#10 UPPER DARBY 74, #23 CHELTENHAM 54
Patrick Fleury was thrilled to see his team – thanks to an impressive win over Penn Wood in their final game of the regular season – earn a berth in districts, but he was hoping for more.
From the outset, the Royals made life difficult for the visiting Panthers, opening up a 20-10 lead after one quarter and never looking back.
“We had our chances,” Fleury said. “We didn’t do well on the rebounds, which killed us. The turnovers also killed us, but to our senior class, I’m forever indebted. I wish I could have given them a better opportunity to move on and advance. I just have to be better. This year was a learning experience for me as well.”
Yassir Joyner and Niymire Brown combined for 18 of the Royals’ 20 first-quarter points, and although the Panthers – behind eight points from Xavier Thompson – outscored the Royals 14-10 in the second quarter, they still trailed 30-22 at halftime.
Upper Darby added to their lead in the second half, outscoring the Panthers 44-32 on their way to a win that brought an early end to the Panthers’ season.
“They came out – they played better, they rebounded better, and they advanced,” Fleury said. “I’ve got a lot of reflecting to do and a lot of changes to make and just learn and get better.
“We were there for about two-and-a-half quarters of the game, but it’s hard to beat a team when they’re getting two to every one shot you get. I’ve got to be better, but at the end of the day, hats off to them for winning. We will be back next year, and we will be better. I look forward to improving and pushing forward. Good luck to any teams left in our district.”
For the Panthers, Josiah Hutson scored a team high 24 points – 20 in the second half. He buried a pair of 3s and was 6-for-8 at the foul line. Also finishing in double figures was Thompson with 12 points. Osei Johnson added nine for the Panthers.
Cheltenham (10-6 SOL) closed out its season with a 12-11 record.
Cheltenham 8-14-13-19 54
Upper Darby 20-10-22-22 74
Cheltenham (54) – Josiah Hutson 8 6-8 24; Yakeen Respes 1 0-0 2; Kamani Healey 1 1-4 3; Osei Johnson 3 3-4 9; Malik Hughes 2 0-2 4; Xavier Thompson 6 0-0 12; TOTALS 21 10-18 54.
Upper Darby (74) – Khysir Slaughter 2 0-0 4; Lovo Mulbah 0 2-2 2; Nadir Myers 5 5-10 17; Yassir Joyner 9 5-7 24; Troy Alston 1 0-0 2; Niymire Brown 11 1-2 25; TOTALS 28 13-21 74.
3-point goals: Cheltenham – Josiah Hutson 2; UD – Nadir Myers 2, Niymire Brown 2, Yassir Joyner.
About the Author
