By Mike Prince
NORRISTOWN - After seven ties, 17 lead changes and as much a nine-point deficit, Norristown finally buckled down on defense and decided it was finally time to take the lead and hold onto it.
With the score tied at 55-55 late in the fourth quarter of Saturday night’s game against Upper Dublin, the Eagles looked to a player the Flying Cardinals might not have expected to step up – Maleek Williams.
The junior forward scored 10 points in the final quarter, including six in a row, as Norristown (14-5, 8-4) celebrated Senior Night by defeating Upper Dublin 70-65 in a key matchup of SOL American Conference teams.
In an epic battle for the league’s second seed going into district playoffs, Norristown got a balanced scoring effort and had four different players in double figures en route to the win that gives the Eagles a chance to control their own destiny from here on out.
“We hadn’t practiced in four days, and we know we were a little sluggish, but we had to come out and play hard and we did,” Norristown coach Mike Evans said. “(This win) means a lot, and it gives us confidence and a goal to be in the playoffs. We have two big games coming up, and this should help us down the line.”
Norristown plays Coatesville on Sunday night and closes the regular season with its rescheduled game with Cheltenham on Tuesday.
Coming off a season last year when they would be crowned District champions before losing to archrival Plymouth Whitemarsh in the second round of the state tournament, the Eagles aren’t looking to be just another playoff team lost in the mix.
“We’re taking each game one at a time and just using this game to be prepared for tomorrow, but we’re not looking past anybody,” said Norristown’s Jahquil Hargrove, who led the Eagles with 20 points while also recording nine rebounds and five assists. “We’d like to make it to states. We’d love to be able to beat Plymouth Whitemarsh, especially after losing to them to the last few times.”
But, as Hargrove said, Norristown is taking it one game at a time, and Upper Dublin (14-7, 9-5) provided a formidable opponent on Saturday night.
After being on a sea-saw for the entire first half and at one point, trailing 28-19, the Eagles took a one-point lead into the locker room, at 33-32. Senior Jamil Brown, who tallied 16 points in the first half, kept Upper Dublin close with another eight in the third, as the Cardinals tied the game 50-50 in the final seconds of the quarter to set up an exciting finish.
But the Cardinals started to turn the ball over, while Norristown went to a more pressure defense and forced more turnovers. Hargrove and Williams took care of things on the offensive side of the ball.
Williams hit four baskets while Hargrove added to his 4-for-4 free-throw shooting, staying perfect by hitting six consecutive shots from the line to give him 20 points on the night and putting the game out of reach for Upper Dublin.
“They put a lot of pressure on us, and we turned the ball over a little bit at the end,” Upper Dublin coach Josh Adelman said. “I’m proud of the guys. They played hard, but we let Norristown get to the line and hit their foul shots, and when we made crucial mistakes at crucial times, they just capitalized.”
Also making important contributions for the Eagles were senior Sheldon Mayer and junior Tyrise White, who scored 13 points apiece while combining to knock down seven three-pointers.
For the Cardinals, Brown finished with 28 points, while tallying seven rebounds and four assists. Senior James Newman kept Upper Dublin close at the end, scoring nine of his 19 points in the fourth, while adding 12 assists and eight rebounds – two short of a triple-double. Khalil Owens and John DeCamara each added eight points.
“We know we can play with anybody, and if we play the way we’re capable of, we can beat anybody,” Adelman said. “We’re excited and we just have to pick up our spirits and get the guys ready. I think they are motivated, so I think this will be a good wake-up call for the type of competition we’re going to see.”
With two games remaining against solid teams, Norristown, which shot 18-for-24 from the line on Saturday, is looking to continue the same style of play for the rest of the season, in hopes of making up for a regular season that was marked by a few more disappointments than the Eagles would have liked.
“We wanted to win the game and we just really wanted to come out with intensity and do what we needed to do to win,” Hargrove said. “We practice our free throws, and for our team to only miss a few, it’s very big for us. We’re just going to get prepared for tomorrow and take it game-by-game.”
NORRISTOWN 70, UPPER DUBLIN 65
Upper Dublin (65) – Brown 13 1-2 28; DeCamara 3 0-0 8; Derr 1 0-0 2; Neman 7 5-6 19; Owens 4 0-0 8; Harrison 0 0-0 0. Totals: 28 6-8 65.
Norristown (70) – Mayer 4 1-3 13; White 4 2-3 13; Davis 1 0-2 3; Jahquil Hargrove 5 10-10 20; Williams 4 2-2 10; Webb 1 0-0 2; Bayless 1 1-2 3; Yates 2 2-2 6. Totals: 22 18-24 70.
Three-point goals: DeCamara 2, Brown; Mayer 4, White 3, Davis.
Upper Dublin 21 11 18 15—65
Norristown 17 16 17 20—70
- Log in to post comments
0
