Check out the recaps for SOL boys’ basketball teams in action Friday. UD/Abington photos courtesy of Greg Lindsay, CR South/Truman photos courtesy of John Gleeson, Bensalem/Pennsbury photos courtesy of Darryl Rule of J&D Photography, and Cheltenham/Tennent photos courtesy of Troy Leatherbury. PW/Wissahickon photos courtesy of Larry Small. Check back for galleries of the games. CLICK HERE to view Suburban One Sports’ BOYS’ BASKETBALL GALLERIES.
SOL Colonial Division
North Penn 60, Central Bucks South 41
Up two at halftime, North Penn came out strong in the second half and pulled off the upset of the year in the Colonial Division, knocking off first-place CB South on the road and snapping the Titans’ 15-game win streak.
Key Players: For North Penn, Lee Hammond (16 points, 12-14 FT), Gabe Altemus (16 points), Ahmaar Godhania (10 points in third quarter).
For CB South, Leo Medwid (10 points).
North Penn coach Cordell Lord: “We’re very, very happy right now. CB South is a very talented team. They shoot the ball extremely well, and coach Lou (Louie Ditri) is a fantastic guy and a great coach, and he has his boys playing phenomenal basketball this year. They lost their first three and have been on a 15-game winning streak since. That’s not easy to do. Hats off to him and the job he’s done in the organization since he’s taken over. He’s been giving me good advice throughout the season that I take very seriously, and I appreciate him for it.
“Going into tonight, we knew it was going to be a big game for multiple reasons with playoff implications and a legacy game for our seniors in a way to keep their season alive. We just said once again, ‘We don’t have anything to lose. We know what’s at stake for us. Let’s just go have fun. Stop overthinking about stuff. Just play hard, have fun, execute the things we’re looking for, and we’ll live with the results.’
“We had a tough loss Tuesday against CB West, but we’ve had a great week of practice, and we bounced back pretty well. The effort and execution showed tonight. That speaks to the guys that I have. They’re never down and out. They stay true to the course, and they believe in everything we’re giving them, so it’s really easy for me to lose hours of sleep and just give them everything I’ve got and make sure we’re as prepared as possible to go out every night and compete at a high level.”
–Props: “He didn’t score a lot, but Shane Ward was huge for us off the bench tonight with his defense, his energy, his communication and his ability to attack the basket and get downhill and cause some issues for CB South. He did a great job.
“Gabe Altemus had 16 points tonight. He did a great job being very aggressive. Lee Hammond was fantastic tonight, getting to the free throw line where he was 12-for-14, but he really did a great job of being aggressive – an attack first mentality and not overthinking. These are things we’re trying to get them to do more consistently, and this is definitely a step in the right direction.”
Next up: North Penn (7-12, 3-4 SOL) will host Pennridge Tuesday, and Central Bucks South (15-4, 6-1) will host Central Bucks West Tuesday.
North Penn (60) – Ahmaar Godhania 4 0-0 10; Lee Hammond 2 12-14 16; Shane Ward 2 0-0 4; Aiden Atkinson 2 4-4 8; Nolen Foust 1 0-0 2; Gabe Altemus 6 2-2 16; Wyatt Martin 2 0-0 4; Totals 19 18-22 60.
Central Bucks South (41) – Cole DiEmidio 0 3-3 3; Alex Shahin 2 0-0 4; Brett Barrett 3 0-0 8; Nicholas Zakrzewski 1 0-0 3; Dan Gies 2 0-0 5 Shane Farrell 1 0-0 2; Connor Chompson 0 0-2 0; Ben Harrison 2 0-0 4; Kayode Adebayo 1 0-0 2; Leo Medwid 5 0-0 10; Totals 17 3-5 41.
3-point Goals: NP – Ahmaar Godhania 2, Gabe Altemus 2. CBS – Brett Barrett 2, Nicholas Zakrzewski, Dan Gies.
North Penn 12-10-18-20 60
Central Bucks South 6-14-13-8 41
Souderton 43, Central Bucks West 41
Grady Kovach had a huge block on a layup attempt with five seconds remaining, and Souderton held on for the two-point win over a resurgent CB West team that had won its three previous games.
With the win, the Indians pulled into a first-place tie in the Colonial Division with CB South, which lost for the first time Friday against North Penn.
Key Players: For Souderton, Trey Bui (12 points, 4 3-pointers), Nolan Watkins (10 points), Chanse Salone (8 points in fourth quarter).
For CB West, Dan Pellegrini (14 points).
Souderton coach Okoteh Sackitey: “This is a big team win against a good team on the road. CB West is a tough team. They’re in every game. They play great defense. You know it’s going to be a close game every time, so we’re happy and fortunate to come out with a win. West is playing much better recently. They’re figuring things out and getting better each game. We’re trying to do the same. We knew it was going to be a battle. We’re happy to learn from this close game experience. We need to be able to win close games with pressure that are coming down to the wire. The margin isn’t too wide between a win and a loss and a winning season and a losing season. We knew how important it was. I’m very proud of the guys.”
–Props: “Trey Bui had four 3s – he was 4-for-4 from 3 and played a great game offensively and defensively. Nolan Watkins had a big 10 points, and Chanse (Salone) had all eight of his points in the fourth quarter.
“Grady Kovach made a buzzer-beating 3 at the end of the third quarter to put us up one, so that was a big momentum shifter. Grady also ended the game with a block with five seconds left when we were up by two points. West called a timeout with 15 seconds left, they got a layup attempt with five seconds left, and Grady blocked it. It went into Chanse’s hands, and Chanse threw it up the court, and that was the game. Huge game-winning play on defense, a huge defensive stop from Grady. It was a really nice night all around.”
Next up: Souderton (12-5, 6-1 SOL) will be on the road at Upper Merion for a non-league game Saturday (6:30 pm). Central Bucks West (7-12, 1-6) will travel to Central Bucks South Tuesday.
Souderton (43) – Chanse Salone 2 3-4 8; Trey Bui 4 0-0 12; Chris Lewis 1 0-0 2; Nolan Watkins 5 0-2 10; Thaddeus Harter 1 0-0 2; Grady Kovach 2 2-2 7; Dylan Quinn 1 0-0 2; Totals 16 5-8 43.
Central Bucks West (41) – Roman Kulsea 2 1-2 6; Max Milillo 2 4-4 9; Dan Pellegrini 6 2-3 14; Connor Chuo 3 0-0 8; John Vrettos 2 0-0 4; Totals 15 7-9 41.
Souderton. 13-6-9-15 43
Central Bucks West 5-11-11-14 41
3-point goals: S – Trey Bui 4, Chanse Salone, Grady Kovach; CBW – Connor Chuo 2, Roman Kulesa, Max Milillo.
Central Bucks East 65, Pennridge 62
CB East stormed from way back in this one with a huge 29-point fourth quarter to stun host Pennridge on Friday.
The Patriots were outscored 18-9 in the first quarter and were still down 45-36 heading into the fourth quarter. They were 22-for-24 from the free throw line.
Key Players: For CB East, Graham Smith (18 points), Nolan Behm (16 points), Shane O’Hara-Jamison (11 points).
For Pennridge, Xavier Peters (21 points), Ryan Schwind (12 points), Rownan Smith (11 points).
CB East coach Erik Henrysen on the win: “Things got a little crazy at the end. We got down 17 or 18 in the first half. They were hitting their shots, and we had opportunities, but didn’t convert.
“We’d lost four in a row coming into this game, and all of a sudden we were down a ton and well on our way to a fifth loss.”
—The comeback: “We made a little run in the third, but they were able to get back to 10 or 11, and with two minutes to go, we were still down eight.
“We started ramping up our traps and we were able to turn them over. Fortunately, we connected on the foul line, and they struggled down the stretch.”
—Props: “Down the stretch, Graham Smith and Nolan Behm made some huge plays on the scoring end, and Shane O’Hara-Jamison had some huge offensive plays for us. But we had some other guys – Henry Barchak, Quinn Slack, Brady Colbert, Keegan Marascio – who did a great job defensively.”
Next up: Central Bucks East (12-7, 3-4 SOL) will be on the road at Souderton Tuesday (6:30 pm), and Pennridge (9-8, 2-5) will travel to Council Rock South for a non-league game Saturday (12:30 pm).
CB East (65) – Shane O’Hara-Jamison 5 1-1 11; Graham Smith 4 6-6 18; Nolan Behm 4 8-9 16; Anthony Molnar 0 5-6 5; Keegan Maraschio 3 2-2 8; Brady Colbert 3 0-0 7. Totals 19 22-24 65.
Pennridge (62) – Rownan Smith 5 1-3 11; Xavier Peters 6 6-7 21; Jake Bolger 2 2-5 7; Ryan Schwind 4 4-4 12; Sam Crognale 1 0-0 3; Ryan Flood 4 0-0 8. Totals 22 13-19 62.
CB East 9 16 11 29 – 65
Pennridge 18 15 12 17 – 62
3-point goals: CBE – Graham Smith 4, Brady Colbert; P – Xavier Peters 3, Jake Bolger, Sam Crognale.
SOL Patriot Division
Bensalem 56, Pennsbury 50
Trailing by six at halftime, Bensalem scored 41 points in the second half and outscored Pennsbury 20-12 in the fourth quarter to post the five-point win on Friday night.
The two teams entered the night tied for first in the Patriot Division.
Key Players: For Bensalem, Amir Drummond (17 points), Christian Lee (12 points – all in the second half), Aidan Mayfield (11 points).
For Pennsbury, Mike Roccograndi and Pat Jajua led the way with 14 points each.
Bensalem coach Ron Morris said about the victory: “We knew it was going to be a tough one going (against) Pennsbury at Pennsbury. It’s a fun environment to play in, but it’s always tough to get a win over there. We knew they would be well prepared. Coach Emme and their staff do an awesome job getting their guys prepared, so we knew what we were up against.
“In the first half, we started kind of slow offensively. We were happy with our defense at halftime, but offensively, we just couldn’t really get things going. In the third quarter, we really started to turn up our defensive intensity, which then led to offensive buckets. We were down six at half. They came out and scored on their first possession, and from there, you could just see our guys kind of flip a switch and turn up their intensity level, which is awesome, and that’s why I love coaching this group. They’re really resilient.
“At halftime, we challenged them and said, ‘If you want to be a championship team, you have to win on the road in a tough environment.’ They
responded really well.
“Going into the night, we knew what was at stake. Both teams were 5-1. We just battled all the way through like we always do and played Bensalem basketball. Good things are going to happen if you work hard and persevere.”
–Props: “Amir (Drummond) came out in the third quarter and scored some points. He had 12 in the second half. Aidan Mayfield’s defense was unbelievable all game. (Mike) Roccograndi is one of the best players in our league, and Aidan did really well against him. He had five points really late, but we felt like in the fourth quarter in the crucial moments – Aidan did a really good job on him.
“Jahmir Chatman continues to just battle. He’s a warrior. He ended up with nine points, five rebounds and two steals.
“One of the best stories of the night is Christian Lee. He’s a senior captain who hasn’t been shooting the ball too well. We challenged him last week to just stay positive, be a great teammate, be a senior leader and captain, and he did that. Tonight, he ended up with four 3s which is awesome to see because he just persevered through some tough times, and he did really well.
“Trevor Morris continues to give us good minutes. We started small because
Mikey Kramer has been out, but Trevor Morris had five big points in the fourth quarter. He was getting tips and rebounds.”
“It was good to see Mikey Kramer get back out there tonight. He did a good job getting some rebounds. Max Manga is a good player inside, and Mikey did a good job when he was in there.”
Pennsbury coach Wes Emme on the loss: “Difficult loss. I thought we came in with a strong plan and played with an intensity level particularly on the defensive end. But about midway through the third, Bensalem got themselves into a rhythm and it was triggered by a great player and some championship level resilience which stems from their coach, Ron Morris.
“Our ability to get stops early in the game allowed our offense to flow a little more freely. Second half, they got consistent baskets, and we struggled finishing plays.”
Next up: Bensalem (11-8, 6-1 SOL) will be on the road to Harry S Truman Tuesday, Pennsbury (9-9, 5-2 SOL) will travel to Neshaminy Tuesday.
Bensalem (56) – Jahmir Chatman 4 1-1 9; Aidan Mayfield 4 3-5 11; Christian Lee 4 0-0 12; Amir Drummond 6 3-6 17; Chris Kelly 1 0-0 2; Trevor Morris 2 0-0 5; Totals 21 7-12 56
Pennsbury (50) – Mike Roccograndi 6 1-3 14; Grayson Gozum 2 0-0 5; Sean Breslin 2 1-2 7; Pat Jajua 4 4-4 14; Max Manga 2 6-8 10; Totals 16 12-17 50.
Bensalem 8-7-21-20 56
Pennsbury. 11-10-17-12 50
3-point goals: B – Christian Lee 4, Amir Drummond 2, Trevor Morris; P – Sean Breslin 2, Pat Jajua 2, Mike Roccograndi, Gray Gozum.
Neshaminy 44, Council Rock North 41
On a tough, rugged night that was difficult for scoring, Neshaminy emerged in the fourth quarter with the three-point win at home over visiting CR North.
“It was a very competitive game tonight,” said Neshaminy coach Mark Tingle. “We were up two at the end of one, down one at halftime, up two at the end of the third, and we win by three. It was basically back and forth the whole time.”
Key Players: For Neshaminy, Cadenn Amati (16 points, 14 first half), Logan Gale (15 points, 12 second half).
For CR North, Jack Curry (11 points).
Neshaminy coach Mark Tingle said: “North did a good job playing hard and they hit seven ‘3s’. We got a lot of good looks and bared down in the end.
“We got a lead, they had to press a little bit, and we got an open look for a layup to push it to three. There wasn’t much foul shooting tonight. It was just back and forth, guys diving on the ground. It was just a battle.
“We’ve had one of the toughest schedules I think in our whole district. We’ve had some close losses. … It was nice to get a ‘w’ when we’re down to our last couple of games. We only have four games left.”
–Props: “Cadenn Amati had 16, Logan Gale had 15. We only had 44 points, so it was a low-scoring game. We got a lot of good looks, they just weren’t falling for us. One of our leading scorers, Max Currie, didn’t score. Some shots didn’t go down, and he wasn’t getting a lot of good looks, but other guys really stepped up for him.”
Next up: Neshaminy (8-10, 3-4 SOL) will host Pennsbury Tuesday, and Council Rock North (4-13, 2-5) will host Council Rock South Tuesday (5:30 pm).
CR North (41) – Jack Curry 4 0-0 11; Josh Erman 4 0-1 10; Owen Crowne 3 2-2 10; Brandon Holmes 1 0-0 2; Dylan Kiefer 4 0-0 8. Totals 16 2-3 41.
Neshaminy (44) – Jason Leiva 2 0-0 4; Logan Gale 7 0-0 15; Cadenn Amati 6 4-5 16; Jason Gilardi 3 0-3 7; Dominic Ciallella 1 0-0 2. Totals 19 4-8 44.
CR North 9 12 9 11 – 41
Neshaminy 11 9 12 12 – 44
3-point goals: CRN-Curry 3, Erman 2, Crowne 2; N-Gilardi, Gale
Council Rock South 73, Harry S Truman 38
Senior Ryan Wekluk had his top offensive game of the season with a dominant 22-point effort, as CR South won on Senior Night over visiting Truman on Friday.
Key Players: For CR South, Ryan Wekluk (22 points), Ryan Delp (19 points)
For Truman, Davae Vaughn led the way with 16 points.
CR South coach Andrew Rogers on his team’s four seniors, Jake Macartney, Adam Elabed, Ryan Krepich and Ryan Wekluk: “I’m really proud of them. Just a great group of young men to be around.”
Next up: Council Rock South (10-6, 4-3 SOL) will host Pennridge in a non-league game Saturday (12:30 pm), and Harry S Truman (7-12, 1-6) will host Bensalem Tuesday.
Truman (38) – Jaden Luchansky 8, Davae Vaughn 16, Juliun Rodgers 6, MJ Ellzy 5, Armand 3
CR South (73) – MJ Thompson 6, Jake Macartney 2, Ryan Krepich 9, Adam Elared 6, Ryan Wekluk 22, Ryan Delp 19, Ray Haglund 4, Joe Madera 4, Sestito 2
Truman 4 10 11 9 – 38
CR South 10 24 17 26 – 73
3-point goals: HST-Luchansky 2
SOL Liberty Division
Upper Dublin 75, Abington 46
A huge 30-point fourth quarter was the knockout blow in this one, as first-place Upper Dublin remained on a roll and blew past visiting Abington on Friday night.
Senior Ryan Mulroy had 11 of his game-high 25 points in the fourth.
UD had a 45-33 lead at the end of the third quarter.
Key Players: For UD, Ryan Mulroy (25 points), Idris Rines (16 points), Brandon Altman (12 points), Horace Jackson (10 points).
For Abington, Xander Grasty (13 points), Faizon Garland (10 points), Paul Glants (10 points).
Upper Dublin coach Derek Brooks said: “We did have a nice fourth quarter. They played zone, and we were cold to start the third quarter. We were settling for outside jump shots. Once we started moving the ball and tried to get inside, we got layups and got out on the break a little bit.”
Next up: Upper Dublin (18-1, 7-0 SOL) will travel to Quakertown Tuesday, and Abington (11-6, 4-3) will be on the road at Cheltenham for a non-league game Saturday (1 pm).
Abington (46) – Faizon Garland 10, Xander Grasty 13, Jake Manigault 5, Zion Hospedales 4, Paul Glants 10, Kyler Pickron 2, Michael O’Rourke 2
Upper Dublin (75) – Kobe Bazemore 2, Ryan Mulroy 25, Idris Rinews 15, James Castronuovo 8, Brandon Altman 12, Horace Jackson 10, Luke Caron 3
Abington 11 12 10 13 – 46
Upper Dublin 19 13 13 30 – 75
Hatboro-Horsham 50, Quakertown 37
A 16-6 first quarter on the road staked Hatboro-Horsham to the early lead on the way to the 13-point win against Quakertown on Friday night. Shane Phillips scored six points in the opening frame to lead the Hatters.
The Hatters were coming off of close losses to CB South and Abington in their previous two games. The win was their seventh of the season after winning just four all of last year.
Key Players: For HH, Shane Phillips (14 points), Sean McCue (13 points), Kenny Lutz (10 points).
For Quakertown, Sam Wilkin (18 points, 3 rebounds).
H-H coach Bill Coleman on the win: “Our guys defended really well in quarter one and quarter three tonight. We made Quakertown take some contested shots they normally don’t take, and Sean McCue came in and did a great job cleaning up the glass.
“Kenny Lutz and JT (Jaden Thompson) combined to make everything hard for (Quakertown’s Sam) Wilkins.”
Next up: Hatboro-Horsham (7-11 2-5 SOL) will host Upper Perkiomen Saturday for a non-league game (1 pm), and Quakertown (3-14, 0-7) will host Upper Dublin Tuesday.
Hatboro-Horsham (50) – Ryan Smith 2 2-4 6; Brad Davis 1 0-0 2; Kenny Lutz 5 0-3 10; Jaden Thompson 1 3-4 4; Shane Phillips 5 1-4 14; Sean McCur 6 1-2 13; Totals 20 7-17 50
Quakertown (37) – Colin Ficco 0 2-2 2; Aiden Burgy 0 1-2 1; Jaxon Torres 2 0-0 4; Gavin Mushrush 2 0-0 5; Sam Wilkin 7 1-1 18; Drew Sweder 1 0-0 3; Trae McCray 0 2-4 2; Mason Rush 1 0-0 2; Totals 13 6-9 37.
Hatboro-Horsham 16-12-13-9. 50
Quakertown 6-15-4-12 37
3-point goals: HH – Shane Phillips 3; Q – Sam Wilkin 3, Drew Sweder, Gavin Mushrush.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 78, Wissahickon 43
Mani Sajid dropped 33 points as Plymouth Whitemarsh went from up five after one quarter to a 45-25 halftime lead with a huge second quarter on the way to the 35-point win over visiting Wissahickon on
Friday.
All of Sajid’s points came in the first three quarters.
The Colonials surprised volunteer assistant coach Michael McClure with a halftime ceremony, recognizing his 34 years of service to the program.
Key Players: For PW, Mani Sajid (33 points), Michael Pereira (11 points).
For Wissahickon, Nico Vacchiano (18 points).
Plymouth Whitemarsh coach Jim Donofrio: “The theme of the night, the quote of the night was based on how Michael McClure is. The kids are starting to buy into the idea that when you start to not care who gets the credit, magic starts to happen. The kids were trying to figure it out for a long time. They’re starting to figure it all out. When you stop being territorial and stop worrying what’s in it for you – sometimes all of them are trying to stake their claim.
“When you’re inexperienced at the whole thing, you’re always trying to impress the coach with what you can do individually, and it’s not about that. I’m not faulting the kids for that. They just had to realize that we are coaching and playing to win basketball games. Playing time is earned, and at some point, if you can just stop worrying about all of the insecurities you might have and thinking you have to be great and just
work for each other, it’s an amazing turnabout. A lot of smiles on faces after the last two or three games. It just takes a while to understand it. That’s all.”
Next up: Plymouth Whitemarsh (14-4, 6-1 SOL) will host Unionville in a non-league game Saturday (5 pm), and Wissahickon (7-10, 2-5) will host Abington Tuesday.
Wissahickon (43) – Mason Stelzer 1 3-4 6; Michael Maltin 0 1-2 1; Chis Lee 1 0-0 2; Nico Vacchiano 7 2-3 18; Zach Schwartz 2 0-0 6; Ben Schwartz 4 0-0 8; Delmar Taliafaro 1 0-0 2; Totals 16 6-9 43.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (78) – Tyriq Taylor 0 2-2 2; Jack Hayes 1 2-2 4; Terron Davis 3 2-2 8; Eric Conicello 1 0-0 3; Mani Sajid 11 5-7 33; Michael Pereira 5 1-6 11; Ehab Ahmed 1 0-0 2; Buddy Denard 1 2-2 4; Caleb Bridgeman 4 0-0 9; Will Pereira 0 2-2 2; Totals 27 16-23 78.
Wissahickon. 13-12-11-7 43
Plymouth Whitemarsh 18-27-24-9 78
3-point goals: W – Nico Vacchiano 2, Zach Schwartz 2, Mason Stelzer; PW – Mani Sajd 6, Eric Conicello, Caleb Bridgeman.
SOL Freedom Division
Springfield Twp 45, Lower Moreland 32
A 17-3 second quarter broke open a close game, and Springfield cruised in the second half on the way to the 13-point win on Senior Night.
“I’ve had them since they were in eighth grade,” said Spartans coach Rob Fusaro of the team’s six seniors. “Since we took over the program, they’ve been the group that’s bought in. It’s our first class to go all the way through. I’m super proud to have them. They’ve done everything we’ve asked them to do. They’re great kids, they’re tough kids. They’ve done a tremendous job throughout their careers. We’ve been super fortunate and happy to have them.”
Key Players: For Springfield, Aiden Hood (11 points, 8 rebounds), Brandon Thompson (11 points, 5 rebounds), Bob Hartman (11 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists).
For Lower Moreland, Thomas Maloney led the way with 12 points.
Springfield coach Rob Fusaro about the win: “It was good. They played tough. We got up, kept the lead after halftime and played well. We had a couple of turnovers that were a little unforced, but we came back and finished up the game. We made a couple of free throws, controlled the ball and finished it out.”
Next up: Springfield Twp (10-6, 4-3 SOL) will host Morrisville in a non-league game Monday, and Lower Moreland (2-15, 1-6) will host Holy Ghost Prep in a non-league game Monday.
Lower Moreland (32) – Zach Kendall 3 1-1 9; Tommy Keaton 1 0-1 2; Thomas Maloney 4 3-4 12; Luke Wheeler 1 0-0 3; Chase Carroll 2 1-3 6; Connor Huber 0 0-2 0; Totals 11 5-9 32.
Springfield Twp (45) – Brandon Thompson 4 2-5 11; Bob Hartman 4 3-6 11; Chadrack Kiamba 1 2-2 4; Aiden Hood 3 5-6 11; Will McLaughlin 1 0-0 2; Will Cooney 0 2-3 2; Cahlin Spearman 2 0-0 4; Totals 15 14-22 45
Lower Moreland 8-3-8-13 32
Springfield Twp. 11-17-7-10 45
3-point goals: LM – Zach Kendall 2, Thomas Maloney, Luke Wheeler, Chase Carroll; S – Brandon Thompson
Cheltenham 58, William Tennent 51
Cheltenham led 19-13 after one quarter but watched that lead disappear in a second quarter that saw Tennent outscore its visitors 16-6 to go into halftime with a 29-25 lead. Jayden Bright’s eight points led the host Panthers in the half.
The visiting Panthers – behind 10 points from Osei Johnson – outscored Tennent 17-10 in the third quarter and took a 42-39 lead in the final frame on their way to the win.
Cheltenham – a winner for the fourth time in five games – remains atop the SOL Freedom Division.
Key Players: For Cheltenham, Osei Johnson scored 19 points, including three 3-pointers, Kamal Mason added 16 points.
For Tennent, Tony Pople’s 15 points led the way and included five 3-pointers. Jayden Bright added 14 points.
Cheltenham coach Patrick Fleury: “It’s always good to get a league win, and it’s always tough to play up there. It was definitely a total team effort. We had contributions from everyone that came in whether they were on the stat sheet or helping to take the other team out of their offense, so it was great to see everybody buying into the team ideals and the cohesion. From there, they were able to get stops, and when the game got close, they were able to maneuver and work their way through the defenses to make it easier for their teammates to score.”
–Props: “Kendall Jackson came off the bench and gave us a lift defensively, and he also scored seven points. He impacted the game
defensively, and his ability to make plays for others helped a lot.
“Guards Osei Johnson and Kamal Mason obviously did well, but we had contributions from Salim Kelly defensively and with decision making that was very good for us. Tyree (Martin) was battling illness but came in the game in the second half and got some good rebounds. Xavier Willoughby also came in early and helped initiate a lot of our offensive breaks. It was good to see everybody fill roles and piece it all together.”
Next up: Cheltenham (12-4, 7-0 SOL) will host Abington for a non-league game Saturday (1 pm), and William Tennent (8-9, 3-4) will host George Washington in a non-league game Saturday (12:30 pm).
Cheltenham (58) – Chris Harmon 2, Kamal Mason 16, Mark Hill 4, Osei Johnson 19, Salim Kelly 3, Kendall Jackson 7, Justin Ezeukwu 3
William Tennent (51) – Tre Strazuzzi 5, Luke Torok 8, Ryan Bula 9, Jayden Bright 14, Tony Pople 15
Cheltenham 19-6-17-16 58
William Tennent 13-16-10-12 51
3-point goals: C – Osei Johnson 3, Justin Ezeukwu; WT – Tony Pople 5, Luke Torok 2, Tre Strzcuzzi, Ryan Bula, Jayden Bright
Thursday, Jan. 23
Upper Moreland 49, New Hope-Solebury 12
The visiting Golden Bears controlled play from start to finish.
Nine players contributed scoring with Joseph Hernandez leading the way with 12 points. Colson Campbell added 11 points.
UM coach Dan Heiland said: “We had another strong team defensive night, we executed the game plan and played relentlessly. We started off slow offensively, but I was happy to see the group pick up the energy and continue to execute in the half court, being unselfish, sharing the ball, and making shots when they were open. We rebounded well on both sides of the floor which helped us with second chance scoring opportunities and limiting New Hope to one shot possessions.”
Next up: Upper Moreland (15-4, 6-1 SOL) will host Cheltenham Tuesday, and New Hope-Solebury (2-13, 0-7) will be on the road at Lower Moreland Tuesday
Upper Moreland (49) – Alex Costanzo 1 0-0 3; Nate Best 2 0-0 4; Colson Campbell 5 1-1 11; Anthony Carson 2 0-2 4; Larry Hughes 2 0-0 4; Luke Roussel 3 0-0 6; Jose Hernandez 5 2-3 12; Jadon Cybok 1 0-0 3; Cannon Campbell 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 22 3-6 49.
New Hope-Solebury (12) – Alex DeFeo 1 0-0 3; Linus Mackenzie 1 3-4 5; Blake McCagg 1 0-1 2; Rocco Massimino 0 2-2 2; Totals 3 5-7 12.
Upper Moreland 10-24-6-9 49
New Hope-Solebury 0-3-0-9 12
3-point goals: UM – Jadon Cybok, Alex Costanzo; NH-S – Alex DeFeo.
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