Check the results for SOL boys’ basketball teams in action Tuesday. To view photos of the CB South/Souderton, Pennsbury/Neshaminy and CR North/CR South games, please visit the Photo Gallery.
American Conference
Wissahickon 57, Norristown 52
Coming off of a couple tough losses over the holiday break, Wissahickon knew it needed some momentum in its first game back in conference play.
The Trojans got just that, slipping past visiting Norristown in a game between two teams who were tied in the conference standings heading into Tuesday night’s game.
Wissahickon (6-5, 4-1) received 14 points and 12 rebounds from senior Ron Brundage and 11 points and 10 rebounds from senior Brandon Pace as both finished with double-doubles.
“It’s huge,” Wissahickon coach Kyle Wilson said. “They battled. Norristown has some size and athleticism, and we knew it was going to be a tough game.
“I was just pleased to get a contribution from so many guys.”
Tre Holcomb added 12 points for the Trojans, five of which came in the fourth quarter. Todd Bentley also scored 12 to help the Trojans, who were coming off their first back-to-back losses since the beginning of the season.
“The losses were heavy on us, and I think the guys just went in with a determination and a purpose tonight that was a little stronger,” Wilson said. “At 5-5, I said we needed to get win number six and have a strong second half of the season. We got a nice start, not just against a conference opponent but a good conference opponent. It gets no easier for us, and everyone is chasing PW (Plymouth Whitemarsh).”
After going down by one point following the first quarter, Wissahickon came out with a big second, outscoring Norristown 17-10 to go up 33-27 at the half.
“We sort of got caught out of position with a couple of defensive schemes we were doing in the first,” Wilson said. “They’re a team like us that doesn’t typically score a lot of points, so we tightened the range on letting guys get open and where guys were allowed to catch the ball.
“I think we did a nice job of getting control. We had over 28 turnovers, and that’s not who we are, but it’s nice to win the ugly one sometimes.”
The two teams went into the fourth tied at 42-42 before Wissahickon was able to come out on top with an impressive final eight minutes.
Norristown (4-5, 3-2) was led by Roy Green’s 14 points. Darryl Carr added 13, while Khalil Sinclair finished with 10 for the Eagles.
Norristown 17 10 15 10—52
Wissahickon 16 17 9 15—57
Norristown (52) – Darryl Carr 13, Khalif Sinclair 10, Roy Green 14, Carlton Brown 2, Amir Carter 1, Kyle Simpson 3, Kether Messiaz 2, Darius McGowan 7.
Wissahickon (57) – Todd Bentley 12, Tre Holcomb 12, Ron Brundage 14, Jake Segal 3, Brandon Pace 11, Zach Reiner 5.
Upper Dublin 70, Upper Merion 46
A 23-point outburst in the first quarter was enough to help the Cardinals – who led by 12 – ride things out to a convincing victory over host Upper Merion.
The Cardinals led by 18 points at the half – on top of the Vikings by a score of 37-19 – en route to their fourth conference win of the season.
Ryan Stover and Simeon Fryer led Upper Dublin (7-3, 4-1) with 14 and 11 points, respectively, while Curtez Goff added nine. The Vikings (1-10, 0-5) were led by Matt Faw, who finished with a game-high 17 points.
The 70 points were the most the Cardinals have scored in a single game this season.
Upper Dublin 23 14 19 14—70
Upper Merion 11 8 12 15—46
Cheltenham 54, Upper Moreland 48
If it’s balanced scoring you like, look no further than the Panthers in Tuesday’s contest against the Golden Bears. The Panthers (5-6, 3-2 SOL) had four different players score exactly 12 points apiece in the tightly contested win.
Fatir Al-Ahad, Justin Sutton, Khalil White and Vaughn Jenkins each score 12 points in the win.
The Golden Bears led 11-6 after one quarter, but Cheltenham had a huge second quarter, outscoring Upper Moreland by 13 to take a 25-17 lead into the break. The third quarter belonged to the Bears, who went on a 17-10 tear, but the Panthers outscored the Golden Bears 19-14 in the fourth quarter to come out on top.
Upper Moreland (4-7, 1-4) was led by James Martin’s 18 points and Brendan O’Donnell’s 10.
Cheltenham 6 19 10 19—54
Upper Moreland 11 6 17 14—48
Cheltenham (54) – Fatir Al-Ahad 12, Khalil White 12, Vaughn Jenkins 12, Justin Sutton 12, Currigan 4, Lewis 2.
Upper Moreland (48) – Brendan O’Donnell, Xavier Mulligan, Ryan Coyle 5, James Martin 18, Joe Trovato 5, Brossman 3, Shane Stone 6.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 71, Springfield 31
Another game and another win for Plymouth Whitemarsh, which remained undefeated in conference play.
The win improves the Colonials’ perfect record to 11-0 overall and 5-0 in conference play. The Spartans fell to 2-9 and 0-5, respectively.
National Conference
Bensalem 46, Harry S. Truman 45
After a rough start in SOL play, Bensalem – riding the momentum of capturing the title in its own holiday tournament – was able to get its first conference win of the season, edging host Harry S. Truman by the slimmest of margins in a come-from-behind win.
Nick Mulvey’s 13 points led the Owls, who trailed 37-34 after three quarters but outscored the Tigers 12-8 in the final frame to come out on top.
“We got down early and fought back,” Bensalem coach John Mullin said. “It was a good road win for us. I thought we did a nice job at the half-court defense in the first quarter and we ended up with some good stops down at the end when we needed them. Overall, I thought we played well and it was a good win on the road and our first league win.”
Truman (3-7, 1-4) led 16-7 after one quarter but had its lead slip to only five (25-20) at the half before Bensalem started to slowly climb back.
Neal Patel and Avery Nyekan each finished with eight points for Bensalem. The Owls 4-7, 1-4) have now won three games in a row after losing seven of their first eight.
“We had a rough start to our schedule and it was tough, and we just didn’t have the experience to turn a couple of those games around in our favor,” Mullin said. “I think we’re better for it now, and to get the first win on the road is a boost for our kids. We’re taking it one quarter at a time. Mulvey, Nyekan and Patel all played well and made some big shots for us. That’s senior leadership out of those three.”
Truman was led by Tyquan Law, who finished with a game-high 18 points. Tramere Adams added 12.
Bensalem 7 13 14 12—46
Harry S. Truman 16 9 12 8—45
Pennsbury 65, Neshaminy 32
Cameron Jones’ 20 points led the way in what was a dominating win for Pennsbury over host Neshaminy in the first conference game for both teams after the holiday break. Derrick Woods added 17 while Mekhi Bryant finished with 10 to help the Falcons.
Chris Arcidiacono and Travor Lay paced the Redskins (3-5, 1-4) with 10 points apiece.
Pennsbury (9-3, 4-1) went on top by 14 points after one quarter and led by 25 (41-16) at the break before easily closing things out in the second half.
Pennsbury 22 19 16 8—65
Neshaminy 8 8 4 12—32
Neshaminy (32) – Chris Arcidiacano 10, Charles Dominick 2, Trevor Lay 10, Jack Spingler 2, Shammond Thomas 4, Anthony Papeo 3, Jenkins Kimber 1.
Pennsbury (65) – Addison Howard 5, Zach Roy 5, Mekhi Bryant 10, Derrick Woods 17, Tyler Sessa-Reeves 2, Cam Jones 20, Isaiah Carpenter 2, Rob Daly 3.
Council Rock North 43, Council Rock South 27
A huge third quarter did in host Council Rock South, which hung tough until the half but ended up losing by double digits to conference and neighborhood rival Council Rock North.
The Indians led 10-7 after one quarter and took that three-point lead into halftime (18-15). They all but put the game out of reach with a 14-3 third quarter burst to go on top 32-18. Steve Nowmos led the charge with six points while Matt Margois added a pair of baskets in the quarter.
The Indians (8-2, 4-1) were led by Riley Thompson’s 11 points. Margolis added 10, while Steve Nowmos chipped in with eight. Austin Thomas led CR South (3-7, 2-3) with seven.
Council Rock North 10 8 14 11—43
Council Rock South 7 8 3 9—27
Council Rock North (43) – Tyler Nowmos 2, Riley Thompson 11, Drew Glenn 3, Matt Margolis 10, Steve Nowmos 8, James Kosyla 4, Will Desautelle 5.
Council Rock South (27) – Austin Thomas 7, Kenny Brightcliffe 2, Kevin Newbert 5, McNamee 2, Alex Nordenholt 5, Boyd 2, Dan Buchnik 4.
Abington 58, William Tennent 31
Abington improved to 8-3 and 5-0 in conference play with a convincing win over host William Tennent. The Ghosts were led by Matt Penecale's 25 points in the win. Amir Hinton added 10 while Robby Heath chipped in with seven. Penecale's big night leaves him 26 points away from reaching the 1,000-point milestone for his career.
The Ghosts led 20-9 after one quarter and never looked back, outscoring the Panthers in all four quarters.
Abington 20 14 13 11–58
William Tennent 9 6 6 9–31
Continental Conference
Quakertown 60, Central Bucks East 35
Quakertown, a team that has struggled in Continental Conference play, had something big to celebrate on Tuesday. After all, it’s not every day that the Panthers are able to beat a team like Central Bucks East, let alone by 25 points.
It was the Panthers’ biggest conference win in years, and it came thanks to a balanced scoring attack and a big defensive effort from Coach Kevin Keeler’s team.
Griffin Schmidt scored a game-high 17 points to lead the Panthers (4-8, 0-5) in the team’s first game back in its newly-renovated gym.
“They were all together tonight, and it was their biggest win in years,” Keeler said. “We shot the ball well, we defended, and balanced scoring is how we win. These are the guys who played varsity ball last year, and they’re all experienced players who can shoot the three a little bit.”
Those experienced players, in addition to Schmidt, include Kevin Norvaisas (15 points), Brian Rejniak (11 points), and Jake Perrine (10 points). Rejniak had three treys while Norvaisas and Perrine both had a pair on a night that saw the Panthers bury eight three-pointers.
“CB East had been struggling, but they got some players back from injury tonight, so it was a really nice win for us,” Keeler said. “Our four guys played a great game and we got a big defensive effort from our inside guy, Kyle Baskin, our center.
“It was his first game back since hurting his knee against Souderton three weeks ago, and we’ve been playing without our bigs. He did a real nice job inside tonight.”
After a nice win over Northampton in the holiday tournament, Quakertown was able to build a little confidence, and Keeler said that he hopes his team can ride this momentum into the upcoming conference games.
Quakertown (4-6, 1-4) led by two after one quarter (15-13), but after allowing just two points in the second, the Panthers were able to take a 27-15 lead into the half. The Panthers doubled up on CB East in the third (18-9) and cruised to the victory.
“It would be nice to put a winning streak going here and be able to put something together,” Keeler said.
Justin O’Neil and Cooper Fink led the Patriots with eight and seven points, respectively.
Central Bucks East 13 2 9 11—35
Quakertown 15 12 18 15—60
Central Bucks East (35) – Matt Pattyson 2, Cooper Fink 7, Travis Ives 3, Justin O’Neil 8, Tommy Strasburger 6, Chris Reilly 2, Tiemo Fenner 1, Blake Peterson 3, Ryan Plack 3.
Quakertown (60) – Griffin Schmidt 17, Jake Perrine 10, Brian Rejniak 11, Kevin Norvaisas 15, Ryan Howard 2, Tyler Harrison 2, Rob Mestayer 1.
Central Bucks South 51, Souderton 45
With only undefeated Pennridge leading both teams in the conference, Tuesday night’s game between Souderton and Central Bucks South was a big one in the standings.
In the end, it was the visiting Titans who came out on top, using a quick start and a big fourth quarter to earn the win.
CB South (7-4, 4-1) received 12 points from Alex Karras and 11 from Josh Brodie in a win that gives the Titans sole possession of second place.
“It was a big game coming into Souderton, which is not an easy place to play,” CB South coach Jason Campbell said. “For us, our game plan was to bring more intensity on defense, and we tried to limit their post inside and make sure that we were able to play defensively on the perimeter without allowing too much penetration.
“We got off to a good start, and that was because our defense allowed us to push our offense and get some transition points. We forced Souderton into some foul problems in the second half.”
CB South went up 8-2 early and took a 24-17 lead into the half. Souderton (7-5, 3-2) eventually cut its deficit to one going into the fourth quarter (32-31), but the Titans were able to close the door on the Indians, thanks to a 19-14 fourth quarter.
“Defensively, I thought it was a great team effort,” Campbell said. “I can’t say there was just one guy, but Josh Brodie did a great job on Tim Markow, who is great at getting into spots and getting to the foul line.
“I think overall, just being able to hedge and help out on the post players made it difficult for Souderton.”
Evan Slone hit 8-of-9 free throws and led the Indians with 14 points, while Markow, who went 7-for-8 from the line, finished with 12 points. Ben Wonderling’s three three-pointers gave him nine on the night.
Central Bucks South8 16 8 19—51
Souderton 5 12 14 14—45
Central Bucks South (51) – Alex Karras 10, Josh Brodie 11, Bryan Meyers 5, Ian Vogt 2, Ryan Joerger 4, Tim Waddington 6, Chris Hones 4, David Drea 4, Sean Gallagher 5.
Souderton (45) – Evan Slone 14, Ben Wonderling 9, Tracy Simsick 10, Tim Markow 12.
Central Bucks West 42, Hatboro-Horsham 32
Central Bucks West received 17 points from Cal Reichwein in a win over Hatboro-Horsham. Included in his 17 points were four triples. The Bucks (9-3, 3-2 SOL) also received seven points from Nico Munari, while four players finished with four points apiece.
The Hatters, who fell to 5-4 overall and 2-3 in the conference, were led by Brian McEachern’s 13 points and Walter Kimble’s 12.
Central Bucks West 10 4 13 15—42
Hatboro-Horsham 6 9 13 4—32
Central Bucks West (42) – Cal Reichwein 17, Luke Irons 4, Owen Cooney 4, Erich Hohenleitner 4, Nico Munari 7, Bill Power 2, Connor Lynch 4
Hatboro-Horsham (32) – Walter Kimble 12, Brian McEachern 13, Joe Russell 2, David Robinson 2, Clifton Moore 2, Jim Gavaghan 1.
Pennridge 58, North Penn 43
Pennridge remained undefeated in conference play with a double-digit home victory over North Penn.
Leading the way for the Rams (10-1, 5-0) was Joe Molettiere, who scored 20 points. Dan Long added 11, Zach Muredda finished with nine and Joe Unangst chipped in with seven. As a team, Pennridge hit 15-of-28 free throws.
Joey Richards led the Knights (6-6, 2-3) with 12 points while Matt Pickford added 10 and Derek Heiserman, seven points.
The difference in the game was the second quarter as Pennridge increased its two-point first quarter lead to 30-19 at the half with a big defensive effort. In the third, the Rams outscored North Penn 12-7 to all but put the game out of reach.
North Penn 12 7 7 17—43
Pennridge 14 16 12 16—58
North Penn (43) – Tyler Lambert 2, Joey Richards 12, Matt Pickford 10, Ricky Johns 3, Kyle Hulmes 3, JJ Melchior 4, Jared Melone 3, Derek Heiserman 7.
Pennridge (58) – Joe Molettiere 20, Dan Long 11, Zach Muredda 9, Stephen Lowry 5, Joe Unangst 7, Kyle Yoder 4, James White 2.
About the Author
