and led the Colonials with 23 points, while Andrew Mitchell added 13.  PW also received 11 points apiece from T.J. Minetola and Manuel “Junior” Herezi.
Springfield, which trailed 32-7 after one quarter and 54-19 at the half, was led by Larry Clark’s 10.
Springfield                            7    12      6      6—31
Plymouth Whitemarsh    32    22    26    19—99

Upper Dublin 63, Upper Merion 49
Upper Dublin received 18 points from Simeon Fryer in its win over Upper Merion Friday. Zach Greenberg and Marc Conran added 11 and 10 points, respectively, for the Cardinals (10-11, 7-7). Upper Dublin, which held a 17-15 lead after one quarter, outscored the Vikings by a combined 20 points in the second and third quarters. Ryan Brennan led the Vikings (5-15, 2-11) with 25 points while Samik Patel added 13.
Upper Dublin     17     17     18     11-63
Upper Merion     15     11     4     19-49

National Conference

Abington 53, Bensalem 44
Abington’s Matt Penecale drained three three-pointers in the second quarter while leading the Ghosts to a 53-44 win over host Bensalem on Friday night in a Suburban One National Conference meeting.  The win improves the Ghosts’ overall record to 19-3 and gives them a perfect 14-0 conference season.  Penecale led Abington with 21 points, while Anthony Lee added 10.  Amir Hinton and Khari Jefferson added nine and eight, respectively.  Brian Kilcoyne and Avery Nyekan led the Owls (5-15, 4-9) with 12 points apiece.
Abington       8    11    15   19—53
Bensalem    11    10    9    14—44

Council Rock South 52, Council Rock North 48
Council Rock South entered Friday night’s game as a road underdog against its biggest rival.  That didn’t matter for Golden Hawks, who went on to beat host Council Rock North by four points on Friday night.
CR South (7-15, 5-9) was led by Dan Kockett’s 18 points.  Tom Townsend and Mike Stock added nine and seven, respectively.
“It’s a huge win,” CR South coach John Easterly said.  “We really struggled this year and lost a lot of close games, so to end the year on a positive against our rivals makes it a good end to the season.
Kockett went 10-for-11 from the free throw line.
Josh McWilliams’ 17 points and Chris Rowland’s 15 led the Indians (11-10, 7-6).
Council Rock South     9    12    10    21—52
Council Rock North    17    7    13    11—48

William Tennent 58, Harry S. Truman 46
William Tennent (9-11, 7-6 SOL) notched a 12-point win against visiting Harry S. Truman on Friday night.
Senior Cory Hamlet let the Panthers with 22 points while going 10-for-12 from the floor.  John Ryan and Matt Alden added 12 and 11 points, respectively, for Tennent.
The Tigers were led by Dyese Hunt’s 15 points.
Tennent led by 14 at the half with a score of 38-24.
Harry S. Truman    14    10    10    12—46
William Tennent    21    17    11     9—58

Pennsbury 59, Neshaminy 49
Pennsbury was led by Cameron Jones’ 13 points and Steve Ciotti’s 10 in a 10-point win over visiting Neshaminy on Senior Night at Pennsbury High School on Friday.
The Falcons (17-4, 11-2) also received eight points apiece from Nigel Johnson and Bobby Wagner.
Pennsbury took a six-point lead into the half and then outscored Neshaminy 14-7 in the third to roll to the win.
The Redskins (3-13, 2-10) were led by Cole Housel and Jaylen Pickett, who scored 17 and 15 points, respectively.
Neshaminy    12    10     7    20—49
Pennsbury    12    16    14    17—59

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