Check out the recaps for SOL boys’ basketball teams in action Saturday. CB South/CR North & Upper Dublin/Cheltenham photos courtesy of Greg Lindsay. CB East/Pennsbury photos courtesy of Darryl Rule of J&D photography. Check back for galleries. CLICK HERE to go directly to Suburban One Sports’ BOYS’ BASKETBALL GALLERIES.
SOL non-league crossover
Central Bucks East 48, Pennsbury 38
In a matchup of two of the premiere teams in the league, Central Bucks East got off to a quick start, and it proved to be critical. The Patriots outscored visiting Pennsbury 11-3 in the first quarter and earned a 48-38 victory in Saturday’s SOL crossover game.
The Patriots took advantage of Pennsbury’s 24 turnovers, and were solid down the stretch to pick up a win in this high-intensity matchup.
Key players: Henry Bartchuk led all scorers with 21 points. He led the Patriots with 9 points in the fourth quarter, and was a perfect 6-for-6 from the foul line in the fourth quarter. Connor Mekanik had 11 points and added 6 rebounds, while Brady Colbert chipped in with 3 points, 5 assists, and 4 boards.
For the Falcons, Brayden Clark (12 points), Sean Breslin (11), and Patrick Jajua (10) each reached double-digits in scoring.
Central Bucks East coach Erik Henrysen:
—Great day for a game: “That was a pretty nice win. I think Pennsbury might be at the top of their division. Pennsbury is off to a great start and is definitely a playoff team so we were excited to see how things would shake out.
“Today was an early Saturday afternoon game but it felt like a playoff game. There were a ton of fouls and the game was a real grind. It was probably a tough watch for the average spectator. Fifty free throws and 35-plus turnovers combined. But there was a high level of intensity. We were able to get off to a good start and kept the lead throughout, but it was a test of composure to keep the lead.”
—Bartchak dominates: “I thought Henry Bartchak was the adult in the gym and controlled the game. To be honest, he had to be because of team foul trouble and Keegan Marascio missing out because of a funeral. Slack, Mekanik, and Colbert were all in foul trouble and Sean Korlesky went down early when he turned his ankle, so Henry was the only starter on the floor for large portions of the game. Henry stepped up in a big way.”
—Stepping up: “We preached to the guys going in that we needed some new faces to rise to the occasion. I thought we definitely had a few hear that message. (Alex) Lemaire, (Jackson) Lutz, (Ryan) Dailey, and Matt Korlesky came through in a big game.’
Up next: Pennsbury will travel to Council Rock South on Tuesday, and Central Bucks East will be on the road at North Penn Tuesday.
Pennsbury 3 12 6 17 – 38
Central Bucks East 11 13 8 16 – 48
Pennsbury (38) – Brayden Clark 12; Brady Kent 3; Sean Breslin 11; Patrick Jajua 10; Max Manga 2.
Central Bucks East (48) – Connor Mekanik 11; Henry Bartchuk 21; Quinn Slack 1; Ryan Dailey 10; Jackson Lutz 2; Brady Colbert 3.
3-point goals: P – Jajua, Breslin. CBE – Dailey, Bartchak (2).
Council Rock South 69, Pennridge 63
A balanced attack proved to be key in Council Rock South’s 69-63 victory over Pennridge in Saturday’s SOL non-league crossover game. The game was a masterclass in perimeter shooting, with both teams combining for 20 three-point field goals in the game.
The Golden Hawks led 38-22 at halftime, then staved off Pennridge’s second-half surge.
Key players: Aidan Lyon proved to be a standout for South, scoring 10 points off the bench and adding 6 rebounds. Ryan Delp’s 17 points led the five Hawks’ players in double-digit scoring that also included Joey Madara (12 points), Ray Haglund (11 points) and Lucian Mirc (11 points).
For the Rams, Conner Murray led all scorers with 21 points, including a game-high three treys.
Council Rock South coach Jim Cassidy:
—Sharing the load: “We had really excellent balance on offense today, with five guys in double figures. Once again, Ryan Delp led the way, scoring 17 points and scoring from all three levels for us. Getting 11 points and 6 assists from your starting point guard, Ray Haglund, is a recipe for success and we are better when he puts the ball in the basket. We got 12 points and 7 rebounds from Joey Madara, who’s giving us everything he’s got every night. But the most important contribution was probably from Aidan Lydon. Aidan is instant offense, giving us 10 points off the bench, but he contributed 6 rebounds as well. Pennridge is physical, with all five crashing the boards, so getting us 6 rebounds off the bench is really outstanding, and it’s a testament to Aidan’s hard work to make himself an all-around player.”
Up next: Council Rock South will host Pennsbury on Tuesday, and Pennridge will be on the road at Central Bucks West Tuesday.
Council Rock South 15 23 20 11 – 69
Pennridge 10 12 23 18 – 63
Council Rock South (69) – Ray Haglund 2 6-10 11; Ryan Delp 6 3-5 17; Lucian Mirc 2 5-6 11; Owen McLean 2 0-0 5; Malone 1 0-0 3; Aidan Lydon 4 0-0 10; Joey Madara 5 1-3 12. TOTALS: 22 15-24 69.
Pennridge (63) – Rowan Smith 4 0-0 10; Ryan Kuntz 2 0-1 4; Ryan Schwind 2 0-0 5; Tim Croyle 2 0-0 6; Ryan Flood 6 1-2 14; Mike Alba 1 0-0 3; Conner Murray 9 0-0 21. TOTALS: 26 1-3 63.
3-point goals: CRS – Haglund, Delp (2), Lucian (2), McLean, Malone, Lydon (2), Madara. P – Smith (2), Schwind, Croyle (2), Flood, Alba, Murray (3).
Upper Dublin 62, Cheltenham 42
Cheltenham turned up the heat in the gymnasium. Upper Dublin did the same on the floor.
In a matchup of two division contenders, the Cards used a fast start to roll to a 62-42 win over host Cheltenham in
Saturday’s SOL crossover game in an unusually warm gymnasium.
Kobe Basemore lit the spark for the Cards, scoring 10 of his 16 points in the first quarter.
Key players: Bazemore and Justin Ragsdale each scored 16 points to lead the Cardinals. Jake Scherzer chipped in with 8 points off the bench, including a pair of treys in the first half. Noah Cohen (10 points) and Horace Jackson (8 points) finished and dished out a number of assists as well.
Chris Harmon led Cheltenham with 10 points.
Upper Dublin coach Derek Brooks:
—The game: “We jumped on them early. We had a couple of nice buckets in transition, a couple of them from Kobe Bazemore. It helps getting off to a good start. We had that stretch a couple of weeks ago where we were digging ourselves out of holes. It’s nice to get a lead and then be able to weather the storm much better later. We won the first quarter 20-12, which we were happy with.
“I think we won all four quarters, and we just slowly built a lead from there. A little bit here and there, and we got up to somewhere in the 20-point range for most of the fourth quarter.”
—Beating the heat: “Cheltenham’s a good team. They’ve got talent, they’ve got size and athleticism. So to go to their place and put up a win, it’s never easy. It was really hot in the gym. This was my first time coaching at Cheltenham since being at UD. The one time we played them before was actually at their middle school, so I can’t remember if that’s how their gym always was, but it had to be 75 degrees, which is so different than every other gym in the wintertime. I could see it on our faces a little bit, that we were a little spacey at times, a little fatigued at times. The heat definitely was getting to us, but I was proud how we pushed through it.”
—Props: “Kobe (Bazemore) had some great finishes. He really – I want to say the last eight games – has been finishing the ball well at the rim, and his shot selection has been really good. His decision-making has been good. A lot of times kids can score the ball well if they just take good shots, and I think he’s been doing a really good job of doing that and making the most of his opportunity. I think he had five or six assists today, so it wasn’t like he was only looking for his shot. He had a really good day for us. When Kobe has a good day, it really helps get everybody else involved with him being a good point guard.
“Justin (Ragsdale) had a big second half. He had four points in the first quarter. In the second half he was taking much simpler shots, more open shots, and he just knocked down a few more down, so he gave us a nice boost in the second half.
“I thought Horace Jackson, even though he only had eight, was really good today. His decision-making was awesome on the offensive end. He had eight points and might have taken five shots. He had a bunch of assists as well.
“And Noah Cohen is just always Steady Eddie for us – always has somewhere between six to 14 points and about three assists, so he’s been really good the last couple weeks, and he had another good, solid day for us.
“Jake Scherzer gave us a huge spark off the bench with eight points. He had two big threes in the first half, so it always helps when our bench contributes.”
Up next: Upper Dublin will be on the road at Plymouth Whitemarsh on Tuesday, and Cheltenham will be on the road at Springfield Twp on Tuesday.
Upper Dublin 20 11 16 15 – 62
Cheltenham 12 9 13 8 – 42
Upper Dublin (62) – Kobe Bazemore 7 2-2 16; Brandon Altman 0 2-3 2; Noah Cohen 4 0-0 10; Horace Jackson 3 1-3 8; Justin Ragsdale 7 0-0 16; Jake Scherzer 3 0-0 8; Luke Caron 1 0-2 2; TOTALS 25 5-10 62
Cheltenham (42) – Isais Vargas 1 0-0 2; Chris Harmon 4 1-1 10; Mark Hill 4 0-0 8; Jaeden Mosely 2 0-0 5; Tyree Martin 3 2-4 8; Peyton McClendon 3 3-3 8; TOTALS 17 6-8 42
3-point goals: UD – Noah Cohen (2), Justin Ragsdale (2), Jake Scherer (2), Horace Jackson. C – Chris Harmon, Jaeden Mosely.
Nonleague
Central Bucks West 65, Owen J. Roberts 50
Central Bucks West overcame a sluggish start and pulled away in the second half for a 65-50 victory over nonleague foe Owen J. Roberts on Saturday.
After scoring 27 points in the first half, the Bucks poured in 22 points in the third quarter to extend what had been a narrow lead.
Key players: Dan Pellegrini led all scorers with 18 points – 14 in the first half to keep the Bucks close. Isiah Rubenstein led the Bucks’ third-quarter offense with 7 points in the period; he drained a pair of three-pointers as part of his 13-point afternoon.
Central Bucks West coach Adam Sherman:
—Bouncing back: “We started sloppy both offensively and defensively. Then we were able to pick it up in the second half. We were able to speed the game up and that allowed us to find a rhythm offensively.”
—Looking ahead: “We play Monday and Tuesday as well. Three games in four days is a lot. Plus we are still dealing with injuries and sickness.”
Up next: The Bucks host nonleague opponent Pottstown on Monday at 7 pm.
Owen J. Roberts 13 12 9 16 – 50
Central Bucks West 13 14 22 16 – 65
Owen J. Roberts (50) – Roman Storti 3 0-0 7; Ryan Simpson 4 4-6 15; Gavin Winnick 3 1-1 7; Adam Stahl 3 2-2 10; Chris Flynn 0 0-2 0; Dazh Rose 3 0-1 6; Tyler Blaum 1 2-4 5. TOTALS 17 9-16 50.
Central Bucks West (65) – Max Milillo 3 1-2 7; Melo Hylmer 2 2-2 6; Dan Pellegrini 8 1-2 18; Isiah Rubenstein 5 1-2 13; John Vrettos 5 1-1 12; Gavin Reichner 1 2-2 5; Jayden Lee 1 0-0 2. TOTALS: 25 8-11 65.
3-point goals: OJR – Storti, Simpson (3), Stahl (2), Blaum; CBW – Pellegrini, Rubenstein (2), Vrettos, Reichner.
NORTH PENN 73, POTTSGROVE 49
North Penn jumped out to a seven-point lead after one quarter and dominated the second quarter to begin to pull away from Pottsgrove in what would finish as a 73-49 Knights’ victory in Saturday’s nonleague matchup.
The Knights rang up 11 three-pointers in the win, including a game-high four from JC Wood. They had six 3-pointers in a 25-point second quarter.
Key players: Wood led all scorers with 22 points and four three-pointers. He scored 14 points in the first half. Nolen Foust scored 12 points for North Penn – 9 in the first half.
North Penn coach Cordell Lord:
—The game: “The key tonight for us was execution and taking care of the basketball. We did a really good job of getting the best shot possible. Guys can take some rushed shots, or they hit one or two shots and then they take a forced tough one because they hit a couple, but we just stayed really poised and found the best shot possible, picking our spots and knowing when to get out and run in transition and when to slow down and run something in the half-court. I think the guys came in and just had a lot of positive energy and really hit the floor running.”
—Props: “We had a variety of guys that did a lot of good things for us today. JC Wood had 22 points. He did really great job shooting the ball and getting his best looks. He played an all-around good game today.
“Nolan Foust had 12 points today and was awesome in just being aggressive and attacking the rim early.
“Everyone else did a good job chipping in and taking shots they were supposed to and playing with confidence.”
—The season: “One of the things we told the boys is that this is the time when everybody starts playing their best basketball. In December, everyone’s still figuring things out a little and fixing some small things, and I felt like we were playing some good basketball, but we weren’t putting together a complete game of basketball. And one of the things we talked about was just playing 32 minutes of solid basketball, and I think today was a great start to the new year, and going into the most important part of our season in terms of just putting together a full game and playing really well.”
Up next: North Penn will host Central Bucks East on Tuesday.
Pottsgrove 13 13 9 14 – 49
North Penn 20 22 17 14 – 73
Pottsgrove (49) – C. Rosenberger 6 0-0 15; Day 2 0-0 5; Barner 2 0-0 5; G. Rosenberger 3 0-0 7; Phillips 5 1-3 11; Horton 2 0-0 6. TOTALS 20 1-3 49.
North Penn (73 – Chris Kingkiner 2 2-2 6; Shane Ward 1 0-0 3; Chris Hellings 1 1-2 3; Nolen Foust 5 1-3 12; Brycen Foust 1 0-0 3; JC Wood 9 0-0 22; Wyatt Martin 3 1-1 8; Aiden Thomas 4 0-0 10; Marco Vera 2 1-2 6; TOTALS 28 6-10 73
3-point goals: P – C. Rosenberger (3), Day, Barner, G. Rosenberger, Horton (2); NP – Wood 4, A. Thomas 2, N. Foust , S.Ward, B.Foust, Martin, Vera.
Central Bucks South 62, Council Rock North 47
Brayden Barrett put the Central Bucks South offense on his back in the second quarter…and turned the tide of the game.
Barrett was responsible for 15 points (including three three-pointers) in the Titans’ 22-point second quarter as South roared back and took the lead and the momentum in Saturday’s closer-than-it-looked 62-47 SOL crossover win over Council Rock North.
The Titans trailed 12-9 after one quarter but took a 31-20 lead into halftime.
Key players: Kayode Adebayo scored 10 of his 15 points in the second half for South. Barrett led all scorers with 22 points. Peterson led Council Rock North with 12 points.
Central Bucks South coach Louie Ditri:
—The game: “It was a tough game that the score doesn’t show. Derek (Wright) is one of the best coaches out there, and he has his players ready for every game. They play hard, run their stuff really well, and are disciplined.”
—Props: “Kayode Adebayo had a really good game for us today – 16 points, including a three, a few rebounds and blocks, and a couple nice alley-oop dunks. We had some early foul trouble, and Brayden Barrett came off the bench and gave us a big boost with 21 points, 15 in the second quarter.”
Up next: Central Bucks South will host Souderton on Tuesday, and Council Rock North will host Harry S Truman Tuesday.
Central Bucks South 9-22-15-16 62
Council Rock North 12-8-14-13 47
Central Bucks South (62) – Kayode Adebayo 7 1-2 16; Alex Shahin 1 0-0 2; Shane Farrell 1 1-2 4; Brayden Barrett 7 3-6 21; Davis Van Zenten 3 2-2 8; Leo Medwid 5 0-0 11; TOTALS 24 7-12 62.
Council Rock North (47) – Leif Peterson 5 2-4 12; Owen Crowne 3 2-2 8; Justin Freed 2 0-0 4; Andrew French 1 0-0 2; Dylan Kiefer 4 0-0 8; Cameron Wright 1 0-0 3; Billy McBride 0 1-4 1; Danny Cueno 4 0-0 9; TOTALS 20 5-10 47.
3-point goals: CBS – Barrett 4, Adebayo, Farrell, Medwid; CRN – Wright, Cueno.
MaST Charter 63, William Tennent 61
Upper Merion 37, Lower Moreland 31
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