Jarrad Saffren recaps all of Tuesday’s SOL boys’ basketball action. Neshaminy/CR North photos provided by Darryl Rule of J&D Photography. Check back for a gallery of photos.
By Jarrad Saffren
Twenty Suburban One League boys’ basketball teams played league games on Tuesday night. Two—Bensalem and Central Bucks South—played a non-league game against each other.
All 11 results and recaps are below.
SOL American
Upper Moreland 55, Quakertown 47 (OT)
Quakertown overcame a 15-point Upper Moreland lead to force overtime, tying the game on a jump shot in the final seconds by Jon Rey. But the Golden Bears regrouped and won overtime 10-2, improving to .500 overall (5-5) and in league play (2-2).
“We played well and got out to an early lead. Then their guys did a great job coming back. (No.) 32 (Matt Lucas) was hitting some tough shots. But we executed well in overtime,” said Upper Moreland coach Sean Feeley. “I’m happy with our progress but we still have to get a lot better. But I’m proud of how our captains are leading the team.”
Five Upper Moreland players scored at least nine points. Ryan Coyle (15), Christian O’Donnell (12) and Brett Brossman (10) all scored in double figures. Tyler Ibbotson stepped in for an injured starter and dropped nine points on three threes. Jake Villanueva also scored nine.
“Ibbotson really stepped up tonight,” Feeley said. “Not only on offense but he was really good defensively, so that was awesome to see.”
Quakertown’s Matt Lucas led all scorers with 23. Eli Ortiz added 10.
Upper Moreland (5-5, 2-2 SOL) plays Wissahickon on Friday night at seven. Quakertown (3-7, 1-3 SOL) hosts Springfield Township on the same night and time.
Upper Moreland 14-12-5-14-10 55
Quakertown 7-10-12-16-2 47
Upper Moreland (55) – Ryan Coyle 15, Christian O’Donnell 12, Brett Brossman 10, Tyler Ibbotson 9, Jake Villanueva 9.
Quakertown (47) – Matt Lucas 23, Eli Oriz 10, Kevin Juszynski 9, Jon Rey 3, Sam Rice 2.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 78, Hatboro-Horsham 40
Ahmad Williams (27), Ahmin Williams (20) and Naheem McLeod (14) combined for 61 of PW’s 78 points, leading the Colonials (5-0 in league play) to another big SOL American win. They have won their last three league games by 57, 29 and now 38.
“It’s only 10 games in and it’s a long process to accomplish something great at the end. In order to do that, we are working on mental discipline and trying to fix things and get more consistent. It’s a fine line between playing really well every night and having a bad night,” said PW coach Jim Donofrio. “The Wissahickon game was a nice eye opener early that you can’t just bring effort every now and then. It’s basketball. You never know when some kid or some team will have a great night against you. The special teams have a nice game and then do it five times in a row.”
The Williams twins, as evidenced by their scoring numbers, are clicking.
“They just had two great nights, on both sides of the ball. Their energy defensively was through the roof,” Donofrio said. “They were really taking smart shots and getting Naheem involved by the kicking the ball in and out. It’s been a long road getting Ahmad and Ahmin and these guys on the same page over the last two years. Hopefully, this is a sign that the light bulb is going on. They are playing smart basketball and letting the game come to them.”
Khalid Johnson led Hatboro-Horsham with 16 points. Solomon McNair added nine.
PW (10-0, 5-0 SOL) battles Cheltenham on Friday night at seven. Hatboro-Horsham (5-4, 2-2 SOL) hosts Wissahickon on Wednesday night at seven.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 17-24-24-13 78
Hatboro-Horsham 8-12-13-7 40
Plymouth Whitemarsh (78) – Danny Cooper 14, Kyrie Pendleton 2, Ahmin Williams 27, Brendan Sullivan 2, Ahmad Williams 20, Alan Glover 5, Jason Cherry 2.
Hatboro-Horsham (40) – Erick Dixon 6, Chris Edwards 1, Solomon McNair 9, Jackson Treski 2, Khalid Johnson 16, Kyle Hogan 5, Jake Schalki 1.
Cheltenham 76, Wissahickon 61
Jack Clark (22), Amir Lewis (21), Tim Myarick (10) and Kyin Healey (10) combined for 63 of Cheltenham’s 76 points, leading the Panthers to their fourth league win in as many games. Ahmad Bickley had nine assists and five steals for Cheltenham. Clark also had nine rebounds.
"That was a big win for us. It was a two-possession game for most of the game. I think we played well. Our theme this year is staying focused. We have some goals and in order to attain them we have to have sustained focus,” said Cheltenham coach John Timms. “Even in the last game against Upper Moreland, for three and a half quarters, that team was better than us, but we focused and were able to win the fourth quarter. Today was the same thing. We were able to pick our spots and make a 9-0 run or make a 5-0 run, and that allowed us to get some separation.”
Wissahickon is no slouch, with a 6-3 record and a near-upset of PW under its belt this year, and Cheltenham was playing on the road on Tuesday.
“I’m pretty happy that we could go in there and get a win. That’s the second hardest place to win behind PW. It’s like a one and 1A to me, given the atmosphere. I love the dome. They just have a basketball game atmosphere. I love playing at Wissahickon even though I know for the majority of time we probably don’t come out of here with a win. It’s always a great game to be a part of,” Timms said. “I grew up in the 80s watching the Sixers and Celtics, and it’s like getting a win at Boston Garden or at the Garden at New York. Cheltenham doesn’t go to Wissahickon and beat Wissahickon. We just don’t do that. Whenever we can do that, we are grateful. I’m very happy with this win.”
Cheltenham’s backcourt duo of Bickley and Zahree Harrison only combined for eight points on Tuesday. But they sparked the win as much as the big scorers did.
“I think they played one of their best floor games. They controlled the pace, and they got the right people the ball,” Timms said. “They played a great game. Their points don’t reflect how well Harrison and Bickley played. They controlled the pace of the game, and that led to the win.”
Eddie Fortescue (18), Zach Reiner (16) and Max Rapoport (12) all scored in double figures for the Trojans. Donovan Oliphant had eight.
Cheltenham (7-1, 4-0 SOL) plays PW on Friday night at seven. Wissahickon (6-3, 2-2 SOL) battles Hatboro-Horsham on Wednesday night at seven.
Cheltenham 17-24-17-18 76
Wissahickon 20-19-16-6 61
Cheltenham (76) – Zahle Harrison 4, Ahmad Bickley 4, Tim Myarick 10, Jack Clark 22, Pope 1, Kyin Healey 10, Lonce Scott 2, Amir Lewis 21.
Wissahickon (61) – Donovan Oliphont 8, Eddie Fortescue 18, Tyler Caso 2, Max Rapoport 12, Cole Hirsch 3, Anthony Lawrence 4, Zach Reiner 16.
Upper Dublin 62, Springfield Township 44
Upper Dublin earned its first league win of the season (1-4), winning every quarter but the second, ballooning a four-point halftime lead into a double-digit advantage with a strong third quarter.
Nyjee Scott and Corby Watkins led Upper Dublin with 12 and 11 points, respectively.
Upper Dublin (2-9, 1-4 SOL) hosts Hatboro-Horsham on Friday night at seven. Springfield Township (2-5, 0-4 SOL) plays Quakertown on the same night and time.
Upper Dublin 14-13-20-15 62
Springfield Township 7-16-11-10 44
SOL National
Abington 68, Harry S. Truman 55
The Xavier University men’s basketball coaching staff came to see Eric Dixon on Tuesday night. He responded with 25 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 10-of-13 from the field and 4-of-5 from the line, leading Abington (6-2) to another win.
“Eric played really well,” said Abington coach Charles Grasty. “So did Lucas Monroe, and Xavier Crawford came off the bench and brought energy.”
Monroe had 10 points, six rebounds, five assists and three blocks. Robbie Heath posted 16 points, four assists and two steals. Crawford scored seven points and shot 4-of-4 from the line.
Abington shot 26-for-47 from the floor (55.3 percent).
Still, despite the statistically strong performances, and the double-digit win, Grasty was not satisfied with his team’s performance. “We struggled a little bit tonight. I don’t know if those days off hurt us,” the Ghosts’ coach said. “I didn’t think we played well offensively, and defensively we didn’t get after it. Truman played well and made some big shots. They are scrappy and kept fighting.”
Zierr Reid paced Truman with 12 points. Jeff Nixon (9), TJ Rogers (8), Kashun Holden (8) and Javeer Peterson (7) all scored at least seven.
Abington (6-2, 4-0 SOL) plays North Penn on Saturday at two. Truman (5-4, 1-2 SOL) hosts Neshaminy on Thursday night at seven.
Abington 18-13-25-12 68
Harry S. Truman 15-9-14-17 55
Abington (68) – Eric Dixon 25, Robbie Heath 16, Lucas Monroe 10, Darious Brown 4, Brandon Coffman 2, Xavier Crawford 7, JP Nolan 2, Hasan Whitby 2.
Harry S Truman (55) – Jeff Nixon 9, Zierr Reid 12, Carter Kelley 4, Kashun Holden 8, Javeer Peterson 7, TJ Rogers 8, Cam Culver 2, Gabe Gipli 3, James Anderson 2.
Pennsbury 51, Council Rock South 34
Pennsbury won the second half 28-15, pulling away from CR South for its first SOL National win (1-2). The Falcons impressed their coach with strong all-around play.
“We defended. That’s one of the things we’ve really been emphasizing and the guys are starting to respond,” said Pennsbury coach Bill Coleman. “Offensively, what’s good about the way we’re playing is we’re sharing the ball and everyone has an opportunity to score. It’s hard to key on one player when you’re doing that. It helps us focus in on defense because the more people that touch the ball, the more engaged they are.”
“Collin Connor stepped up in the second half,” Coleman added. “Cooper Arnold had seven off the bench in the first half. Chad (Weldon) had six in the second half. Gary (Francis) picked us up. You’re seeing a balanced scoring attack from our guys, which is awesome.”
Pennsbury (5-5, 1-2 SOL) plays CR North on Thursday night at seven. CR South (2-6, 1-2 SOL) hosts Bensalem on the same night and time.
Council Rock South 7-12-9-6 – 34
Pennsbury 20-3-15-13 51
Council Rock South (34) – Trey Irvin 7, Kyle Meakim 2, Christian abbar 6, Kevin McNamee 2, Simon Magidenko 4, Estaban Gomez 4, Zach Schade 6, Spencer Haun 3.
Pennsbury (51) – Collin Connor 12, Raylil Winton 9, Josh Arruda 7, Chad Weldon 6, Kyrie M Miller 2, Cooper Arnold 7, Gary Francis 8.
Neshaminy 68, Council Rock North 54
Chris Arcidiacono (24), Danny Bodine (15), Charles Dominick (15) and Anthony Papeo (12) all scored in double figures for Neshaminy, sparking a convincing league win over a pesky, well-coached CR North team.
Neshaminy went on a 28-10 run over the last 11 minutes of the first half, taking a 12-point lead into halftime. Then it ripped off an 11-1 to start the fourth, opening a 23-point lead. 
“Having four guys in double figures is always great. That means you’re sharing the ball, getting guys open and making shots,” said Neshaminy coach Mark Tingle. “And those are our four main scorers, so when you draw plays up, those are the guys.”
Neshaminy made 11 three-pointers, with Bodine, Dominick and Papeo combining for 10. Arcidiacono shot 15-of-16 from the line.
“Us hitting threes stretches the defense and helps us get easy looks at the basket,” Bodine said.
“They were really playing up on us, and we were just making one-dribble moves and getting into the paint,” Arcidiacono said.
Neshaminy ended a two-game losing streak with this win, improving to 8-2. It will be a dangerous team if Arcidiacono’s supporting cast continues to play this well.
“When I’m driving, I know Danny, Charles and Anthony are going to make open shots,” Arcidiacono said. “I have a lot of confidence in them.”
“I have all the confidence in the world in us four leading this team and taking it far,” Papeo said.
Matt McAlister and Brady Haggerty led CR North with 14 and 13 points, respectively. North fell to 3-6 with this loss.
Neshaminy (8-2, 2-1 SOL) plays Truman on Thursday night at seven. CR North (3-6, 1-3 SOL) hosts Pennsbury on Thursday night at seven.
Neshaminy 16-22-12-18 68
Council Rock North 18-8-11-17 54
SOL Continental
Central Bucks West 57, Pennridge 36
CB West pulled away by winning the third quarter 20-5. The Bucks really won this game with defense, holding the Rams to single-digit point totals in the first three quarters.
“The biggest thing is defensively we were able to establish ourselves. To hold Pennridge to five in a quarter is really good,” said CB West coach Adam Sherman. “Shane McCusker did a really good job on Sean Yoder, and we were able to limit his opportunities.”
Yoder, Pennridge’s leading scorer, put up just six on Tuesday night and had only one field goal.
Offensively, West was led by Collin MacAdams and Jack Mulhearn, who scored 17 and 11, respectively. Mika Munari and Jake Reichwein added seven and six.
“Offensively we were able to get to the rim,” Sherman said. “Jack had a huge first half with three threes. We were able to get Collin the ball in really good spots. Jack did a good job getting it to him. Those two played really well.”
CB West held Pennridge’s other top offensive option, Jon Post, to two points.
“Jake Reichwein did a nice job defending them on the inside,” Sherman said. “Jack Neri did a nice job defending them inside as well.”
Tyrese Lewis led Pennridge with 11 points.
CB West (8-3, 4-1 SOL) hosts Souderton on Friday night at seven. Pennridge (7-4, 1-2 SOL) plays William Tennent on the same night and time.
Central Bucks West 11-12-20-14 57
Pennridge 9-8-5-14 36
Central Bucks West (57) – Mika Munari 7, ack Mulhearn 11, Collin MacAdams 17, Jake Reichwein 6, Stephen Delash 4, Chase Heller 3, Connor Briece 3, Davis Zerweck 2, Jack Neri 4.
Pennridge (36) – Sean Yoder 6, Tyrese Lewis 11, Jon Post 2, John Dominic 2, Colin Post 2, Pat Gillespie 4, Jack Gillespie 6.
North Penn 47, Souderton 45
North Penn trailed by one with less than 10 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Chris Coleman drove baseline, made a layup and got fouled. Then he sank the free throw, putting the Knights up 47-45 with 4.7 seconds to go. North Penn stopped Souderton on the last possession and held on for its third straight win, improving to 6-4.
“Coleman’s been really good for us lately,” said North Penn coach John Conrad. “It’s just one of our plays where we get him in isolation, and we figure he’s a tough matchup one on one.”
Coleman sparked the Knights with 18 points, including three threes and a couple transition baskets. “He played well on the offensive end, scored in a couple different ways,” Conrad said. David Robinson complemented Coleman with 14 points.
“Robinson got a lot of them late, too. He was big for us in the fourth,” Conrad said. “We were able to throw the ball inside and he did a nice job converting on the block.”
Solomon Robinson was North Penn’s third-leading scorer, with seven. But he made his biggest impact in other areas.
“Solomon Robinson really rebounded well for us and did a nice job defensively,” Conrad said. “So he had a real nice game.”
North Penn is playing much better after a sluggish start to the season. “We played better on the defensive end in the last two games. And in four of our last five, we’ve held people in the 40s or less,” Conrad said. “AJ (Mitchell), Chris and David also need to score consistently, and we’ve been getting two of those three lately, if not three of three.”
Tomas Hanrahan led Souderton with 14 points. Kavi Ramchandani had 11.
North Penn (6-4, 2-2 SOL) hosts CB South on Friday night at seven. Souderton (3-6, 0-3 SOL) plays CB West on the same night and time.
North Penn 13-14-8-12 47
Souderton 8-12-13-12 45
North Penn (47) – Chris Coleman 18, David Robinson 14, Solomon Robinson 7, oey Lindsay 3, McIver 3, AJ Mitchell 11.
Souderton (45) – Tomas Hanrahan 14, Kavi Ramchandani 11, Trevor Watts 9, Vince 5, Antonio Rodriguez 4, Stephen Luchansky 2.
Central Bucks East 55, William Tennent 38
William Tennent led 9-6 after one quarter, but CB East won the last three quarters 49-29. Nick Roggio had 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Patriots. Kyle Cassidy posted 14 points and six boards.
“We started slow. They zoned us. We settled for open looks that didn’t go. Then we amped up our defense and were able to get baskets inside-out as we went along,” said CB East coach Erik Henrysen. “Roggio did a good job for us. We felt we could get into the middle of the zone, dump it down and he was able to finish. Cassidy did what he’s been doing all year, put the ball in the basket and did a job on the glass.”
Two other players—Collin Stein and Jesse Rivera—also sparked the CB East win. Stein had four steals and four assists. And Rivera had six points and five steals.
“Stein continues to do a little bit of everything,” Henrysen said. “Jesse Rivera also did a nice job distributing.”
Dave West (11) and Markeith Baxter (10) scored in double figures for William Tennent.
CB East (8-4, 3-2 SOL) hosts Pennsbury on Saturday at two. William Tennent (4-6, 0-4 SOL) plays Pennridge on Friday night at seven.
Central Bucks East 6-21-15-13 55
William Tennent 9-12-9-8 38
Central Bucks East (35) – Pat McCauley 3, Markeith Baxter 10, Dave West 11, Kip Mooney 3, Ryan Savage 2, Nick Meltzer 5, Derrick Cosenza 4.
Central Bucks East (55) – Nick Roggio 16, Kyle Cassidy 14, Collin Stein 2, Jose Rivera 6, Ben Markowitz 6, Leo Masterson 5, Joe Jackman 6.
Non-League
Bensalem 59, Central Bucks South 53
Bensalem knocked off a hot CB South team and climbed back to .500 overall (5-5). Ward Roberts (21) and James Leible (18) combined for 39 of Bensalem’s 59 points.
“They were hot and we had a nice team effort tonight. We defended well and rebounded,” said Bensalem coach Mike McCabe. “You have to play well as a team against them. They run good stuff and are well-coached. We had a couple huge stops down the stretch.”
“James Leible really played well. Ward Roberts played well. Taco Douglas played well, too, and Keith Parrish,” McCabe added. “James naturally took it inside and was very physical. Ward mixed it up and hit a couple deep threes. He’s starting to learn to mix it up, which helps because teams focus on him.”
Ian McCaw (17), Tommy Kuypers (13) and Nate Robinson (13) scored double digit points for CB South.
Bensalem (5-5, 2-2 SOL) plays CR South on Thursday night at seven. CB South (7-3, 4-0 SOL) plays North Penn on Friday night at seven.
Bensalem 14-10-21-14 59
Central Bucks South 15-11-14-13 53
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