Check out the results for SOL boys’ basketball teams in action Thursday. The Neshaminy/Tennent photos provided courtesy of Jesse Garber. To view game photos, please click on the following link: http://JSGarber.zenfolio.com/p236441979 Check back for Lisa Henderson’s gallery of the CB South/Pennridge game and Kim Supko’s gallery of the Upper Merion/Norristown game.
By Jarrad Saffren
The storm of the century is coming this weekend. Just go to any area supermarket and you’ll see. Weather forecasters say the snow will start to fall late Friday night. Suburban One League athletic directors responded by rescheduling many Friday night games for Thursday night. Ten SOL boys basketball games were rescheduled to Thursday. All league games. The results and recaps are below.
SOL National
Bensalem 70, Pennsbury 59
Bensalem won its fourth straight game and eighth out of ten. Pennsbury lost its second straight and sixth of nine.
“We played great team D and created a lot of open looks,” Bensalem coach Mike McCabe said. “We played really well. Very, very well.”
Bensalem led by three at halftime (31-28) and pulled away in the third. The Owls won by 11 even though they missed 15 free throws.
“That was the only thing we didn’t do well,” McCabe said.
Richard Dean and Ward Roberts sparked Bensalem’s offense by scoring 22 points each. McCabe also credited his big guy for matching Pennsbury bigs Mark Flagg and Isaiah Carpenter.
“Anthony Greene played very well on Flagg and Carpenter,” said McCabe, going on to credit is point guard. “Brandon Vaughn has stepped up immensely the last four games as the point guard. He’s put us on his back.”
Bensalem turned the ball over just eight times Thursday night, six in the first half.
McCabe and his staff took over the program in the offseason and installed a new system. The Owls went through growing pains but are buying in and gaining confidence.
“It was a whole new system, a whole new coaching staff, a whole new everything,” McCabe said. “When you put a new system in, you’re talking about a new offense, a new defense, it’s an immense amount of information to learn in a short period of time.”
Bensalem’s athletic lineup is thriving in McCabe’s man-to-man defense.
“We don’t play a whole lot of zone,” McCabe said. “We are quick. We are athletic. Our basketball IQ has really gotten a lot better in the last five games. We are starting to understand things a lot better. A lot, lot better.”
The Owls (9-7, 5-5 SOL) battle first-place Abington Tuesday in a measuring stick game. Pennsbury (10-7, 6-4 SOL) takes on Harry S. Truman at 7 p.m.
Pennsbury 18-10-11-20 59
Bensalem 13-18-19-20 70
Pennsbury: Adison HOward 8, Vaughn Ward 3, Ray Winton Law 2, Tyler Sessa-Reeves 2, Isaiah Carpenter 10, Joey Monaghan 1, Mark Flagg 23, Rob Daly 10.
Bensalem: Brandon Vaughn 9, Rich Dean 22, Anthony Greene 4, Ward Roberts 22, Taco Douglas 4, John Dumeny 9.
Council Rock North 40, Harry S. Truman 27
Riley Thompson rescued the Indians for the second straight game.
On Tuesday night at Pennsbury, Thompson hit three three-pointers in the second quarter to cut the Falcons’ lead to two by halftime. On Thursday night versus Truman, Thompson buried four three-pointers in the first half to turn a four-point deficit into an eight-point halftime lead (23-15).
He scored 23 in North’s upset win over Pennsbury and 25 more Thursday night.
“Riley bailed us out, man,” North coach Derek Wright said. “We had stretches where we couldn’t score.”
Thompson made five three-pointers overall, shot 6-for-6 from the foul line and 7-for-11 from the field. Truman never got closer than six in the second half.
“There were less games over the holiday break, so I kind of got the time in the gym, worked on my shot,” Thompson said. “Then I finally got back into it these last few games. It’s paying off.”
Is it the best he’s played in his high school career?
“Absolutely,” Thompson said. “I had a good year last year but I came back and wanted to be even better. I feel like I’ve been doing that right now.”
After the game, a coach from Penn State-Abington approached Wright about talking to Thompson. Wright said PSU-Abington and a Division III school in Indiana are looking at Thompson. Whether he plays basketball or not, Thompson has options, according to Wright.
“He’s got some interest,” the Indians’ coach said. “Hopefully, the more he plays well he gets some opportunities. I would love to see him play at the next level.”
“He’s accepted to Villanova already,” Wright said. “If the college basketball thing doesn’t work out, he’ll be just fine.”
A few other players had to score for North. Will Desautelle led the rest with six points. Tyler Nowmos added five.
Danell Snelling paced Truman with nine. Maurice Jackson netted six.
CR North (9-8, 7-3 SOL) hosts Neshaminy Tuesday night. Truman (6-10, 5-5 SOL) welcomes Pennsbury on the same night.
Harry S. Truman 8-7-8-4 27
Council Rock North 5-18-6-11 40
Harry S Truman: Kelechi Ogbonna 2, Danell Snelling 9, Maurice Jackson 6, Jeff Nixon 4, Justin Fant 2, Tyrone Willis 1, James Clowney 2, Satchell Simpson 1.
Council Rock North: Riley Thompson 25, Will Desautelle 6, Noah Ehlin 1, Tyler Nowmos 5, Eric Levine 3.
Neshaminy 60, William Tennent 50
Pressure defense and a big third quarter lifted Neshaminy over William Tennent.
“We turned them over probably 15 times,” Neshaminy coach John Mason said. “We played well in transition and scored against their zone.”
Neshaminy led by nine at halftime (23-14) and extended the lead to 21 in the third quarter.
“Our guards are young. They’ve never had that big of a lead,” Mason said. “They made a run.”
Tennent cut its deficit to seven with less than four minutes to play, but Neshaminy made six foul shots down the stretch.
Zach Tredway (20) and Billy Warren (10) combined for 30 points for the Redskins.
“They excelled on the offensive boards and got a lot of second chance opportunities,” Mason said.
Tredway also locked down Tennent top option, center John Ryan.
“John Ryan’s a good post presence,” Mason said. “Tredway did a great job shutting him down. We also made the adjustment in the second half to front him.
“We made them throw over the top passes into the post. Our kids did a great job adjusting in the
second half.”
Ryan finished with 12 points. Pat McCauley led Tennent with 19 and George Alston added 10.
Anthony Papeo and Shammond Thomas scored 10 and seven for Neshaminy, respectively.
Mason knows that the 2015-16 Redskins will always be associated with ex-coach Jerry Devine’s five seconds of infamy. While the players have not forgotten about it, they have moved on.
“Once we step on the floor for practice, our focus is on getting better each day,” Mason said.
Mason said he does not know if Devine, who kept his teaching job at Neshaminy, has spoken with the players in school.
“It’s kind of in the past now for us,” Mason said.
Neshaminy is 2-6 since Mason replaced Devine.
Neshaminy (3-12, 2-8 SOL) takes on Northeast Monday night at 7 p.m. Tennent (5-12, 2-8 SOL) goes to Council Rock South Tuesday for a 7 p.m. tipoff.
Neshaminy 8-15-23-14 60
William Tennent 8-6-13-23 50
Abington 64, Council Rock South 42
Abington is the hottest team in the SOL right now. The Ghosts have won eight straight games and 13 of 14.
In the SOL National, they are two games up on CR North and three games ahead of Pennsbury.
Eric Dixon posted 26 points and 11 rebounds against South. Brian Close had nine points. Robert Young and Lucas Monroe each scored eight.
Robbie Heath dished seven assists.
Abington (14-3, 9-1 SOL) battles red-hot Bensalem Tuesday night. CR South (6-10, 4-6 SOL) plays William Tennent on the same night.
SOL American
Upper Merion 58, Norristown 48
Upper Merion – after Abington – is the next hottest team in the SOL. The Vikings have won three straight and 10 of 11, including the upset of the season Tuesday night, a 57-43 win over previously undefeated Plymouth Whitemarsh.
“We came in pretty confident after what we accomplished Tuesday night,” Upper Merion coach Jason Quenzer said. “But we are still a hungry group. We are where we want to be currently but nowhere near where we want to go.”
Quenzer and his players entered new territory after beating PW.
“It’s definitely a different position for us to be in,” the Vikings’ coach said. “There’s a little bit of a target on our backs now because we beat PW. But our guys responded well.”
Indeed they did. UM never gave up the lead after going up 2-0. Every Vikings player was solid.
“There were no real standouts tonight,” Quenzer said. “Matt (Faw) had his kind of game. Isaiah (Graham-Mobley) rebounded well. Chris Carita played real well. He shot the lights out of the ball.”
Carita shot 4-for-6 from downtown and finished with 12 points. Faw dropped 24 and Andrew Persaud and Ethan Miller added eight each.
Amir Carter led Norristown with 18. Darryl Carr netted 12.
Upper Merion (11-5, 6-4 SOL) clashes with Wissahickon Tuesday at 7 p.m. “That’s a real tough place to play,” Quenzer said. “(Wissahickon coach) Kyle (Wilson) does a great job coaching them.”
“Our goal is just to get in the playoffs and be the highest seed as possible. And of course play a home game,” Quenzer said.
Norristown (6-11, 4-6 SOL) plays Cheltenham Tuesday night at 7 p.m.
Upper Merion 18-13-13-16 58
Norristown 10-18-5-15 48
Upper Merion 18-13-12-15 58
Norristown 10-18-5-15 48
Norristown: Darryl Carr 12, Desmond Gorski 2, Kether Massiaz 8, Amir Carter 18, Clark 4, Tyrique Lyons 4.
Cheltenham 70, Springfield 32
Cheltenham led by 16 after one quarter, 29 after two, and coasted the rest of the way.
"We actually played one of our better games, a complete game," Cheltenham coach John Timms said.
Anthony White led all scorers with 13 points, all in the first half. Maurice Valentine was second on the Panthers with eight. Amir Lewis added seven and Justin Sutton six. All 15 Cheltenham players who saw action scored.
Justin Hill paced Springfield with 11.
Cheltenham is tied with PW atop the SOL American standings.
The Panthers (14-3, 9-1 SOL) take on Norristown Tuesday night. Springfield (3-14, 0-10 SOL) welcomes Upper Moreland Tuesday night at 7 p.m.
Cheltenham 18-23-14-15 70
Springfield 2-10-10-10 32
Springfield: Ryan Daley 7, Justin Hill 11, Matt Goodson 3, Quentin Johnson 6, Larry Clark 5.
Cheltenham: Branden Mack 2, Khalil White 4, Anthony White 13, Ahmad Bickley 2, Jack Clark 2, Maurice Valentine 8, Blair Brown 6, Kenny Cooper 4, Marcus Lee 2, Amir Lewis 7, Rodney Carson 4, Justin Sutton 6, Makai Desper 2, Trevonn Pitts 5, Aidan Corrigan 3.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 77, Wissahickon 46
This is the PW team we know. Two nights after losing by 14 to Upper Merion, their first loss of the season, the Colonials were on a mission against Wissahickon.
Xzavier Malone (21) and Mike Lotito (20) combined for 41 points. Kevin Ashenfelter pitched in 11. Ahmin Williams had seven. Ten players scored for PW.
The Colonials – who led 19-6 after one quarter and never looked back – shot 55 percent from the field, 46 percent from three-point range, and scored 46 points in the paint.
Chaz Owens led Wissahickon with nine points. Zach Reiner added eight and Noah Curran seven.
PW is tied in first-place with Cheltenham.
The Colonials (16-1, 9-1 SOL) host Upper Dublin Tuesday at 7 p.m. Wissahickon (8-9, 4-6 SOL) plays Upper Merion on the same night and time.
Wissahickon 6-11-13-16 46
Plymouth Whitemarsh 19-12-23-23 77
Wissahickon: Chaz Owens 9, Max Rapoport 3, Marquese Wilson 2, Zach Gelman 2, Noah Curran 7, Aex Tappen 4, Shane Ford 3, Marlyn Johnson 4, Michael Howard 4, Zach Reiner 8.
Plymouth Whitemarsh: Xzavier Malone 21, Mike Lotito 20, Oakley Spencer 2, Kevin Ashenfelter 11, Davon Burrell 4, Grady Minick 2, Ahmin Williams 7, Ahmad Williams 5, Devon Larence 2, Matt Walker 3.
SOL Continental
Central Bucks East 37, Hatboro-Horsham 36
CB East won its second straight game in the final seconds.
On Tuesday night against North Penn, Matt Pattyson hit the winning free throws with 16 seconds left. On Thursday night versus Hatboro-Horsham, Chris Reilly made two free throws to put East up three.
Hatboro-Horsham’s Brian McEachern made a put-back with one second left and Reilly’s free throws became game-winners. After McEachern’s shot, the Patriots inbounded to Tommy Strasburger and time ran out.
Reilly shot 4-for-4 from the line in the fourth quarter and pitched in six points. Strasburger posted eight points and also contributed five rebounds, five assists, and three steals. Matt Pattyson recorded 13 points, including four first half three-pointers, and five boards.
Jay Davis had 11 points and five steals for Hatboro-Horsham. Clifton Moore added 11 points, 10 rebounds, and four blocked shots. McEachern scored six.
CB East is now one game back of Hatboro-Horsham for second-place in the SOL Continental.
The Patriots (10-7, 5-5 SOL) play Central Bucks South Tuesday night. Hatboro-Horsham (9-8, 6-4 SOL) battles Quakertown Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Hatboro-Horsham 2-10-11-13 36
Central Bucks East 12-10-5-10 37
Hatboro-Horsham: Ezekiel Sloan 3, Brian McEachern 6, Joseph Russell 2, Clifton Moore 11, Jay Davis 11, Ryan Black 3.
Central Bucks East: Tommy Strasburger 8, Justin O’Neil 4, Blake Peterson 2, Eijah Seger 2, Matt Pattyson 13, Chris Reilly 6.
Pennridge 49, Central Bucks South 36
Max Wagner (17) and Stephen Lowry (15) combined for 32 points to lead Pennridge to its eighth win in nine games.
Lowry made five three-pointers. Dan Long added nine points.
Chris Hones paced CB South with 15. Leading scorer Tim Waddington was held to four. Alex Karras pitched in eight.
CB South kept the game close until the fourth quarter. The visiting Rams, who took a 23-18 lead into halftime, led by just a 34-32 score heading into the final frame when Pennridge turned a two-point lead into a 13-point win.
Pennridge kept pace with Central Bucks West atop the SOL Continental standings. CB South lost its third straight and fell to .500 in league play.
Pennridge (15-3, 9-1 SOL) goes to Souderton Tuesday night for a 7 p.m. tipoff. CB South (9-9, 5-5 SOL) buses to CB East for a 5 p.m. start.
Pennridge 16-7-11-15 49
Central Bucks South 11-7-14-4 36
Pennridge: Devon Balmer 4, Dan Long 9, Stephen Lowry 15, Kyle Yoder 3, Ryan Cuthbert 1, Max Wagner 17.
Central Bucks South: Alex Karras 8, Nate Robinson 2, Tommy Doyle 2, Dan Tecce 3, Tim Waddington 4, Chris Hones 15.
Central Bucks West 60, Souderton 50
CB West ballooned a 25-20 halftime edge into a 15-point lead after three quarters (43-28), staying even with Pennridge atop the SOL Continental standings.
Erich Hohenleitner dropped 19 points to lead the Bucks. Connor Lynch and Luke Irons added 12 and 10, respectively. Bill Power scored nine.
Mike Bealer and David Brush each scored 14 to lead the Indians. Ty Salone netted 13.
CB West (15-3, 9-1 SOL) welcomes North Penn Tuesday night. Souderton (6-11, 2-8 SOL) plays Pennridge Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Souderton 10-10-8-22 50
Central Bucks West 11-14-18-17 60
Souderton: Mike Bealer 14, Ty Salone 13, Matt Cartwright 2, David Brush 14, Austin Eberhardt 2, Ian Beardsley 5.
Central Bucks West: Luke Irons 10, Bill Power 9, Erich Hoohlenleitner 19, Connor Lynch 12, Jake Reichwein 6, Collin MacAdams 4.
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