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By Scott Huff
Basketball coaches don’t carry game plans in their hands – like their football counterparts. But that doesn’t mean that they don’t have them.“We have been spotting teams eight- to 10-point leads early in the game, and we have to rally to come back” said Bensalem coach John Mullin in reference to one-point wins over both Holy Ghost Prep (60-59) and Neshaminy (45-44) in his team’s last two games. “Our plan was to avoid that at all costs tonight, and I thought we did that by playing aggressive defense.”
The Owls (11-2, 5-1) flew out to an 8-0 lead and coasted to a 50-34 Suburban One National Conference victory over host Abington (4-9, 1-6).
“We had a great day of practice yesterday and that carried over to the first quarter of the game,” said Bensalem junior Nick Christian. “The coaches did a good job of getting us prepared.”
“Nick had an excellent game for us tonight,” said Mullin. “He’s only a junior, but he continues to grow and make better decisions on the floor.”“As the season moves on I have learned not to make as many mental mistakes,” said Christian. “I want to be able to look for my teammates first – my points will come.”
Christian was the pilot of the Owl offense, but the talented point guard also led the team in scoring with 14 points.
As fast as the Bensalem start was for the winners, the start by Abington was equally slow.
“It’s hard to believe that a slow start could get slower,” said Abington coach Tony Hall. “We have lost some tough games recently, but this one has to be the worst game that I have coached since I’ve been here.
“We took a couple of steps backward tonight, we really didn’t do anything,” continued Hall. “Give Bensalem some credit – they are good in transition and can hit the open shot.”
Bensalem cruised to a 31-15 halftime lead as Christian directed the offense. Dyron Edwards, Alex Agyedu, and Rob Schneider all contributed to the early scoring.
Abington fell further behind in the third period as the Ghosts scored just five points and trailed 41-20 at the close of the period.
Both the Owls and Abington went deep into their benches in the final period.
Senior guard Joe Renzi led the Ghosts in scoring with 13 points that included a pair of three-point field goals. High scoring Jaymes Miller was limited to only four points.
“We work hard and believe in each other,” commented Christian. “We have the faith.”
“I knew at the beginning of the season that we had a nice group of kids,” said Mullin. “We have an 11-2 record – and the kids should be proud of that.
“But really, we are only a heartbeat away from being 7-6,” added Mullin. “We have won a lot of close games, but you make your own breaks.”
And your own game plans.
Bensalem 13 18 10 9 - 50
Abington 8 7 5 14 - 34
Bensalem: Dyron Edwards 3 1-2 7; Kelsey Dark 3 0-0 6; Alex Agyedu 2 2-4 6; Nick Christian 6 2-2 14; Rob Schneider 2 4-4 8; Corey Canestrare 1 1-2 3; Sean McBrearty 1 1-2 4; Chris McMullin 0 1-4 1; Ivan Flores 0 1-2 1. Totals 18 13-22 50.
3-point field goals – McBrearty
Abington: Wesley Rines 0 1-2 1; Joe Renzi 4 3-4 13; Jaymes Miller 1 2-2 4; Dion Durham 1 0-0 2; DAndre Maiden 0 2-4 2; Keanan Ellison 1 2-4 4; Ahmed 2 1-1 5; Dan Rodriguez 1 0-0 3. Totals 10 11-17 34.
3-point field goals – Renzi (2) Rodriguez.
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