Check out the recap for SOL boys’ basketball teams in action Saturday.
SOL Colonial Division
Central Bucks South 59, Central Bucks East 43
In their first meeting of the season in mid-January, then-undefeated Central Bucks East dealt Central Bucks South a 16- point defeat. On Saturday, Central Bucks South returned the favor, topping the Patriots by a 59-43 count to hand East its second consecutive loss and moving into a four-way tie atop the Colonial Division standings.
“It was a really big win,” Titans’ coach Jason Campbell said. “We won three of the four quarters, so our guys played them physically and mentally tough, shared the ball. We played fantastic defense. We really wanted to do our best to try to be physical, take away some space and help in certain spots, and we did a great job offensively.
“East has had a tough schedule. They’ve been playing a lot of games, and we wanted to wear them down as best we could. We jumped out to a good lead at the start, and East came back and cut it to one at halftime. I just felt that if we kept doing what we were doing, maybe we would wear them down, and their jumpers wouldn’t be as consistent. They didn’t shoot the ball as well.”
Tyler Meinel led all scorers with 28 points for the Titans, including 11 in the first quarter to help South stake out a 16-9 lead after the opening frame. Michael Farley added 14, including a pair of three-pointers.
“Tyler Meinel was amazing today—he had his career high. He had a really good game,” Campbell said. “Michael Farley was great, he had eight rebounds.
“Bryan Delara played well, Evan D’Orazio had a great game even though he had one point. He still had four or five assists and three steals. Owen Petrich has another game where he gets eight rebounds. It was a major contribution from everyone.”
The Titans received a strong effort from Jay Macalindong, who came off the bench to contribute 7 points in a huge performance for the hosts.
“Jay sprained his ankle in the West game on Tuesday, so he hasn’t practiced, and he didn’t play (Friday) night,” Campbell said. “We were trying to see if he could go today, and I had him come off the bench. The trainer felt he was strong enough to play, and he had a great game off the bench. His mid-range jumper was working, he shared the ball well, and found the open man. He had a very good day. He had had an all-around great game with three boards, five assists, and two steals and only had one turnover. We did a good job of taking care of the ball. If you have under 10 turnovers, you’ll win the game hopefully, and we did that.”
Jacob Cummiskey led East with 16 points. Joe Jackman added 11. The two were responsible for 12 of East’s 17 second-quarter points to narrow the deficit to a single point at halftime.
The win moves South to 6-4 in league play (9-5 overall), while the Patriots fall to 6-2 (10-3). East sits in third place in the PIAA District 1 6A standings, while South moves up to 13th.
“This was a big win for us,” Campbell said. “It helped us stay in the Top 20 (in the district rankings) and gave us a little bit of peace of mind that we should stay in the Top 20.”
Central Bucks East 9-17-7-10 43
Central Bucks South 16-11-17-15 59
Central Bucks East (43)—Jacob Cummiskey 6 2-2 16; Brendan Harte 2 0-0 4; Brett Young 1 0-0 3; Aidan Weaver 1 0-0 2; Nick Rivera 1 0-0 2; Joe Jackman 3 3-4 11; Jack Hamilton 1 2-4 5. TOTALS: 15 7-10 43.
Central Bucks South (59)—Evan D’Orazio 0 1-2 1; Nate Macalindong 1 0-0 2; Jay Macalindong 3 1-2 7; Owen Petrich 1 0-0 2; Bryan Delara 2 0-0 5; Tyler Meinel 13 1-2 28; Michael Farley 6 0-1 14. TOTALS: 26 3-7 59.
3-point goals: CBE—Cummiskey 2, Young, Jackman 2, Hamilton. CBS—Delara, Meinel, Farley 2.
SOL Liberty Division
Abington 52, Upper Dublin 42
In a game that had an uncanny resemblance to Thursday night’s come-from-behind win over Souderton, the Ghosts once again saved their best for last. They trailed the Flying Cardinals 23-13 at halftime and still found themselves staring at a four-point deficit heading into the fourth quarter.
Just as they outscored Souderton 21-6 in the final quarter to earn the 55-47 win, Abington used a 25-11 fourth quarter burst to notch the double-digit win. All told, they outscored the Flying Cardinals 39-19 in the second half.
The difference between the first and second half was simple – Abington connected on just 5-of-25 shots in the opening half, and the Ghosts were 0-for-9 from beyond the arc. In the second half, they made 14-of-26 shots. For the second consecutive game, the Ghosts were just 2-for-15 (13.3 percent) from 3-point land.
Rob Bell led the Ghosts with 17 points, seven rebounds, four steals and five assists. Twelve of his points came in the pivotal fourth quarter. Antoine Ellis had seven points in the final frame and buried both ends of a crucial one-and-one with 1:16 remaining to give the Ghosts a four-point lead. He finished with nine points, a career high.
Connor Fields finished with 12 points, also a career high. He also had six rebounds, three steals, two assists and one block in a solid all-around outing. Caleb Baker and Karim Boyd both added six points. Baker also had four rebounds.
For the Flying Cardinals, Drew Stover finished with 16 points but was limited to only six in the second half. Colin O’Sullivan added 15 points.
Abington (7-4, 6-4 SOL) will host Bensalem on Monday, and Upper Dublin (9-5, 5-5) will host Wissahickon on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. Both teams are on the bubble for the 20-team District One 6A Tournament. The Ghosts are 21st in the latest rankings while the Flying Cardinals are 19th.
Upper Dublin 13-10-8-11 42
Abington 6-7-14-25 52
Upper Dublin (42) – Drew Stover 7 2-2 16; Colin O’Sullivan 5 5-6 15; Seaton Kukla 1 0-0 2; Griffin Pensabene 0 2-2 2; DJ Cerisier 2 1-2 5; Noah Lee 0 2-4 2; TOTALS 15 12-16 42.
Abington (52) – Robert Bell 5 6-8 17; Karim Boyd 2 2-3 6; Oreck Frazier 1 0-0 2; Antoine Ellis 3 2-2 9; Connor Fields 6 0-0 12; Caleb Baker 2 2-4 6; TOTALS 19 12-19 52.
3-point goals: Abington – Robert Bell, Antoine Ells.
SOL Freedom Division
Upper Moreland 46, Cheltenham 38
On Feb. 17, Cheltenham rolled to a decisive 66-47 victory over Freedom Division opponent Upper Moreland.
The Golden Bears responded to that defeat with two straight wins coming into Saturday’s rematch against the undefeated Panthers, who sit atop the District 1 6A Power Rankings.
Using a stifling defense and strong ball control, the Golden Bears dealt Cheltenham its first loss of the season with a 46-38 victory.
“It’s that time of year where crazy upsets are happening. It’s a big win for us, for sure,” said Upper Moreland coach Dan Heiland. “I think the difference between the two games was the way we took care of the ball today. We had turnovers today, but the first time we played them we had too many live turnovers—balls that went into Cheltenham’s possession, and they were able to get quick transition points.
“Today we took care of the ball. Byron Hopkins, Jourdan Gregg, Jahaire Johnson, and Matt Tiernan all did a tremendous job of handling Cheltenham’s pressure and really not allowing them to dictate the tempo and pace of the game and get those easy fast-break transition points.”
The Panthers managed just 10 points in the first quarter and a combined 15 points in the second and third quarters.
“We started out playing man against them,” Heiland said. “Obviously, they like to get out and run and get transition, try to force tempo. We hung with them for a while, took the lead.
“We did a good job of limiting their second chance opportunities. They would take quick shots, they would get good looks, and fortunately, they missed some of their looks. Jahaire, Matt, our guys crashed the boards, they were very aggressive, and they didn’t allow those second chance opportunities. When you do that against good opponents, it allows you to keep your lead and stay in the game at those times. It was just a great job.”
Johnson led all scorers with 17 points in an outstanding all-around effort for the Bears.
“Jahaire Johnson led everybody in scoring,” Heiland said. “I don’t have the stats, but I’d have to imagine he had 12 to 15 rebounds as well. He just did a great job communicating defensively, making sure guys were in the right spots. When shots went up from Cheltenham’s side and didn’t go in, he was around every single rebound, either influencing and getting it to our guys or grabbing it himself. Jahaire was probably the biggest X-factor today.”
Saleem Payne led Cheltenham with 15 points. Rasheem Dearry and Mike McClain each added 6. With the loss, Cheltenham drops to 9-1 in the Freedom Division (11-1 overall) and second in the PIAA District 1 6A rankings and will now, for the first time this season, look to putting a loss behind and preparing to get back to their winning ways.
“Would I have loved to go undefeated? Absolutely, but for our kids beyond anything, it’s just a life lesson,” said Cheltenham coach Patrick Fleury. “I take full responsibility for the loss. The only thing I could really say to the kids is – in moments like this of despair or whatever is going on, we just continue to turn to each other. That’s it, that’s all that we’re looking for.
“It’s a loss. We deserved to lose today. Now going into the playoffs, that isn’t something they have to continuously think about or worry about. For us, we tip our hat to Upper Moreland, and we gear up for Wissahickon (on Monday). It’s very difficult to go undefeated in the season. For my kids, I am proud of how they handled the defeat. We cannot wait to go into the back end of the season with that sense of pain, and we just have to be stronger and more aggressive. We move on.”
Upper Moreland moves to 8-2 Freedom Division (12-3 overall) and sits in third place in the PIAA District 1 5A rankings. The Golden Bears will close out the regular season on Wednesday with a non-league home game against Wissahickon.
Upper Moreland 14-12-4-16 46
Cheltenham 10-9-5-14 38
Upper Moreland (46)—Justin Sanders 4, Byron Hopkins 2, Jahaire Johnson 17, Jourdon Gregg 5, Jake Tiernan 5, Matt Tiernan 13.
Cheltenham (38)—Rasheem Dearry 6, Byron Hawkins 4, Nasir Edens 2, Saleem Payne 15, Justin Savage 5, Mike McClain 6.
3-point goals: UM-Sanders, Johnson, Gregg. C-Payne 3, Dearry 2.
Non-league
Wissahickon 54, Lower Moreland 46
Matt Compas is having himself quite a senior season, and the Trojans’ standout put his name in the record books when – in the fourth quarter – he surpassed the coveted 1,000-point milestone.
Compas needed 22 points – he got 28 in yet another stellar outing.
“We’re trying to get wins, so Matt knew our first goal was to go there on the road after a tough loss to Pennsbury and get the win,” coach Kyle Wilson said. “We thought maybe Cheltenham, maybe against CB South, but he had 30 and 32 in his last two games, so we better get a basketball and some of the other amenities ready for him.
“Even going into a gym and saying he needs 22 – any time you’re talking over 20 points, but he’s been scoring 30 a game, so we have to be ready for it. Sure enough, as he typically does, he was getting putbacks, drives, outside shots and a few breakaway dunks to display his complete game. After he scored his 22 points, his last three baskets were two dunks and one was a breakaway reverse dunk. The kid plays so hard. His motor never stops running.”
Compas will be recognized prior to Monday night’s home game against Cheltenham.
“Matt has worked very hard over the years to be not only a good teammate but a good scorer, so it was nice to see him get that thousand,” Wilson said. “We had to schedule 21-22 games because this kid deserves to put his name up on the rafters for eternity. It was nice that our team was able to get through this season without COVID quarantines and missing games.”
As for the game itself, the Trojans pretty much led it wire to wire. They led 13-8 after one quarter with Compas scoring eight of those points. Wissahickon took a 26-17 lead into halftime and maintained a lead the rest of the way.
In addition to Compas, Jackson Intrieri had nine points, and Stefan Lowry had six.
For the Lions, Justin Sandler was the lone player in double figures with 11. Eyal Khakin had nine, Jake Doneker had seven while Braden Alicea and John Kroll both had six.
Wissahickon (11-8, 6-4 SOL) will host Cheltenham in a non-league game Monday to begin a stretch of three games in three days to close out the regular season. The Trojans – 24th in the latest District 1 6A power rankings – are making a push to earn one of the 20 district berths.
“We have to get a couple of wins if we’re maybe fortunate to sneak into the playoffs,” Wilson said.
Lower Moreland (2-7, 2-6) will host Springfield Township on Monday.
Wissahickon 13-13-9-19 54
Lower Moreland 8-9-10-19 46
Wissahickon (54) – Matt Compas 12 2-5 28; Ryan Friedman 1 0-0 3; Jackson Intrieri 2 5-6 9; Stefan Lowry 3 0-0 6; Earl Stout 1 2-2 5; Will Kuzier 1 1-1 3; TOTALS 20 10-14 54.
Lower Moreland (46) – Justin Sandler 4 2-5 11; Eyal Khakin 4 1-2 9; Matt Ernst 1 0-0 3; Braden Alicea 3 0-1 6; Gabe Krutsinger 1 0-0 2; John Kroll 2 1-2 6; Jack Doneker 2 2-2 7; Joey Morozin 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 18 6-12 46.
3-point goals: W-Matt Compas 2, Ryan Friedman, Earl Stout, LM – Justin Sandler, Matt Ernst, John Kroll, Jack Doneker.
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Bensalem 58, William Tennent 36
There is no replacing senior James Ashford. But the members of the Bensalem boys’ basketball team are filling in as best they can.
With Friday’s 58-36 nonleague victory over William Tennent, the Owls have won both games since their leading scorer and rebounder went down with an injury.
“That’s the ‘James Effect’ is what I call it,” said Bensalem coach Ron Morris. “The kids really are coming together. Everyone knows how much James brings to the table. He’s such a great kid and everyone likes him, so we’re just rallying around him, coming together.”
Coming off an emotional victory on Friday (hitting a 3-pointer with 2 seconds left in regulation for a 50-47 win over Neshaminy), the Owls got off to a bit of a slow start on Saturday. Tra Edwards came in and hit a couple three-pointers to give the Owls a boost as the hosts took a 15-10 lead into halftime.
“We were getting good looks, shots just weren’t falling the first half,” Morris said. “Going into halftime, we were confident in our shots. We just needed them to fall.
“In the second half, Aaron Sanders started off hot. He got two good threes, hit them both and gave us a cushion. He had a really good second-half all-around floor game.”
Sanders scored all of his team-leading 17 points in the second half. Jeremy Rodriguez netted 9 and Edwards and Allen Myers each added 6 points.
Derrik Cosenza led all scorers with 21 points, but the Bensalem defense held all other Tennent players to no more than 4 points in the Owls’ final home game of the season.
For the team’s five seniors – James Ashford, Jorge Lugo, Rahul Kohli, Luis Rodriguez and Luke Zeidler, it was the final home game of their careers.
“We got our three seniors that are active on the roster—Rahul Kohli, Luke Zeidler, and Luis Rodriguez—a curtain call,” Morris said. “All three have been a huge part of our program. They all contributed today. It was nice to give them a win on their home court as their last game.
“And I can’t not mention Allen Myers. He played awesome again tonight defensively. Cosenza is an awesome player. He’s going to get his points, but you have to make him work for everything and Allen did that. He had some big rebounds. The last two nights he’s gone against two of the best big guys in this whole area, and he held his own, which is good to see.”
Now halfway through a brutal four-games-in-five-days stretch, the Owls (7-3 Patriot Division, 9-9 overall) will visit Abington Monday at 7 pm for a nonleague matchup with playoff implications. The Owls rest in 23rd place in the PIAA District 1 6A rankings, while Tennent is 26th.
“This was a good team victory,” Morris said. “We have four games in five days. The coaching staff has been very dedicated, you’re up all night watching film, putting a lot of time in with quick turnarounds. We’re going on one game at a time. We’re trying to kick that door down and get into the playoffs.”
Tennent is 9-7 overall, 7-3 in the Freedom Division.
William Tennent 4-6-10-16 36
Bensalem 9-6-18-25 58
William Tennent (36)—Kellen Johnston 1 0-0 2; Jeremy Henry 0 1-2 1; Matt Miller 1 0-0 2; Jay Stanfield 1 0-0 2; Derrik Cosenza 9 3-4 21; Ryan Emmerich 1 2-2 4; Walt Young 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 15 6-8 36.
Bensalem (58)—Eric Gonzalez 1 2-2 5; Tra Edwards 2 0-0 6; Aaron Sanders 6 3-4 17; Jeremy Rodriguez 2 5-5 9; Rahul Kohli 2 0-0 4; Allen Myers 2 2-2 6; Luis Rodriguez 2 0-0 4; Luke Zeidler 1 1-3 1; Antonio Morris 1 2-2 4; TOTALS 19 15-16 58.
3-point goals: B—Edwards 2, Sanders 2, Gonzalez.
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