CB South used a team effort to defeat CB East in Tuesday’s SOL Featured Game, sponsored by the CB South Parents’ Club. To view photos of all the game action, please visit the Photo Gallery.
By Rick Woelfel
At Central Bucks South, it’s all about sharing the load. No fewer than nine players scored Tuesday night as the Titans notched a 58-46 decision over visiting Central Bucks East in a Suburban One Continental matchup
The Titans improved to 7-5 overall and 4-2 in the division, and virtually everyone contributed. No player scored more than 10 points, but South got 25 points off its bench.
South may not be the most talented team in the league, but it may be the deepest. Nine players saw action in a first quarter that saw the hosts build
a 15-5 advantage.
“We have a deep bench,” said senior Adam Tamney, who came off the bench himself. “Everyone can score, everyone can play defense.”
Tamney, who saw virtually no varsity time last year, is comfortable in his role. “Last year I didn’t really play at all,” he said. “This year, to be part of the team and be able to get significant minutes, as much as a starter does, is fine with me.”
Tamney’s fellow senior Ricky Dennis didn’t even play basketball last season. He concentrated on baseball instead and earned a scholarship to Monmouth University. With his recruiting odyssey behind him, Dennis returned to the basketball court this season.
After T.J. Ohntrup got into early foul trouble, the 6-8 Dennis saw significant minutes and scored four points off the bench.
“I love basketball,” he said. “If I didn’t play baseball, I’d definitely be focusing on basketball. But I talked with my parents and I also talked with the baseball coach at Monmouth. He said he’s all about me playing basketball - he loves two-sport athletes.
“Their star pitcher got drafted in the first round last year. He was actually an all-state basketball player in high school.”
The Titans are a mature basketball team with nine seniors on their 13-man roster. But there are only so many minutes available after all, and some seniors on some teams would have concerns about their playing time.
South coach Jason Campbell says that hasn’t been a problem.
“You have to know which guys can handle that role and guys who can’t,” he said, “Our team has been playing together for two years. So I’ve seen them as juniors. Some played varsity for us last year and a couple played jayvee.
“You see them playing together in the summertime and you watch them gain confidence. I knew we were going to be deep this year because the people who didn’t play much last year got better in the offseason and gained more confidence. Now it’s translating to the games when they get in there.”
The Titans never trailed in the game. They scored the first five points and closed the first quarter with an 8-1 run.
“We got off to a slow start,” said East coach Erik Henrysen. “When you get off to a slow start against a good team, it’s hard to come back.”
To their credit, the Patriots (6-7, 2-5) didn’t back down. Brendan McLaughlin scored the first nine points of the second quarter by knocking down three treys - one from the left wing, the next from the left corner, and the third from the right corner.
Campbell was forced to call a 30-second timeout to have his forces regroup. At halftime South’s lead was just five at 21-16.
It was still anyone’s game in the third quarter. The Patriots got within three at 26-23 with 1:55 left before the hosts broke the game open with an 11-1 run that stretched the margin to 37-24 with 5:24 left in the game.
The Patriots made one last stand, however, closing to within six on two occasions with less than two minutes left before the Titans prevailed in the end-game free-throw shooting contest. The hosts were 21-of-25 from the charity stripe in the fourth quarter.
McLaughlin topped all scorers with 23 points for the patriots. Matt Stauffer joined him in double figures with 12 points and six rebounds.
“We have a group that really believes in what we’re doing,” Henrysen said. “And they stick with the game plan. When you stray away sometimes, you begin to fall apart, but we tend to get tighter and get closer together.”
Kevin Raymond was high man for the Titans with his 10 points, all in the second half. Seven of them came from the foul line.
Tamney provided nine points, seven of them in the fourth quarter, while Ohntrup, despite his foul issues, scored eight points, pulled down four rebounds, and blocked two shots.
C.B. East (6-7, 2-5 SOL Continental)
Brendan McLaughlin 8 4-5 23; Bennett Kardone 1 0-0 3; Kyle Clow 1 0-0 3; Tommy Strasburger 0 0-0 0; Danny Reilly 1 0-0 3; Kevin Phelps 1 0-0 2; Matt Stauffer 4 3-8 12. Totals: 16 7-13 46.
C.B. South (8-6, 5-2)
Kevin Raymond 1 7-8 10; Matt Scamuffo 3 2-2 8; Brennan Rudnick 2 3-6 7; Adam Tamny 3 3-4 9; Bryce Dobisch 0 0-0 0; Chase Vonder Schmal 2 0-0 5; Kevin Doyle 1 0-0 2; Dan Giaquinto 0 5-6 5; T.J. Ohntrup 3 2-2 8; Ricky Dennis 2 0-0 4. Totals: 17 22-28 58.
C.B. East 5 11 8 22—46
C.B. South 15 6 8 29—58
Three-point goals: CBE: McLaughlin 3, Cardone, Clow, Reilly; CBS: Raymond, Vonder Schmalz
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