CB West and PW clinched sole possession of their respective conference titles. Check the recaps for all the SOL boys’ basketball action Tuesday. Neshaminy/Truman photo provided courtesy of Jesse Garber (http://jsgarber.zenfolio.com/p175889642)
SOL American Conference
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 88, CHELTENHAM 65
PW’s season for the ages continued on Tuesday night as the Colonials’ undefeated train rolled on, jumping out to a 22-6 first-quarter lead and never looking back.
The win officially marks the fifth straight SOL American title for PW, the 11th under head coach Jim Donofrio and 26th overall. The Colonials are an eye-popping 67-3 in SOL play over the last five years.
Naheem McLeod led all scorers with 27 points for PW, while Ish Horn (17), Alan Glover (12), Ahmad Williams (11) and Danny Cooper (11) also reached double figures in scoring.
“It’s a date that goes up on a banner forever,” Donofrio said. “You don’t want to get arrogant, you don’t want to get jaded and you don’t want to assume, because in a heartbeat things can go in another direction. Just stay humble about it, then you’ll appreciate it more. It’s all about the kids doing that. I’m proud of them.”
Cheltenham, which lost to PW earlier this season 77-57 with La Salle-bound Jack Clark (now out injured), found themselves in an early hole they simply couldn’t dig themselves out of. Ahmad Bickley had an outstanding game in the losing effort with a team-high 20 points to go along with eight assists and eight steals. Tim Myarick (14) and Amir Lewis (11) also reached double figures.
“We got down 22-6 in the first quarter and really had to battle back,” Cheltenham head coach John Timms said. “We scored 59 points in the last three quarters, so once we settled down, we played really well. I think the initial thought of playing them without Jack got into our heads early in the game, and I think we were very tentative in the beginning. By the time the game was over, I was very pleased with our effort. We actually cut it to 12 points in the fourth quarter, but they’re a handful. They’re undefeated for a reason.”
Timms was also effusive in his praise for Bickley’s shining performance.
“If we don’t have Bickley tonight, we’re talking about a 40-point loss,” he said. “This kid kept us in the game every way he could. He played like the senior captain that he is. I’m thankful that we’re getting better. Even in the loss, we’re getting better. Not a bad night.”
There have been no bad nights for PW this season — or last, for that matter — as the Colonials are one win away from finishing the regular season undefeated for the second consecutive year.
That being said, as Donofrio said, things can change on a dime in this game, so he wants to keep his team focused with their eyes on the prize as they get prepared to enter districts as the top dog.
“To win the league, you have to beat a lot of people multiple times,” he said. “They know you like your brother. I’m proud of the fact while we’re annoyed we turned the ball over and let up on defense, we still put up 88 points. I told them after the game, ‘Let’s just enjoy what you’ve accomplished.’ We’ll move on to phase two (districts), but there’s no guarantees with that phase.”
Plymouth Whitemarsh (21-0, 13-0 SOL) – the district’s top seeded-squad – will travel to Quakertown on Thursday, and Cheltenham (14-7, 10-3) will host Hatboro-Horsham on Friday. The Panthers are the 17th seed.
Cheltenham 6-14-20-25 65
Plymouth Whitemarsh 22-18-19-29 88
Cheltenham (65) — Amir Lewis 11, Zahree Harrison 8, Tim Myarick 14, Brandon Scott 4, Jaelen Mclone 2, Terrance McCall 1, Kyin Healey 4, Lonce Scott 2, Ahmad Bickley
Plymouth Whitemarsh (88) — Ish Horn 17, Naheem McLeod 27, Danny Cooper 11, Kyree Pendleton 2, Ahmin Williams 6, Ahmad Williams 11, Alan Glover 12, Jason Cherry 2
SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP 59, QUAKERTOWN 56
Tuesday night marked a momentous occasion for the Springfield Township basketball program as the Spartans won their first league game since 2014 in a 59-56 upset over Quakertown. Earlier this year, the Panthers handed the Spartans a 50-40 loss.
Deaseeth Kouakou led Springfield with 16 points, and the team held off a fourth-quarter rally by Quakertown that saw them tally 25 points in the frame. However, like the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, it was simply Springfield’s time to experience something the program hadn’t in four years.
“It took us all year, but the guys are buying into a new system and we are finally getting better,” Springfield head coach Barry Devine said via text. “My staff and I are looking forward to next year!”
An ecstatic Devine punctuated the message with the hashtag #WINAGAIN.
Jordan Pauls added 13 points in the winning effort, while Quentin Johnson chipped in with 12.
Eli Ortiz scored a game-high 28 points for Quakertown and Sam Rice scored nine, but on Tuesday, the night and moment belonged to Springfield.
Quakertown (6-15, 4-9) will host Plymouth Whitemarsh on Thursday, and Springfield Township (4-16, 1-12) will be on the road at Wissahickon on Thursday.
Quakertown 9-14-8-25 56
Springfield 14-11-18-19 59
Quakertown (56) — Eil Ortiz 28, Sam Rice 9, Matt Lucas 9, Grey Mitchell 4, Matt Catalano 3, Matt Tuley 3
Springfield (59) — Quentin Johnson 12, Deaseeth Kouakou 16, Ben Rittenhouse 6, DeJaun Waters 4, Jordan Pauls 13, Wilson Krewson 5, James Joseph 3
WISSAHICKON 75, UPPER MORELAND 54
Wissahickon had just a two-point lead on Upper Moreland at halftime, but a blistering 22-5 third quarter allowed the Trojans to pull away and keep their strong season rolling.
Zach Reiner scored a game-high 26 points in the victory on 9-of-13 shooting while also adding 12 rebounds and seven assists. Eddie Fortescue chipped in with 11, while Max Rapoport tallied 10 points, five rebounds and four assists. Wissahickon shot 54 percent for the game and scored 40 points in the paint.
“It was a solid first half, and in the second half we went on a big run,” Wissahickon head coach Kyle Wilson said. “The kids really executed and made some plays. It was nice to see Zach have a big night. He usually just distributes, but along with seven assists, he put in 26 points. When shots weren’t falling for other guys early, he carried us tonight. It was a good game.”
Ryan Coyle paced Upper Moreland with 12 points and Brett Brossman added 10 in the losing effort.
Wissahickon (15-6, 10-3 SOL) will host Springfield Township on Thursday, and Upper Moreland closed out its regular season with a 9-12 record (5-8 SOL). After Tuesday’s game, the Golden Bears were the 16th seed in the District One 5A power rankings in what will be a 16-team field. The Trojans are the third seed.
Upper Moreland 15-14-5-20 54
Wissahickon 16-15-22-22 75
Upper Moreland (54) — Ryan Coyle 12, Woolens 5, O’Donnell 8, Johnson 5, Brossman 10, Donovan 6, Schernecke 2, Bostwick 4
Wissahickon (75) — Zach Reiner 26, Fortescue 11, Rapoport 10, Oliphant 7, Williams 5, Hirsch 4, Ostroski 4, Willis 3, Lawrence 3, Caso 1, Saffier 1
HATBORO-HORSHAM 51, UPPER DUBLIN 39
Erick Dixon scored 14 points, while teammates Khalid Johnson (12) and Chris Edwards (11) also cracked double figures in the Hatters’ 51-39 win over Upper Dublin.
The game was close throughout and Hatboro-Horsham led by just one after three quarters, but a decisive 20-9 fourth quarter proved to be the difference for head coach Ed Enoch’s squad. In the final frame, the Hatters were 14-of-16 from the foul line. Dixon was a perfect 6-for-6 and had eight points in the quarter. Edwards, who also had eight points in the frame, buried 6-of-8 at the charity stripe.
Nyjee Scott and Ian McGonagle each notched 10 points in the losing effort for Upper Dublin (5-16, 3-10), while Corby Watkins had nine points.
Hatboro-Horsham (10-11, 6-7 SOL) will be on the road at Cheltenham on Friday, and Upper Dublin (5-16, 3-10) will host Upper Moreland on Saturday.
Upper Dublin 7-11-12-9 39
Hatboro-Horsham 8-12-11-20 51
Upper Dublin (39) — Nyjee Scott 10, Ian McGonagle 10, Corby Watkins 9, Mike Silvka 1, Cory Stover 2
Hatboro-Horsham (51) — Erikc Dixon 14, Chris Edwards 11, McNair 2, Khalid Johnson 12, N’Gianni Cerisier 2, Jake Schalki 2
SOL National Conference
NESHAMINY 71, HARRY S TRUMAN 70 (OT)
In what was undoubtedly the wildest game of the night, Neshaminy fought off a pesky Truman squad that refused to quit.
Neshaminy’s Chris Arcidiacono, taking a page from his older brother Ryan’s heroics at Villanova, set a single-game scoring record at the school with 43 points. He shot 20-for-22 from the foul line while adding 10 boards and five assists in the 71-70 overtime victory.
“Chris is playing at another level,” Neshaminy head coach Mark Tingle said.
Despite Arcidiacono’s heroics, Neshaminy almost didn’t escape with the win. Truman’s 28-point outburst in the fourth quarter featured a SportsCenter worthy three-quarter court buzzer-beating heave by Carter Kelley that fell through the net and sent the game to overtime.
However, the Redskins ultimately had the last laugh. Anthony Papeo had 10 points and four assists for the Redskins, while Danny Bodine, who has been battling the flu, added eight points, eight rebounds and six blocks.
“Our team has been battling the flu, so it was good to get the win,” Tingle said. “I’m very proud of our kids. Their heads could have gone down when Truman hit that shot, but they stayed focused and got the win in overtime. Just a great game.”
Jeff Nixon led the hard-luck Tigers with 16 points, while Kelley added 12. Gabe Gipli (11) and Zierr Reid (10) also reached double digits for Truman.
Neshaminy (12-9, 6-5 SOL) – seeded 19th in the Class 6A power rankings – will travel to Council Rock South on Thursday, and Harry S Truman (7-13, 2-8) will host Pennsbury on Thursday.
Harry S Truman 12-9-13-28-8 70
Neshaminy 10-17-16-19-9 71
Harry S Truman (70) — Jeff Nixon 16, ZierrReid 10, Carter Kelley 12, Kashun Holden 6, TJ Rogers 6, Cam Culver 9, Gabe Gipli 11
Neshaminy (71) — Logan Williamson 2, Chris Arcidiacono 43, Anthony Papeo 10, Danny Bodine 8, Greg DeLuca 2, Charles Dominick 6
BENSALEM 57, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 32
The Bensalem Owls kept things rolling on Tuesday night, winning their seventh straight game in a 57-32 rout over Council Rock South.
The Owls jumped out to a 12-3 lead after one and were up 27-8 at the break, never looking back from there.
James Leible led all scorers with 14 for Bensalem while Ward Roberts chipped in with 12. The Owls had 10 players score in the contest.
Christian Jabbar had 11 points for South.
Bensalem (14-7, 7-4 SOL) – seeded 16th in the District One 6A rankings – will host Abington on Wednesday, and Council Rock South (5-15, 2-8) will host Neshaminy on Thursday.
CR South 3-5-12-12 32
Bensalem 12-15-12-18 57
CR South (32) — Jack Rebholz 3, Kyle Meakim 2, Christian Jabbar 11, Kevin McNamee 1, Simon Magidenko 2, Derek White 2, Shawn Bank 6, Esteban Gomez 4, Spencer Haun 1
Bensalem (57) — Taco Douglas 2, Ward Roberts 12, Keith Parrish 4, James Leible 14, Lamont Hasker 2, TJ Igielski 3, Carlos Gonzalez 6, Nasir Williams 4, Kris Shields 5, Nick Rosalie 5
PENNSBURY 67, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 32
Pennsbury kept pace with white-hot Bensalem in the SOL National standings, as the Falcons improved to 7-4 in league play with a 35-point victory at Council Rock North.
Jake Martell paced the Falcons with 25 points in the game, shooting 8-for-12 from the field and connecting on four-of-five from beyond the arc.
“It was Jake’s best game of the year,” coach Bill Coleman said. “He controlled our offense, controlled our defense and set the overall tone.”
Pennsbury shot 54 percent (24-for-44) from the field for the game and led 36-12 at the break. Raylil Winton chipped in with 12 points for the Falcons, while Josh Arruda dished out five assists.
Brady Haggerty notched 12 points for North, while James Duffy added 10. The team shot 29 percent from the field and had few answers for both Pennsbury’s efficient offense and smothering defense.
Pennsbury (12-9, 7-4 SOL) – the 18th seed in the District One 6A rankings – will be on the road at Harry S Truman on Thursday, and Council Rock North (7-14, 3-9) will host Neshaminy on Thursday.
Pennsbury 19-17-8-23 67
CR North 9-3-12-8 32
Pennsbury (67) — Martell 25, Connor 8, Long 5, Winton 12, Aruda 3, Weldon 8, Miller 4, Francis 2
CR North (32) — DJ Mischak 4, James Duffy 10, Brady Haggerty 12,Matt McAlister 1, Strange 2, Wan 3
SOL Continental Conference
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 46, SOUDERTON 37
Central Bucks West captured sole possession of the SOL Continental crown on Tuesday night, but it didn’t come easy.
Collin MacAdams picked up two fouls within the game’s first 90 seconds and had to spend the rest of the half on the bench, and frontcourt mate Jake Reichwein also battled foul trouble as the Bucks scored just two points in the first quarter. Down six at the break, West was tasked with mounting a comeback win, a challenge they answered steadfastly.
“Collin and Jake got in some foul trouble and I think we played a little tight in the first half,” West head coach Adam Sherman said. “We did a decent job settling down after halftime. The kids made some good adjustments and found a way to get some stops in a much better second half.”
MacAdams made up for lost time by scoring a game-high 16 points to go along with five offensive rebounds, and Shane McCusker added 10 for the Bucks, who clinched the Continental title with the win and Central Bucks South’s 47-44 loss to North Penn.
“It means a lot to this group,” Sherman said. “They’ve invested a lot, so it’s nice to see them get the reward of winning the league. Last year we finished in second and it wasn’t too long ago we were looking up at South, so this meant a lot to this group. Right now we’re playing winning basketball, and it’s nice to start clicking at the right time.”
Tomas Hanrahan led Souderton with 14 points, and Antonio Rodriguez had seven.
Central Bucks West (10-2 SOL) closed out its regular season with an 18-4 record. After Tuesday’s win, the Bucks were the fourth-seeded team in the District One 6A power rankings. Souderton (8-13, 3-8) will travel to William Tennent on Wednesday for its regular season finale.
CB West 2-11-16-17 46
Souderton 8-11-10-8 37
CB West (46) — Shane McCusker 10, Jack Mulhearn 6, Mika Munari 5, Collin MacAdams 16, Jake Reichwein 5, Jack Neri 4
Souderton (37) — Tomas Hanrahan 14, Antonio Rodriguez 7, Trevor Watts 3, Dom Natale 5, Andrew Vince 4, Kavi Ramchandani 4
NORTH PENN 47, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 44
Down by six points with 2:30 to play, North Penn refused to quit.
The Knights scored the game’s final nine points to score a road upset win at CB South. The loss by the Titans – who find themselves tied for second with Pennridge – gave Central Bucks West an outright SOL Continental title.
“We kept competing down the stretch,” North Penn head coach John Conrad said. “I’m really proud of them. The last time we played South at our place (a 51-42 South win) we were up by five at halftime, had a terrible third quarter and kind of folded our tents.”
Joey Lindsay scored 10 points for North Penn, but none were bigger than a late five-point burst that occurred on consecutive possessions. With the Knights trailing 44-38, Lindsay buried a three-pointer, then stole the inbounds pass, drew a foul and sunk both free throws to cut the lead to one. North Penn (12-9, 6-5 SOL) clamped down on defense and didn’t allow another point the rest of the game, dealing the Titans a home heartbreaker.
“Our guys competed hard and didn’t quit,” Conrad said. “I’m proud of their effort. We finished the game with a lot of guts.”
Chris Coleman led the Knights with 11 points, while AJ Catanzaro, like Lindsay, chipped in with 10.
Tommy Kuypers (11) and Ian McCaw (10) reached double digits for the Titans.
With another tough matchup against Pennridge upcoming on Thursday, Conrad said he hopes the win sparks a streak in his team.
“We’re hanging around .500 and have been that way most of the year,” he said. “We know we can compete, we just have to make plays down the stretch like we did tonight. We’ve had a pretty good streak of games lately. We lost to Downingtown West on Saturday, but we’ve been playing better. Hopefully our timing is good, because we’ve got a very good Pennridge team on Thursday night.”
North Penn is the 20th-seeded team in the District One 6A power rankings. Central Bucks South (14-7, 8-3 SOL) – which is ranked 15th – will close out its regular season on Friday at Central Bucks East.
North Penn 9-14-8-16 47
CB South 6-13-15-10 44
North Penn (47) — Tali McIver 3, AJ Mitchell 7, Joey Lindsay 10, AJ Catanzaro 10, David Robinson 6, Chris Coleman 11
CB South (44) — Brady Prezelski 5, Cole Prezelski 2, Nate Robinson 4, Brock D’Aulerio 1, Jack Johns 4, Alex Dietz 3, Mark Kannengieszer 4, Tommy Kuypers 11, Ian McCaw 10
PENNRIDGE 61, WILLIAM TENNENT 48
Despite trailing William Tennent by one after one quarter, Pennridge outscored the Colonials in each of the final three quarters to pick up its eighth league win of the season.
Tyrese Lewis once again had the hot hand for the Rams, leading all scorers with 21 points, and he had help in the form of Sean Yoder, who tallied 17 of his own.
Pennridge – the sixth seed in the latest District One 6A rankings – will travel to North Penn on Thursday to face the upset-minded Knights, who scored a huge road win at CB South on Tuesday.
Pat MacCauley paced Tennent with a team-high 17, while Markeith Baxter chipped in a dozen points.
William Tennent (5-16, 0-11) will host Souderton on Wednesday.
Tennent 13-7-12-16 48
Pennridge 12-12-16-21 61
Tennent (48) — Satz 2, Pat MacCauley 17, Wadsworth 2, Markeith Baxter 12, Kip Mooney 7, Dave West 3, Derrik Cozensa 5
Pennridge (61) — Ryan Warner 3, Sean Yoder 17, Brett Henofer 4, Jake Pestrak 5, Mike Molettiere 4, Tyrese Lewis 21, Jon Post 7
Non-League:
ABINGTON 74, CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 47
In the night’s lone non-league contest, Abington rolled over Central Bucks East behind strong performances from Robbie Heath (22 points) and Eric Dixon (21).
The Ghosts, who had a decided height advantage over the Patriots, shot a season-high 67.3 percent from the field (35-for-52). Heath was 10-for-12 to go along with four assists while hitting 20 points for the sixth time in the last seven games (he had 19 in the seventh).
Dixon also notched seven rebounds and three steals. Lucas Monroe grabbed eight rebounds to go along with 13 points for Abington. Brandon Coffman had a career-high six points and four rebounds, and Bryan Coffman add five rebounds off the bench.
Nick Roggio paced East with 14 points and had help from Leo Masterson, who scored 13 in the defeat.
Abington (17-4, 11-0 SOL) – the second seed in the latest District One 6A power rankings – will host Bensalem on Wednesday, and Central Bucks East (11-10, 4-7) will host Central Bucks South on Friday. The Patriots are clinging to the 24th and final spot in the latest power rankings.
CB East 8-11-15-13 47
Abington 21-15-21-17 74
CB East (47) — Jesse Rivera 2, Ben Markowitz 2, Kyle Cassidy 4, Collin Stein 2, Nick Roggio 14, Leo Masterson 13, Chris Charlton 2, Anthony Giordano 2, Jackman 6
Abington (74) — Eric Dixon 21, Lucas Monroe 13, Robbie Heath 22, Xavier Crawford 2, Brandon Coffman 6, Dante Knox 4, Bryan Coffman 1, Howie Burrell 5
About the Author
