Check out the recaps for SOL boys’ basketball teams in action Tuesday. Lower Moreland/Springfield photos provided courtesy of Jon Sklut. Upper Dublin/Wissahickon photos courtesy of Geanine Jamison Photography. PW/Abington photos courtesy of Larry Small and Pennsbury/Truman photos courtesy of Darryl Rule of J&D Photography. Check back for galleries.
SOL Liberty Division
Plymouth Whitemarsh 73, Abington 44
The biggest threat to Plymouth Whitemarsh’s grasp of sole possession of the SOL Liberty Division title was dispatched on Tuesday, as the Colonials jumped up early and then used a huge fourth quarter to put away Abington.
“It’s such a different mindset and team from the last two years,” said PW coach Jim Donofrio. “They listen like crazy. They put in their time. A lot of them went through the grind last year. Defensively, we do a lot of pressing and trapping, especially early in the season, and one of the reasons for that is to get them to understand how hard they’re going to play.
“If you’re going to survive and do anything special in terms of longevity in the playoffs and maybe win a title somewhere, the trapping tends to back off and then what you have is a really aggressive defensive team that doesn’t have to trap and that learns how to actually play solid defense because then you start to add scouting reports.
“What I’m so impressed by with these kids is some of the top scorers on four or five teams, we have focused like crazy. (Rob) Bell averages 18 or 19 a game, he had nine. North Penn’s (Josh) Jones, Upper Dublin’s (Drew) Stover – you just go down the line, and that shows a concentration on tendencies.”
PW started fast with a 16-9 first quarter, but the Ghosts, winners of five straight heading in, were still just down nine to start the fourth. It was a 41-31 game with 6 minutes, 32 seconds remaining, but the Colonials closed it out with a 22-3 run. Rob Bell was injured and had to leave the game but that couldn’t take away from the remarkable run.
“We just got progressively better as the game went on,” Donofrio said. “It was a 10-point game, and then it was just like the backstretch of a horse race. I just hope to goodness we can stay healthy and stay safe and finish this out because it’s a special year.
“Tonight, would have been (in front of) 1,200 people, and instead, you’re playing in a vacuum. You have fans watching at home. I guess that’s what it’s like to be a TV star – you don’t know who’s watching. I told the kids, ‘You’re playing in an echo chamber.’ It’s really sad in some ways, but at the same time, it’s quite an accomplishment.”
Luke DiCianno had a huge game for PW with 26 points, including 8-for-11 from the foul line, as well as a pair of 3-pointers. Jaden Colzie added 15 points, while Quidre Bennett and Zuri Jerman were also in double figures with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
“When you talk about locking in – we also grew up tonight in real time tonight because what Abington is really good at is they are really good on-ball physical defenders,” Donofrio said. “They shoot for the ball, and they are very good at getting physical and they have quick hands. We have not seen enough of that. Just to have the top five or six guys live through it few times. You can’t be mellow. The last two years we were like gentlemen, just stunned that anyone would try to come at you like that.
“Jaden Colzie is a freshman, but when you get him in a game like that, he’s an unbelievable competitor. Luke DiCianno is having an MVP type year, and Zuri Jerman had 17 rebounds and 10 points. I just like collectively how they believe in themselves, and that’s the most refreshing thing.”
Oreck Frazier had 12 points to lead Abington, while Bell did manage nine before leaving the game with an injury. The Ghosts shot 15-for-47 from the floor (39.1 percent), 3-for-15 from 3-point range and committed 22 turnovers.
The win also gave PW the season sweep over Abington, not something that happens very often.
“We’ve had our battles for 40 years, and they’ve got the best of it the last four years,” Donofrio said. “It’s always a team you respect the heck out of. To put up that kind of number and that kind of spread, if you’re lucky enough to get it against that program, you humbly accept it.”
The Colonials (12-0, 9-0 SOL) have clinched the Liberty Division title and right now are the projected No. 1 seed for the upcoming District One Class 6A playoffs. They play at Wissahickon Thursday. Abington (5-3, 5-3 SOL), currently No. 11 in District One, plays at Quakertown on Thursday.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 73, Abington 44
Abington 9 13 15 7 – 44
PW 16 14 16 27 – 73
Abington (44) – Marino 0 2-2 2; Ellis 2 0-0 6; McFarlane 4 2-2 10; Frazier 6 0-1 12; Bell 2 5-9 9; Fields 1 1-1 4; Baker 1 0-0 2; Scott 0 1-2 1; Boyd 1 0-0 2. Totals 17 11-17 44.
PW (73) – Hubbard 2 1-2 5; Colzie 7 0-0 15; Baker 0 2-3 2; Benson 0 0-4 0; DiCianno 8 8-11 26; Forchelli 1 1-1 4; Bennett 4 2-2 11; Jerman 4 2-3 10. Totals 26 16-26 73.
3-point goals: A-Ellis 2, Bell 1, Fields 1; PW-Colzie 1, DiCianno 2, Forchelli 1, Bennett 1
Hatboro-Horsham 44, Quakertown 38
Needing a win to snap a four-game losing streak, Hatboro-Horsham turned it on in the second half and blew past Quakertown on Tuesday.
“We played tough defense,” said Hatters coach Rick Fedele. “Especially in the third quarter, when we went on our run.
“We were down six going into the half, 26-20. But in the third quarter, we were able to shut them down and outscored them 17-2. That was the turning point of the game. We played solid defense and were able to get them out of their rhythm. We pretty much shut them down.
Eric Butler came off the bench and scored 17 points for the Hatters, while Zehier Cheeze added 11 points and Noah Schlosser finished with eight. Fedele also credited Sam Fink densively for helping to shut down Quakertown’s Kayden Roley.
“It was a good win for us,” Fedele said. “We played four tough games – PW, Wissahickon and Abington twice. That’s a challenge. Hopefully after this year, we can turn the corner and compete with those teams. These kids aren’t used to winning. You go out there against Abington or PW, with the way they pressure you, the kids can kind of get down on themselves. But tonight, they came out strong. I’m happy with the way they played.”
Hatboro-Horsham (3-5, 3-5 SOL) is back in action Thursday night at Upper Dublin.
Quakertown (0-12, 0-0 SOL) hosts Abington on Thursday.
Upper Dublin 59, Wissahickon 45
Drew Stover hasn’t had too many off nights in this his senior season for Upper Dublin, and he definitely wasn’t off on Tuesday.
The Flying Cardinals’ big man scored 25 points, 20 in the second half and helped seal the game in the fourth quarter by going 4-for-4 from the free throw line.
“It was a good win for us against a division rival,” said UD coach Chris Monahan. “We were able to get off to a good start in the first quarter.
“As with most games, Wissahickon paid a lot of attention to Drew. This opened things up for other guys and we made four 3s in the first quarter. We kind of rode that early lead for the rest of the game.
“Wissahickon made their run though and it was a tight game in the second half. Drew was able to find more space in the second scoring 20 of his 25. We got some transition opportunities late in the fourth quarter and went 5-6 from the foul line to help us open up a tight game.”
Stover’s 25 led all scorers, while D.J. Cerisier added 13 points.
UD (7-5, 4-4 SOL) hosts Hatboro-Horsham on Thursday. Wissahickon was led by Matt Compas, who scored 20 points for the Trojans, while Josh Twersky added 11 points.
They will host first-place Plymouth Whitemarsh on Thursday.
Upper Dublin 59, Wissahickon 45
Wissahickon 8 14 14 8-45
UD 21 9 14 15-59
Wissahickon (45) – Compas 9 1-3 20; Twersky 4 2-6 11; Intrieri 2 0-2 4; Lowry 1 0-2 2; Wilson 1 0-0 2; Stout 1 1-2 4; Kunzier 1 0-0 2. Totals 19 4-15 45.
UD (59) – Stover 9 5-5 25; Lee 1 1-2 4; O’Sullivan 2 1-1 6; Cerisier 6 0-0 13; Kukla 2 0-0 5; Johnson 1 0-0 2; Pensabene 2 0-0 4. Totals 23 7-8 59.
3-point goals: W-Compas 1, Twersky 1, Stout 1; UD-Stover 2; Lee 1, O’Sullivan 1, Cerisier 1
SOL Patriot Division
Bensalem 69, Council Rock South 60
James Ashford continues to impress for Bensalem, and Tuesday he did it in a lot of different ways, including on the free throw line.
Ashford led an outstanding night on the line for the Owls, who went 22-for-26 for the game, and were able to put it away in the fourth quarter.
“When we were looking at the stats on the way home, (the free throw shooting) really stuck out tonight,” said Bensalem coach Ron Morris. “We’ve been working out a lot on free throws in practices. We’ve been having competitions and just working on it every day. I know James was 11-for-12 but we had a guy like Nikita Schafer go 4-for-4, including in the fourth quarter in crucial moments to help us keep the lead.”
Bensalem scored 42 points in the first half and, up by 10 at the break, looked to be in pretty good shape. But CR South never went away.
“We started off by applying a lot of pressure,” Morris said. “We hit a lot of shots in the first quarter. On the road, playing at South – they’re a scrappy, well-coached team – we were able to get up early.
“(CR South’s) Gavin Holloran, he’s a really good player. He scored some points, but we made some adjustments, and threw different guys at him. He’s smooth and hit some big shots.”
Ashford had 27 points to lead Bensalem, while Aaron Sanders scored 18. Morris also credited the defensive play of Luke Zeidler down low.
Bensalem (7-5, 6-2 SOL), currently No. 21 in the District One rankings, hosts Council Rock North on Saturday.
CR South (4-7, 3-5 SOL) was led by Holloran’s 21 points, while Colin Martin added 13. The Golden Hawks play at Truman on Thursday.
Bensalem 69, CR South 60
Bensalem 20-22-12-15 69
CR South 14-18-11-17 60
Bensalem (69) – Eric Gonzalez 1 1-2 4; Aaron Sanders 7 2-3 18; James Ashford 7 11-12 27; Rahul Kohli 2 0-0 6; Jake DeLange 2 2-2 6; Allen Myers 1 0-1 2; Nikita Schafer 0 4-4 4; Luke Zeidler 0 2-2 2; Totals 20 22-26 69.
CR South (60) – Zach Schwartz 2 1-3 5; Stephen Dosa 0 2-2 2; Colin Martin 4 3-6 13; Matt Robinson 2 0-0 5; Gavin Stock 1 0-0 2; Joe Venuto 1 2-4 4; Shane Dawson 3 1-2 8; Gavin Holloran 8 3-6 21; Totals 21 12-23 60
3-point goals: Bensalem – Aaron Sanders 2, James Ashford 2, Rahul Kohli 2, Eric Gonzalez; CRS – Colin Martin 2, Gavin Holloran 2, Matt Robinson, Shane Dawson.
Pennsbury 63, Harry S. Truman 39
Pennsbury picked a good time to start shooting the ball better – the fourth quarter – and combined with a stellar defense, the Falcons continued to show signs of improving as the season heads down the stretch.
“As a coach you try to emphasize defense first, but if they’re making shots, they’re definitely more willing participants,” said Pennsbury coach Bill Coleman. “Once, you start doing that, then the defensive effort picks up.
“We were up 31-20 at half, we got beat by one in the third quarter, and then in the fourth we were able to get the ball in the middle of their zone and get easy buckets, set up pressure and just get them playing out of sorts.”
Truman might still be winless on the season, but make no mistakes, Tuesday was a difficult test for a Pennsbury team that’s finally healthy and starting to jell together as the season goes on.
“(Truman coach Tyrone Lewis) has them playing tough,” Coleman said. “They’re feisty and they don’t go away. They play this zone, and it’s confusing some of our guys. They play this zone. It was confusing to some of our guys initially, but once we got the ball to the middle of the floor, we were able to settle our guys down.”
Aiden McCormack led Pennsbury with 16 points and 19 rebounds, including 11 offensive rebounds. Evan McNeely had 17 points and five assists, while Evan Reichard had 12 points and six rebounds.
Christian Culver had 11 points to lead Truman.
Pennsbury (4-7, 3-6 SOL) plays at Council Rock North on Thursday. Truman (0-9, 0-9 SOL) hosts Council Rock South/
Pennsbury 63, Harry S. Truman 39
Truman 8 12 10 9 – 39
Pennsbury 17 14 11 21 – 63
Truman (39) – Collins 0 1-2 1; T. Clark 2 0-0 5; Spinks 2 1-2 6; K. Clark 3 0-0 6; Jackson 1 1-2 3; Montgomery 2 3-4 7; Carr 0 0-2 0; Culver 4 0-0 11. Totals 14 6-12 39.
Pennsbury (63) – Marlow 1 0-0 2; Johnson 2 0-0 4; McCormack 6 3-6 16; Taddei 2 0-0 4; Reichard 6 0-1 12; Stargell 1 0-0 2; McNeely 6 2-2 17; Kokac 0 0-2 0; Bartuski 2 0-0 6. Totals 26 5-11 63.
3-point goals: HST-T. Clark 1, Montgomery 1, Culver 3; P-McCormack 1, McNeely 3, Bartuski 2
SOL Colonial Division
Central Bucks South 49, North Penn 46
Evan D’Orazio, looking a little like Kawhi Leonard in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the 76ers in the 2019 NBA Playoffs, hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer as CB South pulled off the upset on the road Tuesday night.
“Evan, in the fourth quarter, scored eight of his 10 points, came off the bench for us and played a big role,” South coach Jason Campbell said. “Normally, he starts, but tonight he gave us a huge lift off the bench. He hit some big shots, including the last one.
“North Penn played very good defense on him; Evan was closely guarded. He took a step back and put it up. It hit the back of the iron, bounced straight up in the air and it shoots back down and goes in.
“I haven’t jumped that high celebrating in years. When he took that shot, I though we were going to overtime. Then, I was like, ‘Is this going to drop down?’”
The other story of the game was defense. North Penn led most of the game, but in the fourth quarter the Titans held the Knights to just six points.
“Our defense got better as the game went on,” Campbell said. “So did our rebounding. We played the same defense the entire game. One of my assistants thought I should switch it up, but he’s glad I stuck to my gut. I stuck with it.
“We talked with (the players) at halftime, and made some adjustments to what North Penn was doing on offense. But the guys were more focused on it. In the third quarter, that was a point of emphasis, in the fourth quarter they did a really good job of lockling down. It was fantastic to watch.”
Defensively, it was a team effort, as Campbell pointed not only to players like Michael Farley and D’Orozio, but also Bryan Delaria off the bench, Owen Petrich, Jay Macalindong and Aiden VanZanten.
Farley was the high scorer for CB South with 15 points, 10 of which came in the first half, while Tyler Meinel had 12 points, eight in the third quarter.
North Penn had nine 3-pointers in the game, matching the number of two-point field goals it had, but only attempted two free throws. Josh Jones scored 18 points to lead the Knights, including 11 in the first half.
CB South (4-4, 4-3 SOL) was ranked in the No. 31 spot in the District One power rankings prior to Tuesday’s game. It is back in action Thursday at home against Pennridge.
North Penn (8-4, 6-4 SOL), No. 8 in District One Class 6A, hosts Wissahickon in a nonleague game on Monday.
CB South 49, North Penn 46
CB South 10 12 16 11-49
North Penn 11 15 14 6
CB South (49) – Evan D’Orazio 4 0-0 10; Nate Macalindong 1 0-1 2; Jay Macalindong 2 0-0 4; Aiden VanZanten 1 0-0 2; Owen Petrich 2 0-2 4; Tyler Meinel 5 2-4 12; Michael Farley 6 1-2 15. Totals 21 3-8 49.
North Penn (46) – Mario Sgro 3 0-0 8; Billy Coley 3 0-0 7; Malind Pulugura 2 0-0 6; Josh Jones 7 1-2 18; Ryan Zeltt 3 0-0 7. Totals 18 1-2 46.
3-point goals: CBS-D’Orazio 2, Farley 2; NP-Sgro 2, Coley 1, Pulugura 2, Jones 3, Zeltt 1
Pennridge 54, Souderton 51
Souderton may only have one win on the season, but when the opponent is Pennridge, the Indians have certainly played like a team far better than their record may indicate.
Tuesday, the Rams needed to come up clutch in the fourth quarter and they did just that to squeak out the three-point win on the road.
“What do they have, one win? Two wins?” said Pennridge coach Dean Behrens. “They don’t play that way against us. They really give us fits. They beat us the first game and tonight was a one-possession game in the fourth quarter.”
Souderton had a 7-0 run to end the first quarter to grab the early advantage and had a chance to increase that advantage with Pennridge seniors Luke Yoder and Colin Post on the bench in foul trouble. But, the Indians couldn’t.
“Yoder and Post were on the bench the last four minutes of the second quarter,” Behrens said. “That’s never good, but guys came off the bench and did the job and we went into halftime only down one.”
Pennridge was able to wrestle the lead away from the Indians, and although it didn’t blow the game open, the visitors were able to play from in front and do the job from the free throw line.
For the game, the Rams were 20-for-25 from the line, led by senior Colin Monahan, who went 8-for-10 and finished with a game-high 15 points. Yoder was second on the team with 14 points. Matt Campione went 6-for-9 from the line for 13 points.
“I didn’t think we were a very good foul shooting team to start the season,” Behrens said. “I was thinking this is eventually going to bite us. Fortunately, we’ve gotten better, a lot better. It’s worked out really well.”
Pennridge (8-4, 6-3 SOL), currently at No. 14 in the district power rankings, plays at CB South on Thursday. Souderton (1-8, 1-7 SOL) plays at CB West on Friday.
Pennridge 54, Souderton 51
Pennridge 10 15 16 13 – 54
Souderton 17 9 12 12 51
Pennridge (54) – Yoder 6 2-2 14; Post 3 0-0 6; Campione 3 6-9 13; Grenda 0 4-4 4; Stumpo 1 0-0 2; Monahan 3 8-10 5. Totals 16 20-25 54.
Souderton (51) – Kutzler 2 0-0 5; Purvey 2 1-3 5; Towse 3 0-1 7; Hollick 4 2-4 12; Blair 3 0-0 7; Scheuen 1 0-1 2; Vince 2 0-0 5; Bennett 1 0-0 2. Totals 20 5-14 51.
3-point goals: P-Campione 1, Monahan 1; S-Kutzler 1, Towson 1, Hollick 2, Vince 1
SOL Freedom Division
Cheltenham 71, New Hope-Solebury 42
Saleem Payne scored 22 points and dished out 11 assists as Cheltenham started fast in the first quarter and then again in the third quarter to blow past visiting New Hope-Solebury.
“It was a great team effort,” said Panthers’ coach Patrick Fleury. “Collectively, the team came together. The assistant coaches – who are head coaches – continue to give them timely information, and they respond to them.”
Cheltenham played the game without starter Brandon Hawkins, but Ife West-Ingram chipped in and played well in relief, while Rasheem Dearry, Mike McClain and Justin Savage also all scored in double figures.
McClain finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds, Savage had 10 points and 10 rebounds, while Dearry added 11 points and eight rebounds.
Also making important contributions were Ife West-Ingram with four points, six rebounds and four steals while Elias Walker had six points, four assists and four steals
Alex Walinski scored 15 to lead New Hope, while Charlie Albano added 10.
Cheltenham (6-0, 5-0 SOL), currently ranked No. 2 in District One, hosts Springfield on Thursday.
New Hope (2-8, 2-5 SOL) hosts Upper Moreland on Thursday.
Cheltenham 71, New Hope-Solebury 42
New Hope-Solebury 5-16-2-19 42
Cheltenham 18-15-23-15 71
New Hope-Solebury (42) – Alexander Walinski 15, Charles Albano 10, Bryan Dougherty 5, Phil Weinseimer 9
Cheltenham (71) – Rasheem Dearry 11, Elias Walker 6, Keeon Healey 4, Saleem Payne 22, Joey Weimer 1, Justin Savage 10, Ife West-Ingram 4, Mike McClain 11, Chris Harmon Belcher 2.
Upper Moreland 62, William Tennent 43
Right from the start, Upper Moreland was geared up for this one, and the Golden Bears then started quickly and rode that start to 19-point win over Tennent, avenging a loss from earlier this season.
“We came to play,” said UM coach Dan Heiland. “We played really well. Jake Tiernan had two big ‘3s’ and that enabled us to separate a little bit, and gave us the energy and momentum to move forward.
“We did a nice job on (Tennent standout) Derrik Cozenza and we got out on their 3-point shooters. That was the difference in the first quarter and the first half.”
Heiland credited Matt Tiernan for the defensive effort on Cosenza.
“Matt Tiernan did a really nice job on him in the post,” Heiland said. “(Cosenza is) a great player. When we played them earlier in the season, he did a nice job catching the ball close to the basket. He still got his points tonight, but Matt did a real nice job making him work for it.”
UM outscored Tennent 22-10 in the first quarter and that lead was up to 32-15 at halftime.
“In the first quarter, everything was falling our way,” Heiland said. “They did the little things we preach about every day in practice.”
Offensively, the combination of Jahire Johnson and Jourdan Gregg combined for 39 points – 20 and 19, respectively – while Matt Tiernan had 11 and Jake Tiernan eight points.
Tennent was led by Cosenza’s 16 points, while no one else on the Panthers scored more than six points.
Upper Moreland (6-2, 5-1 SOL) plays at New Hope on Thursday.
Upper Moreland 62, William Tennent 43
UM 22 10 14 16-62
Tennent 10 5 21 7- 43
UM (62) – B. Hopkins 2, J. Johnson 20, J. Gregg 19, M. Walker 2, J. Tiernan 8, M. Tiernan 11
William Tennent (43) – D. Sulpizio 3, M. Miller 2, J. Stanfield 6, K. Mooney 2, C. Fithian 3, M. Scheller 2, D. Cosenza 16, R. Emmerich 6 JP. McAnulty 3
3-point goals: UM – J. Tiernan 2, J. Johnson, J. Gregg; WT- D. Sulpizio, C. Fithian, JP McAnulty
Lower Moreland 48, Springfield 45 (OT)
Lower Moreland’s move to the Suburban One League has hit a few speed bumps along the way, including a later-than-usual start the season, and then three straight losses to start things off.
The Lions found themselves against a Springfield team that is working toward win No. 1 as well.
Springfield outscored LM in three of the four quarters, as the game ended up in overtime. There, the Lions pulled it out.
“In overtime, Jack Doneker, one of our seniors, hit a big ‘3,’” LM coach Seth Baron said. “John Kroll went 2-for-2 on the free throw line, and then he went 1-for-2. And we got some good stops on defense.”
LM had three players in double figures, Doneker, Kroll and Justin Sandler, all with 10 points.
“They’re trying to find their identity right now,” Baron said. “They do work hard, and they want to succeed, and as coaches, that’s a great thing.”
For Springfield, Dylan McKenzie had 15 points and five rebounds, Ben Cooney had 12 points and eight rebounds, and Austin Maggioncalda added seven points.
Lower Moreland (1-3, 1-3 SOL) is still trying to get its footing after a delayed start to this COVID-19 shortened season, the program’s first as a member of the Suburban One League, and will host William Tennent on Thursday. Springfield (0-8, 0-7) plays at first place Cheltenham on Thursday.
Lower Moreland 48, Springfield 45 (OT)
LM 11 18 10 3 6-48
Springfield 12 6 16 8 3-45
Lower Moreland (48) – Justin Sandler 4 0-0 10; Brian Grant 0 0-2 0; Eyal Khakin 2 0-0 5; Matt Ernst 1 0-0 3; Braden Alicea 1 0-0 3; John Kroll 2 5-6 10; Jack Doneker 4 1-1 10; Roy Shimon 2 0-1 4; Joey Morozin 1 1-2 3. Totals 17 7-12 48.
Springfield (45) – McKenzie 5 2-2 15; Coll 1 1-1 3; Kennedy 1 0-0 1; Smith 1 0-0 2; Smyth 1 1-2 4; Maggioncalda 3 0-0 7; Wood 1 0-0 3; Cooney 4 4-5 12. Totals 17 8-10 45.
3-point goals: LM-Sandler 2, Khakin1, Ernst 1, Alicea 1, Kroll 1, Doneker 1. S-McKenzie 3, Smyth 1, Maggioncalda 1, Wood 1
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