Check out the recaps for SOL boys’ basketball teams in action. Abington/Cheltenham photos provided courtesy of John Gleeson, & Greg Lindsay, PW/Coatesville game courtesy of Michael Rice Photography, Pennsbury/North Penn photos of Darryl Rule of J&D Photography. Check back for galleries. CLICK HERE to go directly to Suburban One Sports’ BOYS’ BASKETBALL GALLERIES.
SOL Non-league Crossover
Pennsbury 46, North Penn 45
Pennsbury edged North Penn in an absolute thriller in Saturday’s SOL crossover game.
The Falcons – who had dropped two of three games so far in crossover play coming into the game – led for most of the 
game, but North Penn tied the score with just over 2 minutes left in the fourth quarter, then the Knights took their first lead of the game on their next possession.
The teams traded leads in the final two minutes, with Sean Breslin draining a go-ahead 3-pointer with 7.7 seconds left. The Knights had one last possession but their shot fell short at the buzzer to allow the Falcons to pull out the victory.
Key players: Breslin’s game-winner was one of two go-ahead 3-pointers he drained in a wild final minute of action. Breslin finished with a game-high 17 points to go along with 8 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks. Max Manga was dominant in the paint, grabbing 8 boards to go along with 5 points. Brady Kent nabbed a couple steals and set in motion several key plays in the second half.
Pennsbury coach Wes Emme:
—Getting back on track: “It was a really good game. We’ve been in a little bit of a funk, and some of that is that we’re playing some better competition. I think that division is really good – the Central Bucks, Souderton, North Penn division. I think that whole (division) is very well coached, and I think we’re in a funk as a team and as a group.
“To come out with a victory in the way that we did is very important given that most of our victories have been by double digits. Most of our victories have been fairly comfortable where we’ve created a big enough cushion that we can just play freely.
“Today, we had gotten a bit of a cushion early in the second half, got it up to nine. In the first half, we had it over 10, and to the credit of North Penn and (coach) Cordell (Lord), they really, really kept playing. He’s got those guys playing really, really hard, and they play together.”
“For us, Pat Jajua fouled out, so we had some adversity in the game. Sean Breslin hit two threes with under a minute to rescue us.”
—The ending: “We had the lead for the whole game, and they tied the game up. We turned the ball over, and they scored to take a two-point lead. After that, they ran a screen-and-roll action in the middle of the floor. We had a miscommunication, and they get an and-one to take another lead, so we were up one and then we were down two.
“We got into the half-court, and we make a play call for Sean (Breslin) to get a shot out of an action that we typically run, and they switched defenses. Fortunately for us, Sean has been in those moments before, particularly, I think back to playing against Ewing, who was a state semifinalist in New Jersey last year. Sean hit a couple of really big threes at the end of that game to win the game. It felt very eerily similar to that where he may not have played his best throughout the game, but he was confident, and had the mentality and the mindset to say, ‘I’m going to shoot this, I’m going to knock this down,’ and he did.
“It feels good to be able to win that way because, honestly, if you look at all of our games, none of them have been close except for maybe Moore Catholic, and that was because we gave away a big lead at the end of the game, but all of our 
other wins have been by double digits. And this was the first time we really had some adversity right at the end of the game and came out the victor.
“Especially, with Patrick Jajua, who’s your leading scored and one of your most experienced players, fouling out with a couple minutes left in the fourth quarter – to be able to come out with a victory, you feel really good.”
—Props: “I thought Brady Kent made some really winning plays in the second half, and I thought it was the best that Max Manga has played in a couple of weeks. He had some really big games early in the year, just dominating on the backboard – second-chance points, second-chance opportunities for the team, and he came out with great energy and enthusiasm today.
“Between those three – Sean making shots at the end of the game, Brady Kent had a couple of steals in the second half, and a transition play that got us a couple of free throws that were vital when we were struggling and North Penn was making the run. And Max on the backboards today was huge.”
Up next: Pennsbury (10-4, 5-0) travels to Abington for an SOL Crossover on Tuesday. North Penn will visit William Tennent on Tuesday.
North Penn 9 11 12 13 – 45
Pennsbury 13 12 11 10 – 46
North Penn (45) – Chris Kingkiner 1 0-0 2; Shane Ward 0 2-4 2; Nolan Foust 3 8-8 15; JC Wood 1 0-0 3; Wyatt Martin 3 3-5 9; Aiden Thomas 3 2-2 9; Brycen Foust 1 0-0 2; Sean Vagie 1 1-1 3. Totals 13 16-20 45.
Pennsbury (46) – Brayden Clark 2 3-3 7; Brady Kent 2 2-2 7; Max Katz 1 0-0 3; Sean Breslin 7 0-1 17; Pat Jajua 1 3-4 5; Max Manga 2 1-2 5. Totals 16 9-12 46.
3-point goals: NP – Thomas, Wood, N. Foust; P – Kent, Hogancamp, Breslin (3).
Abington 46, Cheltenham 45 (OT)
Abington and Cheltenham may not play in the same SOL division, but that doesn’t mean that the neighborhood rivalry isn’t as intense as it’s always been.
The latest installment not only needed overtime to decide the winner, but it took until the final buzzer before Abington could secure a wild 46-45 victory over the Panthers.
The Ghosts were clinging to a 3-point lead at the end of the extra frame after Faison Garland’s 4-for-4 effort from the foul line and Xavier Grasty’s basket in the waning seconds. But the Ghosts were tagged with a technical foul with 0.7 seconds left to give the Panthers a chance. Jaedn Mosley hit 2-of-2 from the foul line, then the Panthers got the ball back, trailing by a lone point. The Panthers got off a lob at the buzzer, but it didn’t fall as Abington held on for the victory.
The Panthers streaked out to a 10-point lead in the first half. They led by 8 at halftime and took a 6-point lead into the fourth quarter.
Key players: Amare Stone scored 5 of his 7 points and stepped up in key spots in the second half. Garland went 4-for-4 from the foul line in overtime. Xander Grasty’s 18 points led the Ghosts.
For Cheltenham, Chris Harmon scored 7 of his team-high 15 points in the first quarter to help spark the quick start. Mosley scored all 5 of Cheltenham’s overtime points.
Abington coach Dan Marsh
—An old-fashioned neighborhood rivalry: “It was just a classic Cheltenham-Abington game. There was nothing really 
pretty about it, but it was gritty, grindy, and a great atmosphere. It was a very, very big crowd, and it was a great atmosphere with Cheltenham’s student section. We have only two starters returning with varsity experience, and I don’t know if we were just taken aback by it all, but we just were very lethargic to start, and Cheltenham jumped out to like a 10-point lead, and then we just grinded the rest of the game to get it back.”
—The ending: “At some point in the fourth quarter, we took the lead off of a Xander Grasty jump shot. (Chris Harmon) hit a big three to tie it. Xander was bringing the ball up, and they doubled him. We got a shot in the corner, but we missed it and then it went to overtime.”
“It was just an insane game, an insane atmosphere. I was proud because we’re going through this stuff and we’re learning. We’ve got to be smarter and more disciplined. Cheltenham did a very good job of dictating the pace – they slowed us down. We struggled today, but we were able to get the victory.
“I was telling my coach – it looked like we played last night the way we were playing. We were just a little bit slow today, but we persevered and that’s all that matters.”
—Props: “Amare Stone stepped up in the second half – hit some big shots and got some big rebounds.”
Up next: Abington will host Pennsbury on Tuesday. The Panthers will host Central Bucks East.
Cheltenham 13 12 9 6 5 – 45
Abington 9 8 11 12 6 – 46
Cheltenham (45) – Isaias Vargas 1 0-0 2; Chris Harmon 5 3-5 15; Mark Hill 3 2-2 9; Isaiah Dill 3 0-0 7; Jaedn Mosley 2 2-2 8; Tyree Martin 1 2-5 4. Totals 15 9-12 45.
Abington (46) – Amare Stone 3 0-0 7; Kyler Pickron 2 2-4 6; Malcom Lucas 1 2-6 4; Xander Grasty 7 4-8 18; Faison Garland 1 4-4 6; Michael O’Rourke 2 0-0 5. Totals 16 10-22 46.
3-point goals: C – Chris Harmon (2), Jaedn Mosley (2), Mark Hill, Isaiah Dill; A – Amare Stone.
Nonleague
Plymouth Whitemarsh 71, Coatesville 56
Plymouth Whitemarsh doesn’t play Coatesville on a regular basis. But when the two teams come together on the hardwood, it’s special.
It doesn’t matter if the District title is on the line, or if it’s a nonleague game early in the season, these two teams bring out the best in each other and the atmosphere and intensity are always playoff-worthy.
Saturday was no different, as the Colonials battled their way to an electric 71-56 victory in front of a packed home gymnasium. After starting the season 4-4, the Colonials have found their identity and their swagger, and it showed in a hard-fought, well-executed effort.
The third quarter proved to be the turning point. The teams battled back and forth throughout the first half, with PW taking a one-point lead into the halftime break. But the Colonials exploded to start the third quarter, outscoring the Raiders 25-14 to give themselves a cushion.
Key players: Mani Sajid simply couldn’t miss on this night. Sajid led all scorers with 37 points, including five three-pointers and a perfect 10-for-10 from the foul line. Luca Taormina was outstanding on defense, particularly while stepping in for players who were in foul trouble, leaving Taormina to battle Coatesville players with significant size advantages. Buddy Denard did the same on the defensive end. Jack Hayes contributed 11 points while dictating the offense from the point guard position.
Plymouth Whitemarsh coach Jim Donorio:
—A playoff feel: “It was just a really fun, old-school high school environment. PW/Coatesville – the Philadelphia area is very intelligent when it comes to knowing rivalries and good games, and we don’t see Coatesville a ton, but that place was standing room only, and that’s hard to do in our gym. That’s a big place, and there was just a buzz in the air, and that’s fun. That’s one of the reasons I still do it. It’s like a drug when you get to that moment. Can you get those moments back? All the time I put in – now I just appreciate it, looking around and seeing three generations of former players and teammates.”
—They’ve got that look: “All of a sudden, we just have a look about us. I think the look is more important than executing everything right. For two or three years now, we have said to the players, ‘Why do we believe in you more than you believe in you?’ And I think we’re turning the corner on that.”
—The game: “Michael Pereira was shackled with foul trouble early and often, and he’s a highlight there along with Colton Hilller and Mani (Sajid). People came to see a showcase game – just a show, just star players, and boy, there’s something about us right now – it’s clicking, and mentally and confidence-wise it’s clicking, and Mani is number one on that list.
“I’m just really happy for him right now. He is everything that people said he was as he was working towards it. All that talk – he’s caught up with all the talk, and, man, is he one confident guy. You can hold him if you want, you can grab him, you can double him – he’s raising his game, and it’s just fun to watch.
“Defensively, we had to go small a number of times. Luca Taormina, the junior, filled in for both Michael (Pereira) and Micah Thompson. Both of those big guys fouled out of the game, and we’re going small. Buddy Denard is covering their 6-7 power forward who’s pounding us inside, and the fight was just excellent.
“Unbelievable fight and confidence, and as much as I’m getting on them, they’re just looking at me and smiling like, ‘We’re good, we got this.’
“Jack Hayes is one tough son of a gun. He was just a brilliant point guard today. I’m really proud of how they have fallen in love with hard coaching, they’ve fallen in love with believing that they can chase something big. It’s not always been there, even with this group. 
“This was a state playoff level feel, and to get that in mid-January, that’s what the schedule was put together for. I think it’s helping us gain confidence if we’re lucky enough to get down that road.
“Again, I’m just really proud of how they are becoming a true team and believing.”
—A 23-for-25 night at the line: “That might be the best example of how the confidence has turned around. That is a desire to win, a belief you should win, and doing that in front of a really energized, loud crowd – that’s confidence, that’s focus. Just in the recent past, we would turn our concentration on and off. There’s nothing like momentum. I said to them after the game – not getting overly philosophical, but a season in any sport is like a little microcosm of life – ups and down, bumps and good moments, and then all of a sudden the bottom can fall out.
“We were 4-4 just two weeks ago, and you’re really down, as down as you could be on Dec. 23 at 9 o’clock at night, and it’s like we almost forgot that happened. So that’s a great example of fortitude. After having four losses early, these are important wins now.”
Up next: The Colonials will host Neshaminy on Tuesday.
Coatesville 12 18 14 12 – 56
Plymouth Whitemarsh 14 17 25 15 – 71
Coatesville (56) – Chris Allegra 2 0-2 5; Larry Brown 6 4-6 16; Colton Hiller 6 3-4 17; Jonas Chester 1 0-0 2; Jahil Thedford 3 0-0 6; Zeric Allan-Brown 2 1-2 6; Max Hiller 2 0-0 4. Totals 22 8-14 56.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (71) – Jack Hayes 2 6-7 11; Luca Taormina 1 0-0 3; Terron Davis 1 1-2 3; Mani Sajid 11 10-10 37; Michael Pereira 1 1-1 3; Buddy Denard 2 2-2 7; Micah Thompson 3 1-1 7. Totals 21 21-23 71.
3-point goals: C – Colton Hiller (2), Chris Allegra, Zeric Allen-Brown; PW – Mani Sajid (5), Jack Hayes, Luca Taormina, Buddy Denard.
Upper Dublin 55, Spring-Ford 34
After suffering a decisive loss to Liberty Division frontrunner Plymouth Whitemarsh earlier in the week, Upper Dublin has responded in fine fashion.
The Cardinals defeated William Tennent on Friday, then came out on Saturday with a stellar defensive effort, shutting down Spring-Ford and rolling to a 55-34 nonleague victory. The Cardinals held the Rams in single-digit scoring in each of the first three quarters.
Key players: Horace Jackson’s 13 points and Noah Cohen’s 12 led a selfless, spread-out offense in a game that saw plenty of starters and bench players make big plays throughout on both ends.
Upper Dublin coach Derek Brooks:
—The game: “It was definitely a good win today. I have a lot of respect for Spring-Ford. They’re well coached, they always have a lot of talent. Coach (Joe) Dempsey does a great job coaching, so we knew this was a big game, especially for districts. We get a lot of points for winning a game against a team that’s 12-2. We definitely took this one seriously, and the boys played great. Our defensive energy was fantastic today and our focus and execution. We were flying around. Spring-Ford is a pretty good offensive team and to hold them to 34 was excellent. I’m very happy with what we did on that end.”
—The second half: “We only scored six points in the third quarter, but we were getting a lot of good looks. We just couldn’t knock them down. Fortunately, Justin Ragsdale started us off in the fourth quarter with two big threes. That kind of opened it up. Noah Cohen was the only one to score in that third quarter. Fortunately, our defense showed up. I liked how we played offensively. We just didn’t make as many shots today, which happens sometimes, and that’s why you’ve got to have good defense as well.”
—Props: “Horace Jackson was great, really on both ends. I thought he played really hard. He was attacking the basket strong and had some great finishes in the first half. I thought everybody in the first half was great, starters and the bench. The bench gave us a good lift. Jake Scherzer made some nice plays, and Luke Caron had some energy plays for us. We moved the ball well in the first half. We were well balanced – we had five guys score in the first half. Horace had nine and three other guys had four or more, so I was happy with that.”
Up next: The Cardinals host Bensalem on Tuesday.
Spring-Ford 6 9 7 12 – 34
Upper Dublin 15 11 6 23 – 55
Spring-Ford (34) – Matteo Magazzalo 4 0-0 11; Blake Turner 0 1-4 1; Ethan Ojakovo 1 0-0 2; Jackson Wickersham 1 0-0 2; Syaire Barnes 5 1-3 13; Duke Jackson.1 0-0 2; Carter Nicholson 1 0-0 3. Totals 12 2-7 34.
Upper Dublin (55) – Kobe Bazemore 4 0-0 9; Brandon Altman 2 0-0 5; Noah Cohen 5 0-0 12; Horace Jackson 5 2-3 13; Justin Ragsdale 2 0-0 6; Jake Scherzer 2 1-2 5; Luke Caron 1 0-0 3; Benji Ravitz 1 0-0 2. Totals 22 3-5 55.
3-point goals: SF – Matteo Magazzalo (3), Syaire Barnes (2). UD – Noah Cohen (2), Justin Ragsdale (2), Kobe Bazemore, Brandon Altman, Horace Jackson, Luke Caron.
Upper Moreland 63, Jenkintown 18
Upper Moreland shut down Jenkintown in Saturday’s nonleague matchup, holding the visiting Drakes to just 5 total points in the final three quarters, including posting a shutout in the second quarter. The Bears’ offense, meanwhile put up 47 points in the first half en route to a 63-18 victory.
Key players: Jose Hernandez led a spread-out Upper Moreland offense with 19 points. Cannon Campell added 12.
Upper Moreland coach Dan Heiland:
—Bouncing back: “Today was a good bounce-back game for us and confidence builder. We played our brand of basketball, executing offense, sharing the ball, playing tough defense, rebounding, and doing all the little things well. We have a tough stretch of games the next couple weeks and we have to continue that style and continue making winning plays.”
Up next: The Golden Bears host Souderton on Tuesday.
Upper Moreland 25 22 14 2 – 63
Jenkintown 13 0 4 1 – 18
Jenkintown (18) – J. Chackin 1 0-0 3, A. Rivera 0 2-4 2, V. Avila 2 0-2 6, A. Gordy 1 0-0 3, D. Trail 2 0-2 4. Totals 6 2-8 18.
Upper Moreland (63) – Will Hansberry 1 1-2 3, Nate Best 3 1-1 7, Kyle Moore 2 0-1 4, Andrew Hamill 3 0-0 8, Tracy Owens 2 0-0 4, Brody Hughes 2 0-0 4, Chase Moore 1 0-0 2, Cannon Campbell 4 2-2 12, Jose Hernandez 7 4-4 19, Darrius Whetstone 0 0-2 0. Totals 25 8-12 63.
3-point goals: J – V. Avila (2), A. Gordy, J. Chackin; UM – Andrew Hamill (2), Cannon Cannon (2), Jose Hernandez
Harry S Truman 37, Unionville 32
Despite a strong effort on Friday, Harry S Truman suffered a defeat to Central Bucks South. The Tigers rebounded by maintaining their effort and getting back in the win column with a 37-32 victory over Unionville in Saturday’s nonleague matchup.
Sparked by Shawn Parker and Davae Vaugn, the Tigers jumped out quickly and led 16-8 after one quarter. But Unionville chipped away and battled back, trimming their deficit to one at 19-18 at halftime. The two squads battled throughout the second half of a low-scoring affair until Terrell Edwards grabbed a steal late in the game to secure the win.
Key players: Jaden Luchansky led all scorers with 15 points. Edwards made key plays on both ends of the court. Shawn Parker (8 points) and Davae Vaughn (7 points) keyed Truman’s first-half offense.
Harry S Truman assistant coach Mike Rongione:
—Battling through adversity: “Unionville did a great job in their zone. They switched things up constantly and really slowed the game down. We were worried about the back-to-back. Our guys gave a max effort on the road last night vs a really good CB South team. We just came up a bit short. To their credit, they carried over our energy from last night into today and we were able to grind out a much-needed win.”
—Props: “Jaden Luchansky really carried us offensively today. He’s been a rock for this program the last four years and he’s really having a great senior season. Terrell Edwards made some really big plays for us as well. He had a steal late that iced the game for us. Shawn Parker and Davae Vaughn set the tone early for us.”
Up next: Truman visits Hatboro-Horsham on Tuesday.
Unionville 8 10 5 9 – 32
Harry S Truman 16 3 8 10 – 37
Unionville (32) – Owen Watson 2 0-0 6; Sean Haug 2 0-0 5; Tommy McGinnis 3 0-0 9; Harris Stanislawczyk 2 0-0 4; Bucher 1 1-2 4; Will Sharkey 1 0-0 2; Hundington 0 2-4 2. Totals 11 3-6 32.
Harry S Truman (37) – Jaden Luchansky 4 4-6 15; Davae Vaughn 3 1-2 7; Terrell Edwards 1 0-0 3; Shawn Parker 4 0-0 8; Adul Diallo 2 0-0 4. Totals 14 5-8 37.
3-point goals: U – Tommy McGinnis (3), Owen Watson (2), Sean Haug, Bucher. HST – Jaden Luchansky (2), Terrell Edwards.
Harriton 55, Hatboro-Horsham 46
Hatboro-Horsham saw its five-game winning streak come to an end in Saturday’s 55-46 loss to Harriton in Saturday’s nonleague matchup.
The Hatters led after one quarter but the Rams outscored H-H by a 37-23 count in the two middle quarters to take the lead and then add to it.
Hatboro-Horsham coach Bill Coleman: “Solid guard play by Harriton. We were not committed to our game plan. We gave up way too many straight line drives and kick-out 3s.”
Up next: The Hatters will host Harry S Truman on Tuesday.
Hatboro-Horsham 11 11 12 12 – 46
Harriton 7 17 20 11 – 55
Hatboro-Horsham (46) – Kenny Lutz 4 3-4 11; Nate Glenn 1 0-0 3; Jaden Thompson 5 0-1 11; Kevin Stroup 2 0-0 5; Shane Phillips 5 3-4 16. Totals 17 6-9 46.
Harriton (55) – Belcher 5 5-6 16; Schneider 4 4-5 13; Wurtzel 5 0-2 14; Axelman 2 0-0 4; Buke 2 3-4 8. Totals 18 12-17 55.
3-point goals: H-H – Glenn, Thompson, Stroup, Phillips (3). H – Belcher, Schneider, Wurtzel (4), Buke.
Perkiomen Valley 66, Pennridge 36
Pennridge found itself in an early hole and was never able to recover as visiting Perkiomen Valley rolled to a 66-36 victory in Saturday’s nonleague matchup.
Ryan Schwind’s 7 points led the Rams, who trailed 18-2 after one quarter.
Up next: Pennridge will visit Springfield Twp on Tuesday.
Perkiomen Valley 18 17 21 10 – 66
Pennridge 2 10 8 16 – 36
Perkiomen Valley (66) – Tracey 7 1-3 20; Stein 4 2-3 11; Garrett 1 0-0 2; Smith 1 0-0 2; Valente 1 1-2 3; Kyle Kelly 3 2-3 9; Podwaren 1 0-0 2; A Kelly 2 2-3 6; Hoppenwassen 5 0-0 11. TOTALS: 25 8-14 66.
Pennridge (36) – Smith 2 1-1 5; Kuntz 1 0-0 2; Schwind 3 1-3 7; Beard 2 0-0 5; Bachman 1 0-0 2; Prebius 0 1-2 1; Ryan Flood 1 0-0 2; Alba 1 0-0 3; Christian Flood 1 0-0 3; Wilson 3 0-0 6. TOTALS: 15 3-6 36.
3-point goals: PV – Tracey (5), Stein, K. Kelly, Hoppenwassen; P – Beard, Alba, C. Flood.
Holy Ghost Prep 72, Central Bucks South 64
Up next: The Titans will visit nonleague opponent New Hope-Solebury on Tuesday.
Holy Ghost Prep (72) – Rhodes 2, McDonald 11, Condon 17, Duffy 9, Polek 12, Milici 9, Albright 12.
Central Bucks South (64) – Adebayo 7, Shahin 11, Crim 1 , Farrell 13, Barrett 2, Van Zanten 14, Medwid 16.
MaST Charter 53, Council Rock North 46
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