Check out the recaps for SOL boys’ basketball teams in action Saturday. Abington/Tennent photos courtesy of John Gleeson. Check back for a gallery of photos: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/f716903222
SOL Patriot/Colonials crossover
NESHAMINY 48, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 46
Neshaminy was looking for a signature win.
The Redskins got one when they edged a West squad that had just four losses entering Saturday’s crossover game, and this one was anything but easy.
“It was just a great back-and-forth battle,” Neshaminy coach Mark Tingle said. “It was very physical, just a really good basketball game to watch.
“It was definitely the kind of a statement win we needed. We haven’t really beaten anyone that has a lot of points. We’ve had really close games with everybody but just haven’t gotten over the edge, so this was definitely a big statement win.”
The Bucks led by two after one quarter, but the Redskins came back and took a 19-18 lead into halftime. Emeer Coombs led the ‘Skins with nine first-half points. Matt Engle kept the Bucks in it, scoring nine of his team’s first-half points.
“They run a really tough matchup zone,” Tingle said. “It’s tricky – they run it really well. They’re playing really well.”
The Bucks led 29-22 early in the third quarter, but behind eight points from Nate Townsend, the Redskins erased that deficit, and West led by just one heading into the final quarter (33-32). The Redskins – sparked by six points from Guy Horton – outscored their hosts 16-13 in the fourth quarter.
“We went up by six – it never went beyond that, and they made a couple baskets to get it close,” Tingle said. “Ryan Meehan was at the line at the very end. We were only up three, and he hit 1-of-2 to knock it to four with under 10 seconds left. Him making that free throw was big for us to go up four. They wound up making a two at the very, very end, and the clock just ran out.”
Coombs led Neshaminy with 18 points to go along with seven assists. Townsend added 12 points, seven assists and seven rebounds. Horton contributed eight points, and Max Currie had six.
“We have three tough games this week – we play Pennsbury at home, which is always a crazy rivalry game,” Tingle said. “Then we have a makeup against CB East at their place on Thursday, and then we’re back home against Council Rock South.”
Engle’s 14 points led the Bucks while Roman Kulesa and Julian Phillips both added eight points. Bowen Gugger and Sam Jankowski each had seven.
Neshaminy (9-6, 6-4 SOL) will host Pennsbury on Tuesday, and Central Bucks West (12-5, 6-5) will travel to Central Bucks East on Tuesday.
Neshaminy 8-11-13-16 48
Central Bucks West 10-8-15-13 46
Neshaminy (48) – Emeer Coombs 6 4-4 18; Ryan Meehan 0 1-2 1; Max Currie 3 0-0 6; Guy Horton 4 0-0 8; Logan Gale 1 0-0 3; Nate Townsend 4 1-2 12; TOTALS 18 6-8 48.
Central Bucks West (46) – Matt Engle 6 2-6 16; Roman Kulesa 3 0-0 8; Julian Phillips 3 0-0 8; Bowen Gugger 3 1-2 7; Sam Jankowski 3 1-2 7; TOTALS 18 4-8 46.
3-point goals: CBW – Matt Engle 2, Roman Kulesa 2, Julian Phillips 2; Neshaminy – Nate Townsend 3, Emeer Coombs 2, Logan Gale.
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 45, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 42
The Patriots struggled to find their offensive stride and trailed by 10 early in the second half. Down but not out, they rallied for the come-from-behind win in Saturday’s crossover game.
“We had eight days off, so we were definitely a little bit rusty,” East coach Erik Henrysen said. “At times, we got open shots, and we just didn’t knock them down – we finished 5-for25 from 3, so we played a little bit out of character.”
The Patriots trailed by six at halftime and saw that deficit grow to 10 early in the third quarter before they rallied.
“It kind of felt like at that point when they got up 10 – we started to get into a little bit of rhythm offensively and played a little bit of faster,” Henrysen said. “During that stretch, we had a really good response.”
Jacob Cummiskey and Tyler Dandrea each had five points in the third quarter.
“We also got stops,” Henrysen said. “Grady Burt was really tough today, and we had trouble stopping him. Their next leading scorer had seven, so even the trouble we had with Burt, we were able to figure out the rest.”
Cummiskey led the Patriots with a double-double that included 12 points and 10 rebounds as well as four assists and three steals. Dhruv Mukund added nine points and five rebounds while Dandrea finished with eight points.
Burt led all scorers with 24 points in a strong offensive showing. Tyler Rodowicz added seven points.
Central Bucks East (14-2, 9-1 SOL) will host Central Bucks West on Tuesday, and Council Rock North (5-9, 3-6) will host Harry S Truman on Tuesday.
Central Bucks East 10-9-15-11 45
Council Rock North 9-16-8-9 42
Central Bucks East (45) – Jacob Cummiskey 12, Dhruv Mukund 9, Bryce Lolas 3, Tyler Dandrea 8, Justin DiRoberto 5, Miles Demby 5, Caleb Lyzinski 3.
Council Rock North (42) – Grady Burt 24, Oliver Schaeffer 3, Jack Curry 2, Tyler Rodowicz 7, Andrew O’Keeffe 4, Riley Haggerty 2.
3-point goals: CBE – Tyler Dandrea 2, Bryce Lolas, Jacob Cummiskey, Miles Demby; CRN – Grady Burt.
SOL Liberty/Freedom crossover
ABINGTON 66, WILLIAM TENNENT 64
The Ghosts found themselves on the short end of a 48-39 score heading into the final quarter but rallied for the gutsy road win, opening the frame with a 13-3 run and scoring 27 points to earn the crossover win.
“It was a good win today,” Abington coach Dan Marsh said. “I was super concerned coming into this game. We hadn’t played in a week – like everybody, so I’m not making
an excuse, and we hadn’t really practiced, again like everybody.
“I knew William Tennent has a couple of really good players and some guys who know their roles and play their roles well. They also play well at home, and I told them before the game – ‘I’m concerned about today. Right now, you guys still control your own destiny, but if you come in here and don’t play well, this team will beat you.’ They were doing what we thought they’d do – they hit 3s, and they took a lead.
“When it was 48-39, I said, ‘Look, it’s now or never. We’ve got to cover their shooters, we’ve got to make a run at them right now,’ and we responded. Aaron (Jones), JJ (Jeremiah Lee) helped spark a run. Jaden Flournoy hit some big 3s. It was a good win, but you’ve got to have wins like this so they know they can win.”
The ending was not without its tense moments, and the Ghosts’ coach implemented what Marsh and former coach Charles Grasty simply refer to as the ‘Marsh Rule’ twice in the closing seconds.
The play earned its name after the girls’ team – with Marsh at the helm – lost a heartbreaker to Red Lion in the state playoffs.
“We were up three with 4.7 seconds to go, and coach Grasty was behind my bench, and he’s like, ‘foul, foul,’ and I said, ‘No, we’re not fouling,’” Marsh said. “They buried a 3 and then beat us in overtime.
“Out of that came the ‘Marsh Rule’ – any time you’re up three under seven seconds you foul. We were up three with 10 seconds to go. We fouled, they made one. I think they tried to miss the second one on purpose, but we got the rebound.
“It was a two-point game, JJ made one of two, so now there’s five seconds to go, and it’s a 3-point game. I said, ‘We have to do it again.’ We did it again. He tried to miss the second, but he had a lane violation, and that was the end of the game.
“They were shooting the ball really well from 3, and their whole offense is perimeter based, so I know they have good stuff to get 3s, and I was like, ‘I’m not giving it to them. We’ll take 2s instead of 3s,’ so we fouled them. I think it was a good choice. One, it only gives two points, and two, I also think it frustrates the other team. They want a chance to hit the big shot and tie the game. They don’t get that chance, and it frustrates them a little bit.”
Lee and Aaron Jones both had eight points in the 27-point fourth quarter.
Lee led the Ghosts with 16 points and seven rebounds. Jaden Flournoy scored 14 points off the bench, including three 3-pointers in the second half. He also had four steals. Brasher added 10 points – eight in the first quarter – and six rebounds.
“One of the keys today – we decided to put Kamari Brasher, who if you’re going traditional basketball is our center, on number one (Kirby Mooney), their best player,” Marsh said. “He’s an incredible scorer. That kid is a legit 6-3, and I think he’s probably used to going against kids that are his size or smaller. I’m like, ‘Let’s put 6-6 Kamari on him and see how it works,’ and it worked because it took away his inside game. He still had 14 points, but he only had four in the second half.”
Khalid Jenkins and Lathan Miller both had nine points with Miller connecting on three 3-pointers – his final 3 with 3:43 remaining in regulation gave the Ghosts a lead they would not lose. Jones finished with eight.
Chris D’Ambra’s 19 points led the Panthers while Mooney had 14. Imad Abunima and Trey Stracuzzi both had 13 points. The Panthers buried 10 3-pointers with D’Ambra and Stracuzzi both connecting on three. Abunima had a pair from beyond the arc.
The Ghosts took a season-high 61 shots, connecting on 24 (37.3 percent). They were 6-for-27 from beyond the arc (22.2 percent). Abington had 30 rebounds – 15 offensive. They had eight steals and 11 assists with five turnovers, only one in the second half.
Abington (12-3, 6-2 SOL) will travel to Plymouth Whitemarsh on Tuesday, and William Tennent (10-6, 7-4) will host Springfield Twp on Tuesday.
Abington 14-16-9-27 66
William Tennent 15-14-19-16 64
Abington (66) – Jeremiah Lee 5 5-8 16; Aaron Jones 3 2-5 8; Jaden Flournoy 5 1-2 14; Kamari Brasher 5 0-0 10; Khalid Jenkins 3 2-3 9; Lathan Miller 3 2-2 9; Jake Manigault 0 0-4 0; TOTALS 24 12-24 66.
William Tennent (64) –Kirby Mooney 5 3-3 14; Chris D’Ambra 7 2-4 19; Sean Devine 1 0-0 3; Imad Abunima 5 1-4 13; Jayden Bright 1 0-0 2; Tre Stracuzzi 5 0-0 13; TOTALS 24 6-11 64.
3-point goals: Abington – Jaden Flournoy 3, Jeremiah Lee, Khalid Jenkins, Lathan Miller; WT Chris D’Ambra 3, Tre Stracuzzi 3, Imad Abunima 2, Kirby Mooney, Sam Devine.
Non-league
HOLY GHOST PREP 86, BENSALEM 83 (OT)
The Owls have spent the season winning the close ones.
On Saturday, one got away in a game that was yet another classic battle between the neighboring rivals.
“It was a great battle,” Bensalem coach Ron Morris said. “It came down to the end, and this time we didn’t come out on top.
“Credit to Holy Ghost – they played really well. Bensalem-Holy Ghost – you can throw the records out the window forever because it’s going to be a good battle. Coach (Tom) Heston does a great job. He had some big shoes to fill coming in after coach (Tony) Chapman. It’s not easy because of all his success, but they have a really bright future.”
Both teams came out with their offenses working on all cylinders, battling to a 19-19 tie after one quarter. Antonio Morris was the catalyst for the Owls, scoring nine points in the quarter. The senior had 15 points in the first half, but the Firebirds took a 38-34 lead into halftime.
It was still a four-point game heading into the fourth quarter when the Owls – sparked by 11 points from Jaidyn Moffitt – outscored their visitors 21-18.
Adrien ‘Ace’ Varella buried the shot that sent the game to overtime where the Firebirds outscored the Owls 13-10. Varella – whose 25 points led the Firebirds – had a pair of baskets in extra time, and the Firebirds were 7-for-10 from the foul line in OT.
“Credit to Ace for hitting the shot to tie it and go to overtime,” Morris said. “It was a tough contested shot.”
For the Owls, Moffitt finished with a game-high 26 points, which included a 12-for-17 effort at the foul line. Antonio Morris also had a big game, finishing with 23 points. Noah Morris buried four 3-pointers and contributed 14 points, and Amir Drummond had 12 points. Jahmir Chatman added six points.
“Antonio had a great game, getting buckets,” Morris said. “Jaden shot the ball well and was a force down low.
“We have played many close games, and today we came up in the wrong end. I need to do a better job in certain situations, have our guys ready. We will learn from it and get ready for another war Tuesday night.”
Bensalem (13-2, 9-0 SOL) will host Council Rock South on Tuesday.
Holy Ghost Prep 19-19-17-18-13 86
Bensalem 19-15-18-21-10 83
Holly Ghost Prep (86) – Zachary Sharlin 6 8-11 22; Adam McDonald 5 2-4 13; Robert Segarich 3 2-2 8; Gavin McLaughlin 0 1-2 1; Adrien Varella 9 6-8 25; Thomas Nahill 6 0-0 15; Charles Steinmetz 0 2-2 2; TOTALS 29 21-29 86.
Bensalem (83) – Antonio Morris 8 6-7 23; Noah Morris 5 0-0 14; Micah White 1 0-0 2; Amir Drummond 4 4-6 12; Nate Cooper 2 2-2 6; Jahmir Chatman 0 0-2 0; Jaidyn Moffitt 7 12-17 26; TOTALS 27 24-34 83
3-point goals: HGP – Thomas Nahill 3, Zachary Sharlin 2, Adam McDonald, Adrien Varella; Bensalem – Noah Morris 4, Antonio Morris.
BALTIMORE CITY COLLEGE HS (Md.) 68, PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 56
The Colonials hung with the defending Maryland Class 3A state champions for one half in Saturday’s Bump N’ Bmore Showcase game, trailing 33-27 at halftime. The Black Knights put 23 points on the board in the third quarter to go on top 55-38 heading into the final frame. The Colonials never threatened.
Jaden Colzie’s 23 points led all scorers and included five 3-pointers. He also had six rebounds. Mani Sajid buried four 3s and added 18 points. He also had five assists. Michael Pereira led the Colonials under the backboards, pulling down nine rebounds.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (9-6, 7-2 SOL) will host Abington on Tuesday.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 16-11-11-18 56
Baltimore City College (Md.) 19-14-23-12 68
Plymouth Whitemarsh (56) – Jaden Colzie 9 0-1 23; Ben Marsico 2 0-0 5; Mani Sajid 5 4-4 18; Michael Pereira 1 3-4 5; Jah Pendergrass-Sayles 1 1-2 3; TOTALS 19 8-12 56.
Baltimore City College (Md.) (68) – Omarr Smith 6 0-0 13; Camontae Griffin Jr 4 1-2 9; Khmon Horton 3 1-2 7; Dwayne Campbell 8 3-5 19; Gage Howard 7 4-8 18; Marquel Paschall 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 29 9-17 68.
3-point goals: PW – Jaden Colzie 5, Mani Sajid 4, Ben Marsico; BCC – Omarr Smith.
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