Check out the recaps for SOL boys’ basketball teams in action Thursday.
SOL Patriot/Colonial crossover
NESHAMINY 59, CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 49
Coming off an emotional overtime loss to archrival Pennsbury, the Redskins had every excuse for a letdown heading on the road to play the SOL Colonial Division leading Patriots. But there was no letdown.
Instead, they turned in an inspired performance to notch their biggest win of the season.
“Honestly, we played probably our best all-around game from start to finish,” Neshaminy coach Mark Tingle said. “We played with some poise, patience. We played smart. We didn’t really force many bad shots, which we were working on a lot.
“We just played a good game. It was 2-2, 4-4-, 6-6, and once we got the lead, we never gave it up the rest of the game. They’re a good team. They’re sixth in the district coming in. Big wins coming down the stretch is what you need.”
Emeer Coombs jumpstarted the Redskins with eight first-quarter points, propelling his team to a 13-11 lead. They added to that lead in the second quarter and took a 26-17 lead into halftime. They led the rest of the way.
Nate Townsend came close to a triple-double with 17 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. He had just two field goals on the night but was 13-for-16 at the foul line in a standout effort. Coombs also had a big night, finishing with 15 points and four assists. Max Currie added 10 points and nine rebounds while Guy Horton had nine points.
“Nate had a great game, Emeer had a huge game too, and he and Nate handle the ball for us,” Tingle said. “Overall, we got contributions from everybody.
“Max does a great job of being in the right spots, and Emeer, Nate and everyone else can find him. He’s probably going to get our program’s field goal percentage record. He doesn’t miss much because he’s around the basket all the time, so he gets great looks from our guards. He’s shooting over 70 percent from the field. He’s doing a really good job of finishing around the basket.
“Guy Horton played Jake Cummiskey all night, and we held him to one basket, and he made three free throws. Guy did a really good job defensively.”
Tyler Dandrea’s 13 points led the Patriots. Justin DiRoberto added nine points, and Dhruv Mukund contributed eight points.
“We have a really tough schedule coming up,” Tingle said. “We played CB East, we have Council Rock South tomorrow, we go to Conestoga on Monday. Then we have North, Truman and finish with Bensalem. We have a tough stretch to finish.
Neshaminy (10-7, 7-5 SOL) will celebrate Senior Night when the Redskins host Council Rock South on Friday. Central Bucks East (14-4, 9-3) will travel to Central Bucks South on Friday.
Neshaminy 13-13-12-21 59
Central Bucks East 11-6-15-17 49
Neshaminy (59) – Emeer Coombs 6 1-1 15; Max Currie 5 0-0 10; Jason Leiva 1 0-0 3; Guy Horton 4 1-2 9; Logan Gale 1 3-3 5; Nate Townsend 2 13-16 17; TOTALS 19 18-22 59.
Central Bucks East (49) – Jacob Cummiskey 1 3-4 5; Dhruv Mukund 4 0-0 8; Bryce Lolas 1 0-0 3; Tyler Dandrea 4 2-2 13; Justin DiRoberto 3 2-3 9; Nolan Behm 2 0-0 4; Miles Demby 1 1-1 3; Caleb Lyzinski 1 2-2 4; TOTALS 17 10-12 49.
3-point goals: Neshaminy – Emeer Coombs 2, Jason Leiva; CBE – Tyler Dandrea 3, Bryce Lolas, Justin DiRoberto.
SOL Liberty/Freedom crossover
WILLIAM TENNENT 67, PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 55
It’s been an unpredictable season in the SOL, and on Thursday night, it was the Panthers pulling off the latest stunner with a win over a PW squad that is in the hunt for the SOL Liberty crown.
“We had a really good team effort where guys just kind of stuck together,” Tennent coach Robert Mulville said. “We had given up 20 offensive rebounds to Abington (in a 66-64 loss Saturday). It was something we came in and we worked on – just moving, making contact with our man, just trying to slide.
“I thought our defense – it was the best defense we had played all year. Our defense was really locking in in the fourth quarter. We held them to eight points in quarter. They had 51 with about six minutes left.”
That’s when Kirby Mooney came up with a play that turned the tide.
Mulville explains.
“We were up at the end of the first (21-13), we were up two at the half, and going into the fourth, we were down two,” Mulville said. “With about six minutes left, we were down two, and we had a really nice defensive play where (Kirby) Mooney tipped a ball loose and then dove on it. I think it was both him and (Jaden) Cozie – both dove for the ball.
“Mooney got it and flipped it to (Chris) D’Ambra, who laid it in, and that tied the game. From there, we went on a run where we went up 57-52, and then we were able to control the ball at the end of the game.”
D’Ambra led the Panthers with 20 points – which included four 3s. Mooney added 19 points, and Imad Abunima finished with 15.
“We just had really good contributions,” Mulville said. “Imad had 12 rebounds, Sean (Devine) had nine assists.
“Mooney took over in the fourth quarter. He had 19 points – nine of them came in the fourth quarter. Jayden Bright came in off the bench and really played well for us. We didn’t get a lot of guys a lot of minutes off the bench, but when they got in, they were all able to do something. As a result, there was a contribution from everybody. I was real happy with the overall team effort today.”
Jaden Cozie (27 points) and Mani Sajid (19 points) combined to score 46 of PW’s 55 points.
“Cozie is so good,” Mulville said. “I thought Sean Devine played really, really good defense tonight, and that kid still had 27 points. Sean can really lock in. This kid is really good – he is really, really good.”
Thursday’s win was a signature win for the Panthers.
“We lost to Abington, we lost to Cheltenham, so we were losing to some of the higher up teams, although we did get a couple good wins over Wissahickon and Neshaminy,” Mulville said. “The way we lost to Abington was heartbreaking. I thought we played really, really well, but we got kind of outpowered, so for them to step up to the challenge tonight was really good.”
William Tennent (11-6, 8-4 SOL) will host Upper Moreland on Friday, and Plymouth Whitemarsh (10-5, 7-4) will travel to Quakertown on Friday.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 13-18-16-8 55
William Tennent 21-12-13-21 67
Plymouth Whitemarsh (55) – Jaden Colzie 11 1-2 27; Mani Sajid 7 2-3 19; Michael Pereira 0 1-2 1; Eddie Patruno 0 1-2 1; Josh Harris 1 2-3 4; Jah Pendergrass-Sayles 1 1-2 3; TOTALS 20 8-14 55.
William Tennent (67) – Kirby Mooney 7 5-8 19; Chris D’Ambra 7 2-3 20; Sean Devine 0 2-2 2; Imad Abunima 6 3-4 15; Jayden Bright 2 0-2 4; Tony Pople 1 0-0 3; Tre Stracuzzi 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 25 12-19 67.
3-point goals: PW – Jaden Colzie 4, Mani Sajid 3; WT – Chris D’Ambra 4, Tony Pople.
Non-league
SPRINGFIELD TWP 67, MORRISVILLE 53
The Spartans saved their best for last, breaking a 47-47 tie with a 20-6 explosion in the fourth quarter on their way to the non-league road win.
“I was just pleased with the how we closed out the game,” Springfield Twp coach Rob Fusaro said. “We turned around the second half and really picked up the intensity, picked up the toughness and matched the other team’s intensity and exceeded it.
“I was pleased with how we executed and closed the game out – hit some big shots, made some big plays, made defensive stops and just took care of the ball.”
The Spartans – behind 10 points from Bob Hartman – led 16-12 after one quarter but trailed 31-10 at halftime. They were deadlocked after three quarters and then came the 20-point fourth quarter. Brayden Thompson had eight points in the quarter, which included a 6-for-6 effort at the foul line.
Hartman led the Spartans with an impressive double-double, finishing with 19 points and 14 rebounds. Hartman added 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists, and Brandon Thompson contributed 14 points. Julian Ciasulio added eight points and Will McLaughlin had six.
“Ryan Bell also played really well,” Fusaro said. “He took care of the ball, made some key plays, he was in the right spots and did a really nice job.”
The win was the fourth of the season for the Spartans.
“It was good,” Fusaro said. “They went in there and fought through some adversity. Morrisville played really tough. Their coach did a great job motivating them. It was a tougher environment to play in, and they pushed through it and came out with the win.”
Springfield Twp (9-6, 4-5 SOL) will travel to New Hope-Solebury on Friday.
Springfield Twp 16-14-17-20 67
Morrisville 12-19-16-6 53
Springfield Twp (67) – Bob Hartman 6 4-8 18; Aiden Hood 6 7-9 19; Ryan Bell 0 0-2 0; Brandon Thompson 3 8-8 14; Will McLaughlin 2 1-4 6; Kaiden Seivwright 1 0-0 2; Julian Ciasulio 4 0-2 8; TOTALS 22 20-33 67.
Morrisville (53) – Icole Quirmole 4 1-4 9; Bari Santana 2 0-0 4; Alex Brown 7 6-9 20; Izire Caraway 1 2-3 4; Noreon Martinez 4 5-6 16; TOTALS 18 14-22 53.
3-point goals: Springfield Twp – Bob Hartman 2, Will McLaughlin; Morrisville – Noreon Martinez 3.
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