Check out the results for SOL boys’ basketball teams in action. To view photos of the Pennsbury/Abington game, please visit the Photo Gallery.
National Conference
Abington 52, Pennsbury 50
In what was Abington’s toughest conference test to date following seven consecutive wins to open the conference season, the Ghosts came up big in the clutch, defeating host Pennsbury on a last-second bucket by senior Amir Hinton.
Hinton’s putback of a miss by fellow senior Matt Penecale with 2.9 seconds showing on the clock gave Abington the win in front of raucous Falcon crowd.
With the win, the Ghosts upped their record 11-3 overall and 8-0 in the conference – a full two games ahead of Pennsbury, which sits in second.
“It was a big win, and it was very important. It was another league win and now we have a two-game lead and we have to continue to get better,” Abington coach Charles Grasty said. “They would go up and we would go up, and we got the ball with 27 seconds and held for the last shot. Amir followed up and he got it.”
It was a back-and-forth game from the start. Pennsbury led by eight after one quarter (17-9), but Abington came roaring back and the two teams were tied 29-29 at the half. The Ghosts used a 17-11 third quarter surge to go on top 46-40 heading into the final quarter, but again, the Falcons (11-4, 6-2) came roaring back.
Eventually, Hinton, who led Abington with 17 points, got the game-winner.
“Amir played well in spurts. He is very good,” Grasty said. “I feel like he’s one of the best players on the court every time we play, and he just has to continue to work hard. Our guys are getting bette, and every practice, they go at it hard. The young guys are really buying in and understanding what it takes and they’re starting to play the right way.”
Penecale added 14 points for Abington, while Robby Heath finished with nine. Brendan Gallagher added eight points and nine rebounds.
For Pennsbury, Derrick Woods led the way with 20 points. Cameron Jones added 13, while Mekhi Bryant finished with nine.
Defensively, Jack Steinman and Brian Close played well for Abington.
“I thought we played really good team team defense, but those two guys (Steinman and Close) had their hands full with Derrick Woods all game,” Grasty said. “He’s really good down low, but they kept going into him and they played extremely hard defensively. Woods got his points, but they made him earn it.”
Abington 9 20 17 6–50
Pennsbury 17 12 11 10—52
Harry S. Truman 63, Council Rock South 61 (2 OT)
Trailing as time was winding down in regulation, Harry S. Truman junior Mark Lopez hit a three-pointer to get the Tigers to within three points. After a steal by Tyquan Law on the ensuing inbounds pass, Lopez hit another three to tie the game with 48 seconds to play. It was Lopez’s treys that would eventually force overtime.
In the first extra period, James Clowney tapped back a missed shot to force a second overtime while keeping the excitement going for everyone in attendance.
In the second OT, the two teams traded baskets, but a three-pointer from Satchell Simpson – his only points of the game – gave the Tigers the points they would need to hold on for a two-point victory over host Council Rock South.
Truman (5-9, 3-5) was led by Law’s 20 points. Lopez added 14, while Clowney finished with 12.
“Mark (Lopez) came up big,” Truman coach Alan Munford said. “It was a big game for him. I always talk to the kids about when their number is called to be ready, and his number was called tonight and he was ready. We were able to play defense, not let them score down the stretch and we were able to finish the game.”
The game remained close throughout, with neither team leading by more than two points at the end of any given quarter.
“It was a big win, which any win in the league is obviously,” Munford said. “The first time we played them, it was a close game, but we weren’t able to pull it out down the stretch, so for us to get a road win over them was huge. Maybe it’ll give us some momentum going into this Saturday’s Suburban One Challenge.”
Austin Thomas led CR South (4-10, 3-5) with 25 points. Mike Stock added 15, while Alex Nordenholt finished with 13.
Harry S. Truman 12 12 8 16 7 8–63
Council Rock South 10 12 11 15 7 6—61
Harry S Truman (63) – Tyquan Law 20, Mark Lopez 14, James Clowney 12, Maurice Jackson 7, Jaier Brown 4, Danell Snelling 3, Satchell Simpson 3
Council Rock South (61) – Mike Agasar 1, Austin Thomas 25, Mike Stock 15, Kevin Newbert 1, Alex Nordenholt 13, Dan Buchnik 6.
Council Rock North 35, William Tennent 22
On the heels of several tough conference losses, Council Rock North got back on the winning side of things, defeating host William Tennent by double digits.
The Indians, who are now 9-5 overall and 5-3 in the conference, won it from the free throw line, knocking down 19-of-22 shots from the stripe. Both Matt Margolis and Will Desautelle went 7-for-8 from the line, with Margolis connecting on all six of his attempts in the fourth quarter. Margolis finished with 12 points to lead all scorers, while Desautelle scored nine – seven of which came in a fourth quarter that saw CR North outscore Tennent 13-2, turning a 22-20 lead into a 13-point win.
"It was real important for our guys (to get the win)," CR North coach Derek Wright said. "We had a couple tough losses where things didn't go our way until the end, so it was good to get back on the winning side of things, especially on the road in a game where we didn't play our best but we still fought. I was happy for the guys."
The game remained close throughout, with Tennent leading by one after one quarter (10-9) and trailing by just two at the half (17-15). A strong defensive effort by the Indians saw them allow only seven second half points.
Kevin Simonson led the Panthers (4-10, 3-5) with 11 points, while John Ryan added six.
Council Rock North 9 8 5 13–35
William Tennent 10 5 5 2—22
Council Rock North (35) – Tyler Nowmos 2, Riley Thompson 2, Drew Glenn 5, Matt Margolis 12, Steve Nowmos 2, Noah Ehlin 2, Will Desautelle, Matt Baniewicz 1.
William Tennent (22) – Kevin Simonson 11, John Ryan 6, Lowicki 3,
Continental Conference
North Penn 64, Central Bucks South 58
With the final stretch of the regular season underway and a goal of making the district playoffs, the Knights had to play one of their better games of the season against a Central Bucks South team that came into Thursday’s game tied for second place in the conference standings.
For different players scored in double figures for the Knights. Cordell Lord led the way with 15 points, while Joey Richards added 13 for the Knights, who evened their conference mark at 4-4 (8-7 overall).
"I thought we played well tonight and played pretty well defensively," North Penn coach John Conrad said. "We were able to score in transition. We played them pretty tough at their place (earlier this season) and had it to four points late in the game, so we knew we could compete."
Matt Pickford added 12 points for North Penn, while JJ Melchior, who played strong on the defensive side of the ball, added 10.
"JJ did a real nice job defensively, and Derrick Heiserman did a real nice job rebounding the basketball for us in the second half," Conrad said.
In the second quarter, the Knights led by 10 with two minutes to play, but an 8-0 CB South run helped the Titans to cut their deficit to 33-31 at the half.
The third quarter was the biggest of the night for North Penn, which opened things up before the final eight minutes with a 16-9 tear to go into the fourth quarter with a 49-40 lead.
"I thought we executed better in the third quarter, and we played good defense and were able to score in transition,” Conrad said. “We just getting stops and were able to get out. Whenever you're able to get out in the open floor, you're able to get some easy buckets that way."
While the Knights are most likely out of the race for the conference title, they are 100 percent focused on getting into districts.
“I think we just have to keep playing good defense,” Conrad said. “Our conference is so much fun and competitive, and almost anybody can beat anybody, but we're just going to keep doing what we're doing offensively and defensively and keep trying to play in transition."
CB South (8-6, 5-3) was led by Alex Karras' 13 points. Tim Waddington and Sean Gallagher added 11 and 10, respectively.
Central Bucks South 12 19 9 18–58
North Penn 13 20 16 15—64
American Conference
Cheltenham 66, Upper Merion 62
Since getting Vaughn Jenkins back last week, Cheltenham has been a better basketball team. With Jenkins back in the lineup the last four games, the Panthers – after their victory over Upper Merion – are 3-1, which includes a huge underdog win over Plymouth Whitemarsh.
While Jenkins was easing his way back into the lineup, he appeared to be back to 100 percent with a 21-point effort against the Vikings, his best effort of since his return.
“It was Vaughn’s first game really getting acclimated to the team since he got back,” Cheltenham coach John Timms said. “I was very ecstatic to see him and Fatiir (Al-Ahad) play well together.
Al-Ahad, who struggled against Wissahickon in a tough defeat on Tuesday, scored 20 points on Thursday.
“Fatiir has been playing well,” Timms said. “In the games we won, he scored over 15 points in each game. Being the senior captain that he is, when he plays well, we win.”
Cheltenham led by seven (35-28) at the half and went on top by double digits in the third before Upper Merion staged a comeback, pulling to within two points.
Cheltenham eventually pulled it out in the fourth with its second 21-point quarter of the evening.
“I think Upper Merion played great, I really do,” Timms said. “I think they came out with a lot of energy in the fourth quarter and they were able to come back. Their guys were able to fight. We’re winning these games by 6-7 points, but that’s just because how it’s turning out. We’re not 6-7 points better than our opponents.”
Khalil White scored 11 for Cheltenham (7-7, 5-3), which also got six from Justin Sutton.
Matt Few led all scorers with 28 points for the Vikings (2-12, 1-7). Ethan Miller added 15, while Andrew Persuad four fourth-quarter three-pointers helped him to a 12-point night.
Upper Merion 15 13 15 19–62
Cheltenham 14 21 10 21—66
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