Check out the recaps for SOL boys’ basketball teams in action Tuesday. PW/Upper Dublin photos provided courtesy of Larry Small. CLICK HERE for a gallery of photos.
SOL National Conference
Pennsbury 51, Council Rock South 46
Pennsbury remained undefeated and atop the conference standings with a tight win over host Council Rock South on Tuesday.
“We still have eight games left, so a lot of things can change within those eight games, but I know we’ll have the guys prepared and ready to go,” Pennsbury coach Bill Coleman said. “We’re looking forward to the challenge."
The Falcons were tied with the Golden Hawks at 24-24 at halftime before they took a seven-point lead after three quarters.
“Credit to coach (Council Rock South coach Chris) Clark – he had his guys prepared, they were up to play us, they had a decent crowd there, and they executed well,” Coleman said. “We got lucky at the end.
“We fouled (Jack) Rebholz on a three and then we turned the ball over on the inbounds. I think we had an 11 or 12-point lead, and we turned it to five with under 30 seconds. We didn’t close out the game. We haven’t played a 32-minute game. We’re taking steps there, but we surely didn’t do it today. As I was telling the guys, ‘I don’t expect perfection, but give me 80-90 percent, and it will carry us a long way,’ and we just didn’t get to that level today. CR South played hard, they played well. Rebholz played well, (Kevin) McNamee played well.”
Senior Gary Francis led the way for Pennsbury with a game-high 27 points while junior Collin Connor contributed 13 points. Both players also had eight rebounds to lead the Falcons. Kyrie Miller added nine points. The Falcons converted 18-of-23 attempts from the foul line.
“The dynamic duo of Gary (Francis) and Collin (Connor) played well again,” Coleman said. “We have to get more people involved offensively, but Gary is a tough guard, and when Collin is shooting well, it makes us that much harder to defend.”
Rebholz led the way for Council Rock South with 19 points and McNamee added seven.
Pennsbury (5-5, 4-0 SOL) will host Harry S Truman on Thursday, and Council Rock South (3-7, 3-2) will host Central Bucks East in a non-league game Wednesday.
Pennsbury 17-7-15-12 51
Council Rock South 16 8 8 14 46
Pennsbury (51) – Kyrie Miller 9, Collin Connor 13, Gary Francis 27, Luke Della Grotte 2.
Council Rock South (46) – Jack Rebholz 19, Michael Stewart 4, Kevin McNamee 7, Luca Baratta 5, Brian Schwartz 5, Shawn Blank 4, Connor Lewis 2.
Neshaminy 56, William Tennent 55
What a difference a night made for Neshaminy.
On Monday, Neshaminy’s Brandon Belton drilled a 3-pointer to send the game against Holy Ghost Prep into overtime. However, Neshaminy would end up losing the non-league contest.
On Tuesday, Belton nailed another three from the exact same spot on the floor with seven seconds remaining to give his team a conference win over visiting William Tennent.
The Redskins recuperated from a slow start that saw the Panthers open up a 16-2 lead. They trimmed that lead to five (30-25) by halftime and kept chipping away.
“It was pretty ugly on our part to start the game, but I’m glad we didn’t give up – that’s showing signs of improvement,” Neshaminy coach Mark Tingle said. “We had a big second quarter to trim their lead to five at halftime.
“We were actually down one with seven seconds left, and Brandon Belton – who hit the shot to go to overtime last night – hit the three. They (Tennent) actually got a decent look on the baseline, but it didn’t go in and time expired.”
Damon McGovern led Neshaminy with 13 points and also had a team-high five assists while Belton, Angelo Gyamfi, Evan Brooks and Matt Drapkin all added nine points. Gyamfi led the Redskins on the board with seven rebounds while Belton had five.
“We had balanced scoring, which was really good,” Tingle said. “We were 14-for-24 on the foul line, but we made 5-of-6 in the fourth quarter when it counted.
“We played hard defense, made some shots. We drew it up so Brandon (Belton) would get the three at the end at the exact spot he got it the other night – on the right side wing, and he hit it again. We got lucky, pulled it out and on to the next one.
“Right now I’ll take anything I can get. We’ve had a lot of close games so far, and it was nice to finally win one. Things are starting to come together a little bit. We’re getting in-game experience, and we’re learning. This is the first game we were in single digits as far as turnovers – we only had nine turnovers for the game. Our game goal is usually 10 or less, and we have been averaging 16 or 17, so it was good to finally not give up the ball too much, so that helps."
David West paced the Panthers with a game-high 23 points and Derrik Cosenza had 17.
Neshaminy (3-8, 1-4 SOL) will host Penn Wood in a non-league game Saturday. William Tennent (3-7, 2-2) will host Council Rock South on Friday.
William Tennent 16-14-14-9 55
Neshaminy 4-21-20-11 56
William Tennent (55) – Jay Stanfield 4, Josiah Johnson 6, Kip Mooney 3, David West 23, Derrik Cosenza 17, Del Matunda 2.
Neshaminy (56) – Kyle Saglimben 5, Brandon Belton 9, Matt Drapkin 9, Damon McGovern 13, Angelo Gyamfi 9, Andrew Mays 2, Evan Brooks 9.
Bensalem 61, Harry S. Truman 52
Bensalem used a strong start on the way to a conference win over Harry S. Truman in Tuesday’s rivalry game.
“It’s always a very tough game between both teams,” Bensalem coach Mike McCabe said. “It looked like early on we were going to pull away and everything was going to be good, and, of course, they fought back.
“Here’s a team that’s struggling, but those kids play hard. I know Tyrone (Lewis) is a very good coach. Every time you play them – it’s never easy with Truman and Bensalem, no doubt about it. We always say – forget about the records. It’s bragging rights for the neighborhood.”
Lamont Hasker led the way for the Owls with 17 points and Jeremiah Alexander had 14. Impressive freshman Aaron Sanders added 10 points in the win.
“Lamont Hasker played well,” McCabe said. “He got in foul trouble early. Jerry (Alexander) played well, and our freshman, Aaron Sanders, played well.”
The Owls took a 30-21 lead into halftime, but the Tigers cut into that with a 16-10 third quarter. The Owls responded with a 21-point quarter to close it out.
“Overall, it got to be a sloppy game,” McCabe said. “It was turnovers, turnovers. Both teams were trying to get after each other. We had the lead, and they came back and took the lead. We kept our composure and got it back and were able to pull away towards the end. Both teams played hard. It just got a little sloppy. We had 21 turnovers, and we were 16-for-32 from the line, and they weren’t much better.
“We’re better than what we’re showing, but we’re finding a way to win, and that’s the biggest part. It’s a learning process. We have one returning starter, and you can say, ‘Oh, you have a bunch of seniors,’ but the inexperience definitely plays in. We’re just going to keep trying, that’s all we can do. I always tell the kids, ‘When you’re at home, you have to find a way to win these home games because once you get on the road – it’s tough.’"
Terrence Rogers and Jordan Fant each had 12 points in the loss while Gaige Vargas netted 10 for the Tigers.
Bensalem (6-5, 3-2 SOL) will travel to Council Rock North Friday, and Harry S Truman (1-9, 1-3) will be on the road at Pennsbury on Thursday.
Harry S. Truman 10-11-16-15 52
Bensalem 14-16-10-21 61
Harry S. Truman (52) – Donald Imo 2, Gaige Vargas 10, Terrence Rogers 12, Jordan Fant 12, Treszon Chapman 5, Michael Leonhauser 11.
Bensalem (61) – Nasir Williams 7, Jeremiah Alexander 14, Shane Simmons 9, TJ Igielski 2, Lamont Hasker 17, DeShawn Hicks 2, Aaron Sanders 10.
SOL Continental Conference
North Penn 53, Central Bucks West 45
Eight players had points to help North Penn topple Central Bucks West on Tuesday night and stay right in the thick of the early season conference race.
The Bucks took a 27-25 lead to halftime, but could only manage 18 points after intermission with a dozen of those coming in the final quarter.
The Knights, now 3-1 in the conference and part of a four-way tie for the top spot, used the long-range shooting of senior Tali McIver, who drilled five 3-pointers on the way to a game-high 19 points.
Senior Chris Caputo and junior Mike Chaffee each contributed nine points to the win.
Junior Mika Munari led the Bucks with 15 points and junior Jack Neri was next with 10 points.
North Penn (8-3, 3-1 SOL) will host Central Buck South on Friday, and Central Bucks West (5-6, 1-3) will host Quakertown on Friday.
Central Bucks West 19-8-6-12 45
North Penn 16-9-10-18 53
Central Bucks West (45) – Connor Briece 9, John Murnen 3, Mika Munari 15, Jack Neri 10, Reed Zerweck 7, Danny Miller 1.
North Penn (53) – Tali McIver 19, AJ Mitchell 6, Kolby Barrow 3, Chris Caputo 9, Joe Larkins 3, Mike Chaffee 9, Solomon Robinson 2, Matt Swanson 2.
Pennridge 60, Souderton 56
Pennridge coach Dean Behrens had hoped his team’s game against Souderton would start one way.
It didn’t.
“Like any coach, I wanted us to jump out to a nice lead and be playing well,” Behrens said. “Souderton didn’t let that happen. They went up 13-2 on us and were really playing well. Their coach, Tim Brown, really has them playing with a lot of energy.
“They beat East last week and we knew it was going to be a tough game.”
The Rams cut their deficit to 29-24 at halftime before taking the lead in the third quarter.
“We held them to six points in the third quarter, but Souderton stayed right with us,” Behrens said. “We were only up two points with five seconds left, but Sean Yoder iced the game for us from the foul line.
“He was 17-of-17 from the line which is just incredible.”
The Rams also received a career-best 18 points from senior John Dominic.
“John Dominic just had a great game for us,” Behrens said. “He was just amazing and we really needed it.”
Mekhi Williams led the Indians with 20 points while Andrew Vince and Brian Reiner each had 11.
“Andrew Vince played really well for Souderton,” Behrens said. “He’s a good athlete and just gave us fits.”
Pennridge (10-2, 3-1 SOL) will be on the road at Central Bucks East on Friday, and Souderton (4-8, 1-4) will travel to Perkiomen Valley for a non-league game Thursday.
Pennridge 9-15-16-20 60
Souderton 15-14-6-21 56
Pennridge (60) – Sean Yoder 31, John Dominic 18, Jon Post 5, Luke Yoder 4, Colin Post 2.
Souderton (56) – Mekhi Williams 20, Andrew Vince 11, Brian Reiner 11, Sami Chouiraf 6, Zach Thatcher 5, Jack Towsen 3.
Central Bucks East 71, Quakertown 46
Central Bucks East blew things open with a big second quarter on the way to a win over Quakertown on Tuesday.
The Patriots, who are part of a four-way tie for first place in the conference, led 12-7 after one quarter but used a 28-point second quarter to lead by 22 at halftime (40-18) and were able to cruise the rest of the way.
East, which converted 25-of-32 free throws, had 11 players score points led by Joe Jackman’s 19 points and 12 from Leo Masterson. The Patriots connected on eight shots from beyond the arc with Jackman’s four three-pointers leading the way. Ben Markowitz added a pair.
Freshman Bobby Rosenberger led the Panthers with a game-high 20 points and junior Matt Tuley had 10 points.
Central Bucks East 12-28-14-17 71
Quakertown 7-11-10-18 46
Central Bucks East (71) – Nick Roggio 6, Ben Markowitz 6, Leo Masterson 12, Joe Jackman 19, Jason Markowitz 10, Christian Rivera 4, Jack Hamilton 6, Chris Charlton 2, Anthony Giordano 1, Tyler Young 3, Brendan Harte 2.
Quakertown (46) – Bobby Rosenberger 20, Eli Ortiz 3, Jimmy Casey 6, Matt Catalano 5, Matt Tuley 10, Ben Kave 2.
SOL American Conference
Abington 64, Wissahickon 52
Abington continues to show why its one of the top teams in the state.
The Ghosts, now 5-0 in the conference and tied with rival Cheltenham (also 5-0) atop the standings, jumped out to a 39-20 halftime lead against the Trojans and were never threatened the rest of the way.
Abington, which collected a season-best 42 rebounds, was led, as usual, by Villanova University commit Eric Dixon, who had a team-high 28 points to go along with 17 rebounds. Dixon made 12-of-15 shots from the floor, including a pair of 3-pointers. He’s also only 115 points shy of 2,000 for his career.
Darius Brown had seven points and five rebounds for the Ghosts while teammate Maurice Henry had five points, five assists and five rebounds.
Wissahickon’s Eddie Fortescue led all scorers with 29 points and Carmen Ostroski chipped in nine.
Abington (9-1, 5-0 SOL) will travel to Hatboro-Horsham on Friday, and Wissahickon (5-7, 2-3) will be on the road at Upper Dublin.
Wissahickon 12-8-7-25 52
Abington 22-17-20-5 64
Wissahickon (52) – Eddie Fortescue 29, Harrison Williams 2, Maurice Willis 4, Tyler Caso 2, Matt Compas 6, Carmen Ostroski 9.
Abington (64) – Eric Dixon 28, Darius Brown 7, Lucas Monroe 8, Manir Waller 6, Zyeir Olasewere 2, Maurice Henry 5, Joey Brusha 3, Jack Moynihan 5.
Cheltenham 54, Hatboro-Horsham 26
While Abington gets most of the attention in the conference, Cheltenham has quietly been cruising along and it was more of the same for the Panthers on Tuesday as they upended Hatboro-Horsham.
The win pushed Cheltenham to 5-0 in conference play, tied with the Ghosts for the top spot.
The Panthers – who led 24-10 at the intermission – had 10 players score points against the Hatters, led by Elijah Harvey’s dozen. Jalen Mickens was next with eight.
“It was a total team effort,” coach Patrick Fleury said. “Zahree (Harrison) had eight assists and was able to get all his teammates involved.
“Jalen Mickens, Tim Myarick, Elijah Harvey, Kyin Healey and the crew had a great defensive effort, holding them to 10 points in the first half. It was a bounce back from the loss (to Archbishop Carroll) on Monday."
Khalid Johnson led the Hatters with 12 points.
Cheltenham (8-4, 5-0 SOL) will host Springfield Township on Friday, and Hatboro-Horsham (2-9, 0-5) will host Abington on Friday.
Cheltenham 16-8-15-15 54
Hatboro-Horsham 6-4-6-10 26
Cheltenham (54) – Zahree Harrison 6, Jalen Mickens 8, Tim Myarick 7, Justin Moore 2, Elijah Harvey 12, Brandon Scott 2, Jaelen McGlonne 4, Sean Emfinger 2, Saleem Payne 2, Kyin Healey 9.
Hatboro-Horsham (26) – Khalid Johnson 12, Solomon McNair 4, Zeheir Cheeze 6, Bookard 2, Avery 2.
Upper Moreland 41, Springfield Township 39
Surprising Upper Moreland edged Springfield Township on Tuesday night, moving the Golden Bears to 3-2 in the conference and 8-3 overall.
The Spartans had a chance to win it at the end, but missed on a 3-pointer.
“We stayed together,” Upper Moreland coach Sean Feeley said. “I was proud of how our guys responded to a lot of adversity tonight.
“We played very hard tonight. Jourdan Gregg and Jahire Johnson executed the defensive strategy at the end of the game and we had another good game from Byron Hopkins, Tyler Ibbotson and Beau Woollens.
“And Christian O’Donnell was key in setting the tone for us.”
Upper Moreland will host Plymouth Whitemarsh on Friday, and Springfield Township (5-6, 1-4 SOL) will travel to Jenkintown for a non-league game Wednesday.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 67, Upper Dublin 49
Plymouth Whitemarsh rebounded nicely from a loss to Abington last week by upending Upper Dublin on Tuesday. But, it did take the Colonials a little while to get going.
The visiting Cardinals came out flying as they built a 21-3 lead after one quarter to take early control of the game.
However, Plymouth Whitemarsh completely turned the tables in the second quarter by outscoring Upper Dublin 27-4 to take an unlikely 30-25 lead to halftime.
The teams played even at 14-14 in the third quarter before the Colonials, now 3-2 in conference play, put things away with a strong final eight minutes.
The Colonials relied heavily on 7-foot-3 Naheem McLeod, a Florida State University commit. McLeod, who was held scoreless in the first quarter, erupted for 32 points the rest of the way to lead Plymouth Whitemarsh.
Caelin Peters was next for the Colonials with a dozen points and Jason Cherry chipped in with 10.
Brian Klammer led the Cardinals with 16 points and Drew Stover had 10.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (6-4, 3-2 SOL) will be on the road at Upper Moreland on Friday, and Upper Dublin (6-5, 1-4) will host Wissahickon on Friday.
Upper Dublin 21-4-14-10 49
Plymouth Whitemarsh 3-27-14-23 67
Upper Dublin (49) – Stover 10, Watkins 2, Brady 5, Williams 5, Klammer 16, Slivka 7, Bootman 4.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (67) – Pryce 4, Peters 12, McLeod 32, Pendleton 2, Diccianno 2, Kalala 2, Evans 3, Cherry 10.
Non-league
Central Bucks South 52, Council Rock North 26
It took some time, but once Central Bucks South got its offense going the Titans were able to pull away from Council Rock North for a non-league win Tuesday.
The score was just 4-2 favor the Titans after one quarter before Central Bucks South opened things up by outscoring the Indians 18-3 in the second quarter to lead 22-5 at halftime.
“I wasn’t too surprised it being a low-scoring game just because I know how Rock North plays defense,” Central Bucks South coach Jason Campbell said. “They’re good at packing it in. We turned the ball over. They did a good job of having their hands in the right places and getting some deflections, and we were sort of rushing some passes.
“I made an adjustment at the start of the second quarter offensively. Our players did a real good job. We held them to three points in the second quarter – our defense was fantastic. I have some kids that move their feet, jump to the ball and we rebounded pretty well. It was incredible. To hold someone to five points is really good in the first half.”
Alex Dietz led the Titans with 17 points and Tommy Kuypers had eight points.
“Dietz was fantastic,” Campbell said. “He was 4-for-5 from 2-point range, he was 2-for-5 from 3-point range, knocked down two free throws, three rebounds, a couple assists, a couple of steals. He was great all around.
“We’re getting good contributions from our bench. Brock D’Aulerio gave us another quality game with three assists and a couple of rebounds, he scored six points, and we got good minutes from some of the other bench players too, like Justin Rieber."
Senior James Duffy led the Indians with nine points.
“Cole Prezelski didn’t score, but he did a nice job defending DJ Mischak,” Campbell said of the Indians’ point guard. “He’s a good player, he can score. Cole did a good job of playing him full-court and making other guys bring the ball up for the most part in the first half.
“Mischak did a good job of getting the ball in the second half, but Cole made him work to get the ball back and for them to run their offense. I was proud of how well he played defensively even though he didn’t score. He did have five assists and three rebounds, so he did a lot of other things beyond scoring in this game, and he had no turnovers. He’s our point guard and the ball’s in his hands most of the game.”
Central Bucks South (9-3, 3-1 SOL) will travel to North Penn for a conference showdown on Friday. Council Rock North (8-4, 2-2) will host Bensalem on Friday.
Central Bucks South 4-18-21-9 52
Council Rock North 2-3-8-13 26
Central Bucks South (52) – Brady Prezelski 3, Justin Rieber 4, Brock D'Aulerio 6, Brian Shields 5, Colin Mauz 3, Alex Dietz 17, Tommy Kuypers 8, Ian McCaw 4, Michael Farley 2
Council Rock North (26) –DJ Mischak 2, Beckett Thompson 2, Andrew Stewart 2, Luke Vleit 2, Hunter Wan 1, Parker Ehlin 6, James Duffy 9, Zach Saifer 2.
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