SOL Boys’ Basketball District Preview (2-24-17)

Check out the preview capsules for the eight SOL boys’ basketball teams in action this weekend in the District One 6A and 5A Tournament.

It’s been a good week for the Suburban One League.

Four 6A teams punched their tickets to the state tournament with wins on Tuesday night. North Penn will be going to the big dance for the first time since 1996, and Cheltenham is back in states for the first time since 2006. For Abington and Plymouth Whitemarsh, going to states has been an all but regular occurrence. The Ghosts earned their fifth trip to states in six years, and the Colonials clinched their third trip in as many years.

Pennsbury, Central Bucks East and Hatboro-Horsham are three of eight teams battling for the final two state berths in playback games.

All seven teams will be in action on Friday night, and interestingly, none of them are playing each other. As a result, there is the possibility of an all-SOL district semifinal at Temple University on Tuesday.

After an opening round rout of sixth-seeded Phoenixville in its District One 5A opener, Wissahickon is only a win over Penncrest away from earning a trip to the district semifinal at Temple University on Wednesday night. The Trojans will travel to Penncrest on Saturday night for a quarterfinal game.

District One Class 6A Second Round

#7 Conestoga at #2 Plymouth Whitemarsh
Plymouth Whitemarsh

21-4 overall
Suburban One League American Conference champions (14-0)
Deep rotation includes eight players who play significant minutes
Colonials are led by junior backcourt duo Ahmin and Ahmad Williams, sharpshooter Matt Walker and 7-0 center Naheem McLeod
Regular season wins over #4 Coatesville (52-45) and #6 Pennsbury (64-48). Swept season series with #8 Cheltenham (74-59, 56-51) and #21 Hatboro-Horsham (54-36, 58-45).
Only loss to a District One team came to #3 Abington (70-66) in Suburban One League Tournament championship.
Earned third trip to the state tournament in as many years.

How they got here: After an opening round bye, PW defeated 18^th-seeded Central Bucks East 62-43 in a second round game, opening up a 27-20 halftime lead and outscoring the Patriots 35-23 in the second half. Ish Horn led the Colonials with 19, Ahmad Williams had 12 and Kareen Breeden added 10.

Conestoga

19-5 overall
14-2 Central League regular season champions
Upset by Strath Haven 62-54 in the Central League semifinals
Split regular season series with Lower Merion (72-69 & 56-58)
Pioneers are 11-1 at home this season.
Earned fourth straight trip to the state tournament with Tuesday’s second round win

How they got here: After an opening round bye, Conestoga rolled to a 77-57 win over #10 Lower Merion in the second round. The game was a marked contrast to the tightly contested regular season meetings. The Pioneers, who led 35-28 at the intermission, took a 59-42 lead into the final quarter. Charlie Martin, a 6-4 senior forward, scored a game-high 25 with four three-pointers.

#11 Penn Wood at #3 Abington
Abington

21-4 overall
Suburban One League National Conference champions (12-0)
Sophomore forward Eric Dixon (18.5) and junior guard Robbie Heath (15.9) combine for 34.4 points per game
Senior point guard Robert Young rarely turns ball over and senior center Joe O’Brien cleans glass, blocks shots and defends high-scoring big guys well
Regular season wins over #1 Perkiomen Valley (51-47), #2 PW (70-66), #5 North Penn (66-45), #18 Central Bucks East (58-42)
Swept season series with #6 Pennsbury (37-31, 56-44), #15 Council Rock South (53-40, 43-41), #22 Neshaminy (60-38, 71-44)
14-1 in 2017
Earned fifth trip to the state tournament in six years for the Ghosts.

How they got here: Abington had an opening round bye and then defeated #19 Norristown 48-32 in a second round game. The Ghosts were led by the dangerous one-two punch of Eric Dixon (21 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 steals) and Robbie Heath (18 points, 6 steals, 4 assists)

Penn Wood

· 17-7 overall
· Delaware Valley Conference champions (10-1)
· Patriots are led by seniors Pernell Ghee, Kairi Jones and Jay Fitzgerald
· Regular season wins over #13 Downingtown West (57-52) and #19 Norristown (64-43)
· Opening round win over Neshaminy was program’s first district win since 2014

How they got here:

In an opening round game, Penn Wood trailed by three with three minutes remaining but rallied for a 59-51 win over #22 Neshaminy. Pernell Ghee led the Patriots with 17 points, and Vincent Smalls added 15 – 11 in the second half.
In the second round, Penn Wood upset #6 Pennsbury 71-55. The Patriots led by two after one quarter and then outscored the Falcons 41-24 over the middle two frames. Sharif Goff scored 18 points and Jawon Lindsey-Terrell added 15, combining for 33 points off the bench.

#5 North Penn at #4 Coatesville
North Penn

19-5 overall
Suburban One League Continental Conference champions (11-1)
Deep, experienced rotation includes six seniors and eight players who play significant minutes
Six players have led Knights in scoring at least once this season
David Guiliani, Reece Udinski and Ricky Johns have done so the most.
Regular season wins over #17 Methacton (56-51) and #18 CB East (60-54)
Swept season series against #12 Central Bucks West (48-35, 63-53), #20 Pennridge (56-50, 61-48), #23 Central Bucks South (60-51, 66-54)
14-2 in 2017
Earned first trip to state tournament since 1996.

How they got here: After an opening round bye, North Penn defeated #21 Hatboro-Horsham 55-45 in a second round game. The Knights, who led by two at halftime, outscored the Hatters 17-9 in the third quarter. David Giuliani (13 points), Reece Udinski (12) and Lance Ford (10) all finished in double figures.

Coatesville

21-4 overall
11-1 Ches-Mont National Division regular season champions
Defeated Bishop Shanahan 43-37 to capture their second consecutive Ches-Mont title
Swept regular season series with #13 Downingtown West (47-33 & 51-38) and #14 Downingtown East (45-36, 49-29)
Young lineup includes just one senior starter
Coach Chuck Moore led Plymouth Whitemarsh to a state title in 1997 and came back to coach the junior varsity at his alma mater for eight years before taking over the helm of the Red Raiders in 2013.

How they got here: After an opening round bye, Coatesville defeated #13 Downingtown West 56-46. The two teams were deadlocked 24-24 at the intermission and were still tied heading in a fourth quarter that saw the Red Raiders close out the game with a 20-10 tear. Freshman Jhamir Brickus scored 21 points, which included an 11-for-14 effort at the foul line.

#8 Cheltenham at #1 Perkiomen Valley
Cheltenham

18-5 overall
11-3 in SOL American play, finished second to PW
Panthers led by senior forward Trevonn Pitts, junior point guard Ahmad Bickley, junior guard Jack Clark and senior guard Tim Spencer
Regular season wins over #3 Abington (79-76) and #12 CB West (61-57)
Swept season series with #21 Hatboro-Horsham (78-76, 59-53)
Won 12 of last 14 games
Panthers earned program’s first trip to states since 2006

How they got here: After an opening round bye, Cheltenham knocked off #9 Spring-Ford 66-52 in the second round. The Panthers, who led by five at halftime, took a 43-37 lead into the final quarter and then closed it out with a 23-15 frame. Four Panthers – Ahmad Bickley (17 points), Trevonn Pitts (16), Jack Clark (15) and Rodney Carson (11) – finished the game in double figures.

Perk Valley

22-3 overall
8-2 Pioneer Athletic Conference Liberty Division regular season co-champions with Spring-Ford
Defeated Spring-Ford 52-45 to capture the Pioneer Athletic Conference title.
The Vikings, who average close to 60 points a game, are led by senior sharpshooter Justin Jaworski, who averages 21.5 points a game with 60 3-pointers. Also contributing are Sean Owens (10.8 ppg, 28 threes), Hogan Millheim (8.3) and Tyler Stretchay (8.3).

How they got here: After an opening round bye, Perk Valley was extended to overtime before defeating #16 Garnet Valley 68-60 in the second round. Justin Jaworski torched the Jaguars for 34 points, which included five threes. Sean Owens added 13 and Andrew Light, 11 points.

Playback Games

#19 Norristown at #6 Pennsbury
Pennsbury

15-9 overall
8-4 in SOL National play, finished second to Abington
Falcons led by senior forward Mark Flagg and senior point guard Addison Howard
Regular season wins over #5 North Penn (61-46), #8 Cheltenham (62-53), #14 Downingtown East (55-39), #15 Council Rock South (40-35), #21 Hatboro-Horsham (52-36)
Swept season series with #22 Neshaminy (62-45, 49-41)
Made district playoffs for sixth straight year

How they got here: After an opening round bye, Pennsbury was upset by #11 Penn Wood 71-55. The Patriots, who led 13-11 after one quarter, blew the game wide open by outscoring the Falcons 41-24 in the middle two quarters. Mark Flagg led the Falcons with 22 points.

Norristown

14-12 overall
5-5 Pioneer Athletic Conference Liberty Division fourth place behind Perk Valley, Spring-Ford and Methacton
Led by Kurahn Clark (12.7 ppg), Xavier Edwards (10.6 ppg) and Darius McGowan (8.4 ppg)
Regular season wins over #17 Methacton (51-46 & 43-40).

How they got here:

Norristown upset #14 Downingtown East 51-43 in an opening round game. The Eagles opened up a 24-16 halftime lead and never looked back. Xavier Edwards (15 points) and Darius McGowan (12 points) led the Eagles, who connected on 23-of-33 at the foul line. Edwards was 9-for-12 and Michael Dorman was 8-8 at the charity stripe.
In the second round, Norristown lost to #3 Abington 48-32, falling behind 22-11 by halftime and never threatening. Michael Allen’s seven points led the Eagles.

#18 Central Bucks East at #10 Lower Merion
CB East

13-11 overall
6-6 in SOL Continental play, finished third behind North Penn and CB West
Patriots led by senior guards Matt Pattyson and Elijah Seger
Regular season wins over #5 North Penn (40-38) and #20 Pennridge (50-48)
Swept season series with #23 CB South (58-55, 59-50)
Reached 2016 PIAA Class 4A Tournament

How they got here:

In an opening round game, Central Bucks East upset #15 Council Rock South 39-36 in double overtime, rallying from a five-point deficit entering the fourth quarter to outscore the Golden Hawks 12-7 in the final frame. Kyle Cassidy had the hot hand late, scoring all 15 of his points in the fourth quarter and second overtime. Elijah Seger added six points and 10 rebounds.
In the second round, Central Bucks East fell to #2 Plymouth Whitemarsh 62-43. The Patriots, who trailed 27-20 at halftime, were outscored 36-23 by the Colonials in the second half. Matt Pattyson (17 points) and Elijah Seger (11) led the Patriots.

Lower Merion

17-8 overall
13-3 Central League second to Conestoga
Defeated Strath Haven 82-60 to capture fifth Central League title in nine years
Led by 6-4 senior guard Terrell Jones, a returning first team All-Central League selection
Split regular season series with #6 Conestoga (69-72 & 58-56)
13-3 after a 4-5 start to the season

How they got here:

In the opening round, Lower Merion defeated #23 Central Bucks South 70-57. Noah Fennell and Terrell Jones both scored 16 to lead the Aces.
In the second round, Lower Merion fell to #6 Conestoga 77-57. The Aces, who trailed 35-28 at halftime, were outscored 24-14 in the third quarter. Terrell Jones led the Aces with 19 while Jack Forrest (14) and Steve Payne (13) also finished in double figures.

#21 Hatboro-Horsham at #13 Downingtown West

Hatboro-Horsham

13-11 overall
8-6 in SOL American play, finished third behind PW and Cheltenham
Seniors Jay Davis and Clifton Moore combine for 38 points per game
Made 2016 PIAA Class 4A Tournament

How they got here:

In the opening round, Hatboro-Horsham upset #12 Central Bucks West 34-32 in double overtime, rallying from a 12-2 deficit at the end of one quarter to outscore the Bucks 19-9 over the next two quarters. In a contest that saw Jay Davis play limited minutes because of illness, Clifton Moore turned in a monster performance, finishing with a triple-double that included 20 points, 13 rebounds and 10 blocked shots. Brandon Crews added nine points, and Jake Shalki had nine rebounds.
In a 55-45 second round loss to #5 North Penn, Clifton Moore (17 points) and Jay Davis (14 points) led Hatboro-Horsham. The Hatters, who led 13-7 after one quarter, were outscored 34-18 in the middle two quarters.

Downingtown West

15-9 overall
9-3 in Ches-Mont National Conference to finish third behind Coatesville and Bishop Shanahan
Whippets led by senior forwards George Gordon and Matt Carson
Regular season win over #14 Downingtown East (44-42)
Swept season series with #24 Avon Grove (41-39, 60-41)
Won seven of last eight regular season games.

How they got here:

In the opening round, Downingtown West defeated #20 Pennridge 69-64. The Rams led 21-11 after one quarter, but the Whippets rallied to knot the score 28-28 at halftime and took a lead they would not lose in the third quarter. George Gordon (22 points, 9 rebounds), Matt Carson (15), Greg Barton (11) and Wayne Anderson (11) all finished the game in double figures.
In Tuesday’s second round, Downingtown West battled #4 Coatesville to a 36-36 tie after three quarter only to watch the Red Raiders close it out with a 20-10 quarter. Matt Carson (14 points) and George Gordon (11 points) led the Whippets.

District One Class 5A Second Round

#11 Wissahickon at #3 Penncrest (Saturday, Feb. 25, 7 p.m.)
Wissahickon

14-9 overall
10-4 in SOL American play, finished third behind PW and Cheltenham
Trojans use deep rotation where eight players play significant minutes
Do-everything forwards Shane Ford and Zach Reiner lead Wissahickon
Swept regular season series with #16 Upper Moreland (62-54, 57-48)

How they got here: Wissahickon rolled to a 67-48 rout of #6 Phoenixville in an opening round game. The Trojans, who raced to a 34-17 halftime lead, were led by Shane Ford (20 points), Zach Reiner (17 points, 9 rebounds) and Chaz Owens (12 points). Max Rapoport had seven points and eight assists.

Penncrest

17-6 overall
12-4 Central League third place behind Conestoga and Lower Merion
Regular season wins over #9 Strath Haven (64-40) and #10 Springfield-Delco (50-45 & 45-42)
Split regular season series with #14 Harriton (57-52 & 63-69)

How they got here: In the opening round, Penncrest defeated #14 Harriton 51-44. Junior Tyler Norwood led the way with 23 points, and senior Justin Ross added 14.