Check out all of Tuesday’s SOL boys basketball results. To view photos of the Truman/Pennsbury, CR North/Bensalem and PW/Norristown games, please visit the Photo Gallery.
National Conference
PENNSBURY 73, TRUMAN 54
The Falcons’ strength, according to coach Bill Coleman, is in their well-balanced attack that includes four guards who are all capable of scoring double digits. That proved to be true in their victory over the Tigers. The Falcons took an early 13-10 advantage over the Tigers and upped that lead to 35-22 at the end of the first half. The Tigers came out the third quarter and tried to chip away at that lead, outscoring the Falcons 18-16. In the fourth quarter, the Falcons regained their composure, according to their coach, and iced the win.
“We were able to get out and play good defense, which gives us opportunities for the fast break,” Coleman said.
Coleman’s four guards who posted double digits win the victory were Steve Ciotti (16 points) Cameron Jones (13 points), Pierson Burton (12 points), and Mekhi Bryant (11 points). Forward Shawn Pepper also cracked twin figures to lead all scorers with 18 points.
Although they had some standout scoring efforts, Coleman admits this game was won on the defensive end.
“Everything we start with starts on the defense end,” he said.
The Falcons were able to hold Tigers’ top scorer, Merdic Green, to 16 points, 11 below his season average. Lucas Waters (12 points) and Jai’er Brown (11points) also finished double figures for the Tigers, who fell to 2-3 in the league (6-6 overall). The Falcons upped their record to 3-2 in the league (8-2 overall) as they prepare to face first-place Abington on Friday.
“We have to execute just like we did tonight and hopefully our momentum continues,” says Coleman. “Abington is very good and it’s going to take a total team effort.”
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 54, NESHAMINY 37
The Golden Hawks led the Redskins 34-19 at the half en route to their first league victory of the season. Will Faccenda led the attack with 11 points, five rebounds and five assists while Tom Townsend also had a big game, scoring 10 points and leading the team under the boards with 10 rebounds. Christian Crane chipped in eight points in the win that upped the Hawks’ record to 1-4 SOL (3-7 overall). The Reskins are 0-5 in the league (0-9 overall).
ABINGTON 74, WILLIAM TENNENT 39
The Ghosts took over sole possession of the top spot in the National Conference after cruising past the Panthers on Tuesday night to improve their league record to 5-0 (9-2 overall). The Ghosts exploded out of the gate to a 24-6 lead in the opening frame and increased that lead to 45-21 at halftime. Abington outscored the Panthers 22-9 in the third quarter to put the game out of reach.
The Ghosts had 10 players contribute to the scoring in the victory. Jordan Simmons led the way with 16 points. Anthony Durham also had a big game, scoring 11 points while racking up six assists and five rebounds. Michael Griffin also scored double digits for the Ghosts with 10 points while Matt Penecale and Jiere Morrisey each connected for nine points. The Panthers were led offensively by Matt Alden with 15 points and Horace Spencer, who chipped in 12 points. Tennent is now 3-7 on the season (1-4 SOL).
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 74, BENSALEM 59
A complete game story is posted on the web site about Tuesday’s SOL Featured Game, sponsored by the Council Rock North Booster Club.
American Conference
CHELTENHAM 51, UPPER MORELAND 48
The Golden Bears exploded off the opening tip-off and outscored the Panthers 19-3 in the first quarter. The Panthers responded quickly, however, and returned the favor in the second quarter with a 23-9 surge to cut the deficit to 28-26 heading into intermission. The third quarter was a battle that saw the Bears edge the Panthers 14-13 to maintain a 42-39 lead, but the Panthers found their rhythm in the final quarter, outscoring the Golden Bears 12-6 to earn the win.
Aaron McGlawn finished the day with 23 points to lead the Panthers. Guy Henderson and Rashawn Reed each added nine while Guy Henderson chipped in four points. The Bears were led offensively by James Martin, who scored a game high 24 points. Matt Kohn contributed 11 points. The Panthers remain atop the conference with a perfect 5-0 record (6-4 overall) while the Bears saw their record drop to 2-3 in the league (5-5 overall).
UPPER DUBLIN 51, SPRINGFIELD 41
The Flying Cardinals picked up their first league victory of the season with a come-from-behind effort to defeat the Spartans. The score was knotted 8-8 at the end of one quarter, but the Spartans pulled ahead in the second quarter to lead 18-13 at the half.
“We just were playing horribly, but we came out strong in second half,” Upper Dublin coach Josh Adelman said.
Both teams scored 14 points in the third quarter before the Cardinals had an explosive final quarter, outscoring the Spartans 24-9.
“We started playing really good defense, and we got transition buckets,” said Adelman. “We also got a lot of steals and limited their shots.”
The turning point for the Cardinals, who had trailed most of the game, came midway through the fourth quarter when Andrew Carber, according to Adelman, turned a missed layup into a two-handed putback dunk that ignited both the fans and the players. The dunk gave the Flying Cardinals a one-point lead that they extended to ten before the final horn.
“We’ve been in so many close games,” said Adelman. “(We) are a young team that is finding itself, and they said enough is enough.”
Carber is the only returning player with varsity experience, and he stepped up to the plate, shooting 8-for-14 from the foul line and scoring nine points in the fourth quarter on his way to a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds.
“Carber helped with momentum in the fourth,” said Adelman. “It just seemed like they really wanted it.”
Goff added 13 points in the victory while Kevin Woods chipped in six. The Spartans were led by William Dahm with 12 point while Luke Pollock added nine and Connor Gill, eight points.
The Cardinals will face Plymouth Whitemarsh on Friday.
“We know they play up-tempo and trap you all over the court and force you to make turnovers, so we will work on handling pressure and playing four quarters,” Adelman said.
The Cardinals improved to 1-4 in the American Conference (3-6 overall). The Spartans, who are still searching for their first league win, fall to 0-5 SOL (4-7 overall).
WISSAHICKON 80, UPPER MERION 58
The Trojans amassed a 29-13 advantage in the first quarter on their way to a convincing victory over the Vikings. Chase Wilson had a monster game for the Trojans, scoring 10 points in the opening quarter on his way to a career-high 30 points. The Trojans increased their lead to 43-20 by halftime. The Vikings outscored the Trojans 38-36 in the second half, but it was too little too late.
Wilson, who scored 17 points in the third quarter, connected on six three-pointers. Chris Vila also contributed double digits for the Trojans with 15 points while Dylan Doskicz chipped in nine and Jesse Hunsicker added eight to up the Trojans record to 4-1 SOL (6-5 overall). The Vikings were led by Justin Lewis with 20 points and Eric Wells with 14 points. Upper Merion falls to 1-4 in the conference (2-7 overall).
NORRISTOWN 62, PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 52
The Eagles took a tenuous 28-27 lead into halftime but outscored the Colonials 12-4 in the third quarter to go on top 40-31 heading into the final frame.
“Our size kind of took over,” Norristown coach Mike Evans said. “Our big guys started working the ball. We got the ball inside to our big guys, and they started finishing for us.
“We stressed defense, and going in, we thought with our size we could control the rebounding. We forced the guards out and made them take shots and secured the rebounds.”
Marquis Bryant and Josh Johnson – who are 6-4 and 6-6 respectively - controlled the boards for the Eagles. Both players pulled down seven rebounds. Johnson finished with a team high 14 points while Bryant had 11 points. Jahbri Hargrove, who is 6-6, added 12 points while Luke Kelley had 10 and Bernard Gordon, seven points.
For the Colonials, Anthony McKie led the way with a game high 23 points, and Chase Rodgers added 11 points.
While the Colonials fell to 2-3 in league play (4-6 overall), the Eagles remained perfect in league play with a 5-0 mark (9-2 overall).
“It’s nice to get a win in their building,” Evans said. “It’s tough to play in that gym. They play tough at home, and that’s always a big rivalry.”
Continental Conference
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 40, QUAKERTOWN 35
The Patriots and Panthers battled back and forth for much of their game on Tuesday night. The Panthers held a narrow 16-13 lead heading into the second half, and both coaches knew it wasn’t going to be an easy victory for either squad.
“They’re a tough team,” said East coach Erik Henrysen. “They play with a lot of energy and really get after it. It was a tough game for us, and we lost there last year.”
Out to avenge their 2011-2012 loss, the Patriots started to click in the third quarter, outscoring the Panthers 16-10 to go on top 29-27. It was still anybody’s game coming down the stretch when Brendan McLaughlin hit a crucial three with remaining to put his team up by one.
“They were trapping and playing a zone,” said Henrysen. “But we found Brendan in the corner.”
The Patriots managed to stretch the lead in the final seconds by connecting on some clutch foul shots, two of which came from freshman starter Tommy Strasburger who pulled down the game-sealing rebound.
“He’s been playing more and more and proves himself with each minute that he plays,” said Henrysen. “We responded well,
“It was a game where both teams are fighting hard, and we knew whoever had ball at the end was going to get the win.”
The Patriots were led by their senior captain and “go-to guy” Matt Stauffer who had 16 points. McLaughlin totaled nine for the day, and Strasburger added five points. The Panthers, whose brief two-game winning streak was cut short, were led offensively by Brett Wolf with 10 points and Mark Repsher with nine points. The Patriots upped their record to 5-5 on the season (2-3 in the league), while the Panthers fell to 4-5 on the season and 1-4 in the SOL.
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 51, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 47
The Bucks jumped out to a 17-9 lead at the end of one quarter but saw that lead erased as the Titans outscored them 19-5 in the second quarter to take the lead 27-22 lead into halftime. Both teams scored nine points in the third quarter, allowing the Titans to maintain a 36-31 advantage. The Bucks rallied with a fourth quarter scoring burst, outscoring the Titans 20-10 to earn the big win.
The Bucks’ comeback effort was led by Jared Kelly who had a team-high 15 points and Patrick Kelley who chipped in 12 while Cal Reichwein added seven points.
The Titans were led by Matt Scamuffo who buried four three-pointers and finished the game with 23 points. Josh Brodie and Gabe Tagliamonte each added six points. Both teams are 3-2 in SOL play. The Titans are 6-5 overall while the Bucks are 5-6.
HATBORO 58, NORTH PENN 40
The Hatters seized early control of Tuesday’s game, opening up a 30-21 lead at the half and increased that lead to 46-25 heading into the final frame on their way to a win that solidifies their spot at the top of the conference standings. Ryan Kelly sparked the Hatters’ offense by scoring nine of his 16 points in the first quarter. Mike Brown also was a key part of the victory with 14 points, as well as Zach Quatrro who added 12 points. Jin Kim led the Knights, who fall to 1-4 in the league (3-5 overall), with 15 points. The Hatters stay perfect in the SOL at 5-0 and are 9-2 on the season.
SOUDERTON 68, PENNRIDGE 49
The Indians opened up with a 19-12 lead over the Rams in the first quarter and upped that lead to 32-24 by the half. A third quarter scoring surge put the Indians ahead 52-32 and put the game out of reach for the Rams. John Kanas had an outstanding night for Big Red, connecting on three-of-four three-pointers and 3-of-3 at the foul line on his way to 30 points. Brandon Wagner (15 points) and Austin Murphy (11 points) also posted double figures for the Indians. The Rams were led by Jeff Garner, who buried five treys and finished the day with 17 points. Alex Krivda scored nine points, Drew Dietterich had six points, and Joe Garrity, Joe Molettiere and Kyle Bigham each added five. The Indians improved to 4-1 SOL (6-4 overall), and the Rams fall to 1-4 in the league (5-6 overall).
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