Plymouth Whitemarsh edged CB West in a thriller, earning a spot in the District One Quad-A semifinals at Temple. Hatboro-Horsham & Pennridge were winners in playback games.
By Scott Huff
Plymouth Meeting – Plymouth Whitemarsh senior Spencer Oakley was surely not in the plan to become the hero for the hometown Colonials. But the unlikely hero he became by scoring his only basket of the game with 0.7 seconds left in regulation to give PW a spine-tingling 43-41 victory over Central Bucks West in a PIAA Quad-A quarterfinal game played before a raucous sell-out crowd.
The victory will earn the SOL American Conference champions a berth in the PIAA Quad-A District One Final Four to be played next Tuesday (2/23/16) at Temple University with a 6 pm starting time. The opponent in the semifinal contest will be Central League challenger Lower Merion who advanced with a 68-45 win over Conestoga.
Spencer earned his hero status quite by accident.
The Colonials were deadlocked with CB West 41-41 after the Bucks knotted the score on a basket by sophomore Jake Reichwein with 1:26 left in the fourth quarter. PW ran its offense and called timeout with 10.7 seconds left in the game.
The entire gym knew that the Colonials would run a play that would free up their top scorer Xzavier Malone. Malone – who scored a game-high 16 points – was the player PW wanted to get the ball to for the final shot. But West overplayed and double-teamed the talented Malone who never touched the ball.
Instead the ball was in the hands of Spencer who was forced to drive to the basket in the final moments. Spencer fired a shot that was blocked into the side of the backboard – but Spencer corralled the rebound and banked home the game winner with less than a second on the clock.
“It was an awesome feeling,” said Spencer who finished the night with four points. “I knew I had to get a shot up – and it was lucky that the ball bounced right back to me after it hit the backboard.”
“We wanted to try something with Xzavier, but they took it away,” said Plymouth Whitemarsh head coach Jim Donofrio. “Sometimes you have to hope that the ball bounces your way.”
“We defended it the right way,” said Central Bucks West head coach Adam Sherman. “We were good enough to win tonight, but there was that lucky bounce at the end of the game.”
The game was played for most of the night at a pace that would seem to favor CB West. The final score was in the 40’s – but a frenetic Colonial defense caused the Bucks into some very uncharacteristic flaws.
CB West shot just seven of 14 from the free throw line – and turned the ball over 14 times against the full-court pressure from the athletic PW defense.
“We wanted to pressure them 90-feet for the entire game,” said Donofrio who played a much deeper bench than did Sherman and the Bucks. “We felt that if we could get them fatigued that their legs would get heavy at the end of the game. You can miss free throws and turn the all over if you are tired.
“Central Bucks West is a great team, and Adam runs a great system,” added Donofrio. “We had to grind out this win.”
The teams traded baskets and were tied 10-10 at the close of the first period, and the Bucks played their best quarter of the game in the second period to take a 26-21 halftime lead. CB West senior Connor Lynch capped the scoring in the second period with a pair of 3-point field goals.
PW took a 33-32 lead into the fourth period. The Colonials’ third quarter surge was fueled by senior Mike Lotito who scored eight of his 12 points in the period.
Malone carried the Colonials in the fourth period to give PW a 41-36 lead with 3:01 left. But the Bucks rallied behind a 3-point bomb from Billy Power – who scored a team-high 13 points – and the bucket by Jake Reichwein that created the 41-41 knot with 1:26 left.
And then Spencer stole the spotlight with the game winner.
“We are where we want to go – to the district semifinals,” said Spencer. “We have worked very hard to get to where we want to go – and now we get to go there.”
“I’ve been telling the players that the fun really starts now – in the district semifinals,” said Donofrio. “I don’t want to sound arrogant – but it seems like some of the same teams are always there.
“Chester, Lower Merion, Ridley, and us,” added Donofrio. “It’s nice to be in that group.”
Free Throws– CB West will now compete in a four team ‘seeding tournament’ to determine seeds 5-8 from District One. The #7 Bucks will host #14 Conestoga, while #12 Spring-Ford will host #17 CB East – both games will be played on Tuesday (2/23/16). Winners meet on Friday (2/26/16) and losers will also meet on Friday – all four teams are guaranteed berths in the state tournament.
Central Bucks West Bucks 10 16 6 9 * 41
Plymouth Whitemarsh 10 11 13 9 * 43
CBW: Billy Power 13. Jake Reichwein 11, Connor Lynch 8, Erich Hohenleitner 5, Luke Irons 4.
PW: Xzavier Malone 16, Mike Lotito 12, Ahmad Williams 6, Oakley Spencer 4, Kevin Ashenfelter 3, Ahmin Williams 2.
#9 CHESTER 49, #17 CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 33
The Patriots fell behind early and spent the rest of the night playing catch-up – no easy task in the unfriendly confines of Chester. The Clippers led 10-4 after one quarter and took a 25-16 lead into halftime. East played Chester even in the third quarter, but the Clippers closed it out with a 14-7 fourth quarter to earn the win and a trip to Temple University for Tuesday’s semifinals.
Tommy Strasburger and Justin O’Neil led a balanced East attack with 10 points each. Matt Pattyson added six.
Central Bucks East (15-10, 7-7 SOL) will travel to 12th-seeded Spring-Ford on Tuesday night to determine seeding for fifth through eighth place. The Patriots have already assured themselves a spot in the state tournament.
Central Bucks East 4-12-10-7 33
Chester 10-15-10-14 49
Central Bucks East: Tommy Strasburger 10, Justin O’Neil 10, Blake Peterson 5, Matt Pattyson 6, Elijah Seger 2.
Chester: Jamar Sudan 10, Deshawn Hinson 5, Stanley Davis 8, Arod Carter 8, Jordan Camper 2, Khaleeq Campbell 10, Maurice Henry 2, Dymon Colbert 4.
#5 PENNRIDGE 61, #20 PERKIOMEN VALLEY 42
The Rams were coming off an overtime loss against Spring-Ford that could have broken their spirits, but in a testament to the team’s character, the players responded to that loss with a no-doubt-about-it win over the Vikings in a playback game.
“We were very pleased,” coach Dean Behrens said. “I thought the boys responded extremely well on Wednesday and Thursday.
“They were really down, they were really disappointed. We knew if we had won Tuesday we would be guaranteed states, and we would be playing for an opportunity to play at Temple. That’s something Pennridge has never had, I’ve never had a chance as a head coach to play at a facility like Temple. They had two great practices Wednesday and Thursday, and both Steve Lowry and Dan Long, our captains, did a terrific job of getting the guys energized for the game.”
The Rams led 13-10 after one quarter and then – behind the hot hand of Ryan Kinky, who had three three-pointers in the frame – outscored the visiting Vikings 20-9 in the second quarter to go on top 33-19 at halftime.
“We played pretty well tonight, we shot pretty well, and we had a real punch in the arm from Ryan Kinky in the second quarter,” Behrens said. “He had 11 points in the second quarter – he pumped them in.
“Ryan wasn’t getting as much time as he wanted, but he kept practicing hard. He kept playing well at practice. We knew that Perk Valley was going to be a team that came out in a zone. I was like, ‘You know what, I think Ryan Kinky might be able to give us a little spark.’ Once he hit that first shot, I think his confidence level went through the roof. He also did a good job defensively. He played extremely well. That was a great shot in the arm for us, and I was very happy for him. It was well deserved for him because he works hard in practice. He earned those minutes tonight.”
Perk Valley responded with a 16-11 third quarter surge to make it a 44-35 game, but the Rams put an exclamation point on the win with a 17-7 fourth quarter.
“We had a nice crowd tonight,” Behrens said. “We had a good student section, and they had some fans.
“It was good to see that both teams were represented. People were excited about following the teams. That’s high school basketball – it’s about the community, people following them and enjoying it and watching good basketball.”
Long led all scorers with 19 points, which included a perfect 5-for-5 effort at the foul line. Kinky finished with 11. Lowry, Ryan Cuthbert and Max Wagner each added nine points.
Pennridge (21-5, 13-1 SOL) will face conference foe Hatboro-Horsham on Tuesday night with the winner earning a coveted state berth.
“We beat them twice, but both games were tight, especially the last time we played them,” Behrens said. “They’re familiar with our court, so they’re not going into territory that is unfamiliar for them. We’re going to have our hands full.
“The positive is you’re guaranteed another team from the Continental Conference getting into states, so it does show that our division is pretty tough. East and West lost tonight, but they’re already guaranteed a spot in states.”
Perkiomen Valley 10-9-16-7 42
Pennridge 13-20-11-17 61
Perkiomen Valley: Ethan Hodson 1, Justin Jaworski 18, Sean Owens 8, Sean Moriarity 10, Cullen O’Connor 2, Hogan Millheim 3.
Pennridge: Devon Balmer 2, Dan Long 19, Stephen Lowry 9, Ryan Kinky 11, Kyle Yoder 2, Ryan Cuthbert 9, Max Wagner 9.
#25 HATBORO-HORSHAM 66, #1 COATESVILLE 57
The Hatters – on the heels of a 56-34 loss to Chester on Tuesday – found themselves staring at a nine-point halftime deficit in Friday’s playback game at top-seeded Coatesville (32-23). It would have been easy for the players to hang their heads and call it a year, but that was never a consideration for the Hatters, who rallied to earn the impressive come-from-behind win.
“I’m just so proud of my kids and the way they hung in there,” coach Ed Enoch said. “To get down nine or 10 even – we could possibly hang it up, but we didn’t. We just kept battling, and that said a lot to me.
“We had our hopes up pretty high against Chester, and Chester put it to us pretty good. They’re quite a basketball team. I was really proud of my kids that we practiced really hard after losing to Chester. We came out tonight, and we didn’t play a really great basketball game. We had a lot of turnovers, but we played hard. We rebounded the ball, and our defense was tremendous.”
Three Hatters finished the game with double-digit rebounds. Joe Russell led the way with 13 boards and added 11 points to finish with a double-double. Clifton Moore also had a double-double with 19 points and 12 rebounds, and Brian McEachern added 10 rebounds to go along with seven points. Jay Davis finished with a game high 22 points, and Brandon Crews had seven.
A key to the Hatters’ second half turnaround was their ability to contain Rome Boyer, who led the Raiders with 14 points.
“We tried to match up on them, and we weren’t real successful,” Enoch said. “We were disappointed that we were down nine, and we felt like we shouldn’t have been down nine.
“We must have given number 23 (Boyer) five threes in the first half, and the scouting report was not to give him an open three. We just said – ‘Guys, if you let that kid get his feet set and get an open three, you’re coming out of the game.’ We did a much better job on him in the second half.”
The Hatters not only picked up their defense on Boyer, they received a huge lift when Moore buried a three-pointer to open the third quarter. They went on to outscore the Raiders 19-11 in the quarter and then put the game away with a 24-14 fourth quarter tear, outscoring the top seed 43-25 after halftime.
“It cut (Coatesville’s lead) from nine and to six, and honestly, after that, we just played a really good second half,” Enoch said of Moore's bucket. “It’s just so exciting.
“I’m happy for my athletic director. It’s been a while since Hatboro-Horsham has seen any major success in basketball, and it’s just good to see the community rally. It’s just fun, and I’m happy for the kids. They deserve it. They worked very, very hard this year. Any time you beat a team with the tradition of Coatesville, it says a lot.”
Hatboro-Horsham (13-12, 7-7 SOL) will make the trip to Pennridge on Tuesday night with the winner earning a state berth.
Hatboro-Horsham 10-13-19-24 66
Coatesville 13-19-11-14 57
Hatboro-Horsham: Brian McEachern 7, Clifton Moore 19, Jay Davis 22, Joe Russell 11, Brandon Crews 7
Coatesville: Jonathan Thompson 5, Dalton Donovan 5, Trent Hugan 10, Jordan Young 11, Kamau Brickus 8, Rome Boyer 14, Justus Martinez 2, Boulware 2.
#3 DOWNINGTOWN WEST 63, #27 UPPER DUBLIN 59
The Flying Cardinals’ memorable postseason run came to an end when they were edged by the third-seeded Whippets on the road.
“As a coaching staff, we were talking – it’s remarkable,” coach Josh Adelman said. “The team goes 1-7, and you’re fighting from behind for such long period and then you go on a roll when the guys finally get in sync.
“It’s disappointing that it has to end. After the Abington win and then having to deal with not having Ryan (Stover) and Isaiah (Henrich) for the Lower Merion game, we’re going to be left with the ‘what ifs.’ It’s kind of been a season of ‘what ifs.’”
Upper Dublin certainly didn’t go down without a fight. The Cardinals took a 27-25 lead into halftime but were outscored by the Whippets 20-9 in the third period and fell behind 45-36.
“It was just a little bit of a lull in the third quarter,” Adelman said. “They built a little bit of a lead.
“It was 59-51, and their big center (Josh Warren) got his fourth foul, said something and got a technical on a foul on Johnny Barrett. Johnny gets the two foul shots and then he gets the two technical, so he makes three out of four. We get the ball out of bounds, and (Barrett) makes a three-pointer. Now it’s 59-57 with a minute to go. This is the way our season has gone. As far (ahead) as a team would get on us, we never were out of it.
“It’s just the character these guys have. It’s a shame. We came up a little short, but it wasn’t for a lack of effort. You always tell them to leave everything on the court – well, they did. We just came up four points short. To take a number three seed – the numbers go out the window once you play. I was really proud of them.”
Ryan Stover returned to the lineup and led all scorers with 24 points. Barrett finished with 22 and Will Derr added eight.
Upper Dublin (7-7) closed out its season with a 12-13 record. Pretty impressive for a team that not only lost standout Simeon Fryer, who transferred to Plymouth Whitemarsh, but also started the season 1-7 while the football team made its run to the state semifinals.
“These guys really believed in themselves,” Adelman said. “They told me from spring ball all the way through summer leagues that they were happy with the team they had. It was a credit to them.
“You walk away from this season pleased that we were able to turn it around make something out of it.”
Upper Dublin 14-13-9-23 59
Downingtown West 15-10-20-18 63
Upper Dublin: Ben Abel 4, John Barrett 22, Will Derr 8, Jimmy Galagher 1, Ryan Stover 24, Isaiah Henrich 4.
Downingtown West: Wayne Anderson 4, Matt Carson 2, George Gordon 4, Dom Guerrera 19, Ryan Betley 18, Josh Warren 16.
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