Check out Friday’s SOL boys basketball action. To view photos of the CR North/St Anthony’s and CB South/St. Paul, please visit the Photo Gallery.
NORRISTOWN 74, CENTRAL DAUPHIN 64 (OT)
The Eagles, after trailing the entire game, staged a heroic late game comeback to stun Central Dauphin in the title game of the Triangle Club Tournament on Friday night.
“We picked the intensity up on defense, and we started making plays,” coach Mike Evans said. “It took us three quarters to do it, but we started playing hard, and the guys played hard on defense and got some good steals, and the transition got some easy buckets for us.
“Curt Lever had some big buckets for us. He hit a couple of three’s that started to spark the comeback.”
Lever finished with 16 points while Luke Kelley led the Eagles with 20 points. Jahibri Hargrove added eight points, Bernard Gordon, seven points. John Johnson and Danny Orr each scored six points, and Marques Bryant had five.
The Eagles trailed by just one after the first quarter (15-14) but found themselves on the short end of a 34-27 score at halftime. Central Dauphin added to its lead, outscoring the Eagles 15-9 in the third quarter to go into the final quarter with a 49-36 lead. Things got worse before they got better for the Eagles, who trailed by as many as 17 late but rallied for the huge overtime win.
“We took that momentum from the fourth quarter into overtime,” Evans said. “This was a very important win because last night we didn’t play too well.
“Tonight they picked it up. They really showed some signs of being a great team.”
The Eagles improved to 5-1 overall (3-0 SOL).
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 59, ST ANTHONY (NY) 50
The Indians got off to the start they hoped for, according to coach Derek Wright, but didn’t finish the game in the same fashion. The Indians exploded to a 20-7 lead in the first quarter, thanks to the strong efforts of Rip Engel, who scored eight points, and Brandon Knotts, who added seven.
“We shared the ball really well, made open shots and defended as we planned,” said Wright.
However, the Indians wavered in the second quarter as the Friars outscored them 15-14. They regained their composure and added to their lead, which ballooned to 22 points early in the third quarter.
“We did a nice job the first three or four minutes and really created some space,” said Wright of the third quarter. “But we didn’t finish the third quarter very well. We got sloppy and out of character and let them back in it.”
Although they lost some momentum, the Indians outscored the Friars 15-8 to lead 49-30 going into the final quarter.
The fourth quarter proved to be troublesome for the Indians, who Wright admits are still learning to finish games.
“We lost a little focus tonight,” said Wright, whose team was outscored 20-10 in the final quarter. “St Anthony’s played very hard throughout, especially in the fourth quarter.
“We took some quick shots and didn’t take care of ball. We didn’t defend as we well as we did earlier in the game, and we didn’t rebound as well either.”
Chris Rowland helped lead the Indians to their victory in the opening game of Athletes Helping Athletes Classic with 23 points. Wright also commended Rowland for an outstanding job defending and rebounding. Engel totaled 15 points while Knotts ended the day with 11 points.
“We were grateful for the win,” said Wright. “But we realized we didn’t finish off the game a better team than when we started, which is the ultimate goal.”
The Indians (6-1) will face Central Bucks South in the title game Saturday at 1:30 pm.
SUN VALLEY 53, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 41
The Golden Hawks started off their consolation game at the Penncrest Holiday Tournament with a 17-16 lead at intermission but saw that lead erased by a third quarter burst from the Wildcats, who led 30-25 going into the final frame. The Wildcats increased their lead in the fourth quarter to claim the victory. The Hawks (5-3) were led by Christian Crane, who had a game-high 18 points, followed by Tom Townsend who also scored double digits with 13 points.
SPRINGFIELD (D) 48, NESHAMINY 37
The Redskins had a strong first half in Friday’s consolation game in the William Allen Holiday Tournament, outscoring the Cougars 11-9 in the first quarter. Both teams managed just six points in the second quarter, giving the ‘Skins a 17-15 advantage at the half in their quest to get one in the win column. In the third quarter, the Cougars used a 20-13 scoring surge to blow open the close game and took a 35-28 lead into the final quarter. The Cougars outscored the Redskins 13-11 in the final frame for the victory. The Redskins (0-7) were led offensively by Jaylen Picket who scored 17 points.
PENNSBURY 65, ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCH 55
The Falcons earned a big win over the Lions at the 8th Annual Pete and Jameer Nelson Holiday Classic at Widener. Cameron Jones scored 20 points to lead the Falcons while Steve Ciotti added 16. Shawn Pepper (12 points) and Mekhi Bryant (10 points) also came up big for the Falcons, who trailed 31-30 at the intermission but came to life in the second half.
“We got a better effort on the defensive end,” coach Bill Coleman said of his team’s second half comeback. “We also limited their second chance points in the second half.”
The Falcons are now 5-1 on the season.
CONESTOGA 56, UPPER DUBLIN 51
The Flying Cardinals fell to the Pioneers in the Friday’s Cardinal Classic championship game. The Pioneers came out of the gate strong, outscoring Upper Dublin 17-10 in first quarter, but the Cards cut that lead to 25-21 at the half. In the third quarter, Pioneer standout and tournament MVP Zach Yonda scored 11 to put his team on top 41-35 heading into the final frame. Yonda continued to dominate in the fourth quarter, scoring seven on his way to a total of 29 points to defeat the Cardinals. Andrew Carber had a strong showing both days of the tournament, scoring 15 Friday (and 36 for the tournament) for the Cards. Kurt Groff added 10 for Upper Dublin, who are now 2-5 on the season, while Zach Greenberg chipped in nine.
GREAT VALLEY 53, UPPER MORELAND 37
The Golden Bears and the Patriots ended the opening frame deadlocked 10-10, but the Patriots started to seize control in the second quarter, outscoring the Golden Bears 16-11. In the second half, the Patriots steadily added to their lead and clinched the championship in the Great Valley Christmas Classic. The Golden Bears’ attack was led by Matt Kohn, who finished the day with a team high 20 points. Upper Moreland is now 4-4 on the season.
UPPER MERION 66, MORRISVILLE 40
The Vikings clinched the title at the Lower Moreland Holiday Tournament for the second year in a row, thanks to their convincing win over the Bulldogs on Friday.
The Vikings (4-4) were led by their top scorer Justin Lewis (18 points) while Riece Jenerette had 13 points. Also in double figures were David Stecz and Connor McGrath, both with 11 points.
SPRINGFIELD 47, CHRISTOPHER DOCK 37
The Spartans needed something to spark their season after losing five in a row and being the winless new kids on the block in the American Conference. Coach Dave Turetzky, whose team captured the Dock Holiday Tournament, is hoping their back-to-back tournament wins will give them that momentum.
“This put us back in motion,” said Turetzky. “ It gives us a spot to build from to find an identity as a team and win games.”
The Spartans used a balanced attack against the Pioneers and maintained a lead for the duration of the game. Turetzky credited several key players on defense in the win, one of which had not seen significant varsity time previously- Malcolm Anderson.
“He did a phenomenal job. He played fullcourt on the ball defense and was everywhere,” said Turetzky. “I’ve never seen a kid play defense like that.”
John Burgland also had a standout game for the Spartans, bodying up on the
Dock’s biggest threat and shutting him down, according to Turetzky.
Offensively, the Spartans (3-5) were led by point guard Matt Krewson, who totaled 15 points for the night and set the tone for his teammates. Billy Dahm also tallied double digits and chipped in 12 points.
“We were starting to feel unsure of ourselves,” said Turetszky. “I told the team tonight - no matter what kind of adversity we face moving forward, this is the new start for us.”
PENNRIDGE 64, BOYERTOWN 58
The Rams dug themselves a first-half hole after being outscored by the Bears 18-14 in the first quarter and watching the Bears up the lead to 31-20 at the half. However, the Rams stormed back in the third and knotted the game 39-39 going into the final frame. The Rams used the final quarter to seize control and clinch the championship victory over the Bears at their Holiday Classic. Zach Murreda had a big game on offense, scoring a team high 23 points. Jeff Garner (12 points) and Drew McClatchy (11 points) also cracked double digits in the Rams’ comeback win. Pennridge upped its record to 5-4.
HAZLETON 72, HATBORO HORSHAM 57
The Hatters came up short in their championship matchup against the Cougars in the Hazleton Holiday Classic Tournament on Friday, dropping their second game of the season. Zach Quattro and Mike Brown picked up all-tournament honors for the Hatters while Jack Lavery won the sportsmanship award.The Hatters are 7-2 on the season.
POPE JOHN PAUL 51, SOUDERTON 49
The Indians (4-4) lost another heartbreaker in Friday’s consolation game at the Norristown Triangle Tournament after losing to Central Dauphin on Thursday by just one point. Big Red’s only returning starter, John Kanas, led the attack with a game high with 26 points.
MIDDLE TOWNSHIP 51, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 39
The Bucks advanced to the championship round in the Boardwalk Basketball Classic (William ‘Chickie’ Ludman Memorial Bracket) after defeating Washington Township 44-42 in the opening round on Thursday. The Bucks matched up evenly against the Panthers in the title game and kept it within two points until deep into the fourth quarter. It was a two-point game with 1:50 remaining, but foul shots and a technical foul against the Bucks put the game out of reach in the closing 90 seconds of play. The Bucks were led by Cal Reichwein who scored 13 points and Kyle Salvitti who added 12 points. The Bucks are now 3-5 on the season.
CONWELL EGAN 53, NORTH PENN 52 (OT)
The Knights faced the Eagles in a tightly contested opening round game on Friday at the Jack Schott Memorial Tournament. The two teams battled to a 17-17 tie at the end of the opening half, but the Knights started to pull away in the third quarter, outscoring the Eagles 17-10 to take the lead. For a while, it looked as though 17 might be a lucky number for North Penn, but in the final frame, the Eagles outscored the Knights by an identical 17-10 margin, knotting the score with a three-point buzzer beater to send the game into overtime. The Knights got on the board first and held the advantage until, with 10 seconds left, Steve Jordan buried the game-winner. The Knights were led by the impressive 21-point effort of Brian Coleman while Aaron Dean added ten. North Penn will face Masterman in Saturday’s consolation game at 6 pm.
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 49, ST PAULS (MD) 47
The Titans got off to a slow start in their opening round game at the Athletes Helping Athletes Classic, trailing the Crusaders 10-8 at the end of the opening quarter, and they saw that deficit increase to four at the half (27-23). The Titans still struggled to find their rhythm early in the third quarter as they found themselves trailing by double digits.
“Then we wound up,” said coach Jason Campbell. “We were pressuring them with three-quarter court pressure and got back in game with turnovers.”
South trimmed the Crusaders’ lead to six points, then four points and continued to intensify their comeback effort as the final frame began.
Kevin Raymond helped spark the offense when he hit a few crucial free throws early in the fourth quarter, connecting on 4-of-6, and things began to click for the Titans.
“Finally, we were taking care of the ball and rebounding,” said Campbell. “Tonight didn’t start off too well, but we have personnel that can come in off the bench and give us the lift.”
Ricky Dennis was one of those late-game wild cards, according to Campbell, along with Adam Tamny.
“(Adam) is able to pressure the ball and force teams to throw soft weak passes, and he gets steals and deflections,” the Titans’ coach said.
Thanks to their deep bench and a variety of players stepping up, the Titans were able to claw out of their deficit and outscore the Crusaders 15-10 in the final quarter to clinch the victory. Brennan Rudnick led the scoring for CB South with 12 points.
“He did a great job pushing up the ball in transition,” said Campbell about his senior guard. “He’s physical and was able to stay strong and get to the rim.” Raymond closed out the night with nine points for the Titans (6-2) and Dennis added five.
CB South advances to the championship game against Council Rock North on Saturday at 1:30 pm. (game time changed due to impending weather)
WISSAHICKON 64, FRANKFORD 59
The Trojans sprinted to a 33-22 halftime lead and then withstood a late Frankford surge to earn the win. Chris Carradorini and Todd Bentley led a balanced attack with 14 points each while Chris Vila added 12 points and Gordon Bentley had 11. Jesse Hunsicker was a perfect 6-for-6 from the foul line in the fourth quarter in a contest that saw the Trojans connect on 27-of-43 attempts.
The Trojans are 5-3 overall (3-0 SOL).
ATLANTIC CITY 65, ABINGTON 51
T.C. WILLIAMS 51, WILLIAM TENNENT 33
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