Check out the recaps for SOL boys’ basketball teams in action Tuesday. Tennent/Neshaminy photos courtesy of Jon Sklut. Check back for a gallery of photos: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/f582224377 (Quakertown photo provided by Q-town basketball. CR North photo provided courtesy of Jared Freed/CR North basketball)
Jack Schott Basketball Tournament
William Tennent 71, Neshaminy 67
William Tennent rebounded from an early deficit to take a double-digit lead and then withstood a Neshaminy rally attempt to take a 71-67 victory at Holy Ghost Prep.
Junior Kirby Mooney was once again an offensive catalyst, leading all scorers with 26 points to go along with six rebounds.
“It was a nice all-around team effort tonight,” said Tennent coach Robert Mulville. “We had a 10-point lead with about 4 minutes left. They hit a 3 to cut it to 7. Then we were just able to take care of the ball. Mooney got the foul line, knocked down some foul shots. Isaiah Dawson came up with two big buckets in the fourth quarter, and he also played really good defense in that fourth quarter where he got some key stops. That was huge for us. It was close the entire time.”
Mooney’s 26 points included 11 in a second quarter that saw the Panthers rally from a 23-17 deficit after one quarter to go into halftime with a 40-35 lead. Dawson finished with 12, including a pair of treys. George Marion finished with 9 points.
While the Panthers know they will get their points from Mooney and Marion, the other three starters earned a ton of praise on this day.
“Isaiah Dawson, Danny Scheller, and Evan Devor – they just come in and they play solid every night,” Mulville said. “Isaiah did have 12 tonight, but Danny had 5, Evan had 9 points and six rebounds. That’s just consistent with them every night. They play great defense, they expend an awful lot of energy trying to get us to do what we want to do.
“Kirby again gets his 26, and George only had 9 tonight, but he had 6 assists. But those other guys, they really do the things that don’t show up in the box score. They bond us as a team with the effort they give.”
The Panthers also received solid contributions off the bench.
“Tyler Laurin, a senior, came off the bench and had 5 points for us tonight,” Mulville said. “Chris D’Ambra comes off the bench for us, and he came in in the first quarter and hit a big 3. He had 5 points and got some playing time because our backup point guard Sean (Devine) had gotten into some foul trouble.”
Neshaminy’s Nate Townsend and Sean Curley turned in standout offensive performances, combining for 50 points. Townsend led all scorers with 30 points – 17 in the first half, but he was held to just 2 points in the fourth quarter. Sean Curley scored 20, with 8 in the first quarter and 10 in the fourth. Emeer Coombs also finished in double figures with 10 points.
Tennent (6-2 overall, 4-1 Freedom Division) will play in Thursday’s championship game against Holy Ghost Prep at 7 pm. Neshaminy (6-3, 4-1 Patriot Division) will play in the consolation game against Harry S Truman at 5 pm.
William Tennent 17-23-21-10 71
Neshaminy 23-12-16-16 67
William Tennent (71) – Kirby Mooney 10 5-6 26; Isaiah Dawson 5 0-3 12; George Marion 4 0-0 9; Chris D’Ambra 2 0-0 5; Danny Scheller 2 1-2 5; Evan Devor 4 0-0 9; Tyler Laurin 2 0-0 5. TOTALS 29 6-11 71.
Neshaminy (67) – Joey Zack 1 1-4 3; Emeer Coombs 4 0-0 10; Guy Horton 1 2-2 4; Sean Curley 7 4-4 20; Nate Townsend 12 3-5 30. TOTALS 25 10-15 67.
3-point goals: William Tennent – Kirby Mooney, Isaiah Dawson 2, George Marion, Chris D’Ambra, Evan Devor, Tyler Laurin; Neshaminy – Emeer Coombs 2, Sean Curley 2, Nate Townsend 3.
HOLY GHOST PREP 64, HARRY S TRUMAN 31
Scholastic Play by Play
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 60, SALESIANUM (Del.) 48
Jim Donofrio was concerned whether his team would be ready for Tuesday’s early morning game after an emotional contest in its last outing.
It turns out he needn’t have worried.
The Colonials – sparked by six points from both Chase Coleman and Qudire Bennett – opened up a 20-12 lead after one quarter and extended that to 34-16 by halftime on their way to the impressive win.
“Today’s a really good mental test because last Thursday night’s Wissahickon game at PW was a perfect storm of winter break is approaching, the kids are in a good mood, I didn’t know if they realized 500 wins or not, but they did, and they took it very seriously, and their focus was through the roof,” said Donofrio, who notched his 500th win. “You worry about your very next game after that. You go into Christmas time, four days off, you’re in winter break mode, and these are silly guys in practice a lot of the time, and I’m thinking, ‘Can we come out at 11:30 a.m. – what’s it going to be?’
“It was very focused, very steady and very unselfish. We had a big lead at halftime. Of course, these kind of teams have players everywhere, so they made a nice run in the third quarter, and we just raised it one more time, so that was a really nice win when you don’t know emotionally what to draw on when you play at 11 a.m. after six days off.”
By halftime, Bennett had 13 points, and the Colonials – armed with that 18-point halftime lead – easily withstood the Sallies comeback attempt in the third quarter. Salesianum outscored PW 17-8 in the third quarter but still trailed 42-33. Bennett scored all eight of PW’s points in the third, and in the fourth quarter, Bennett was once again a catalyst, scoring seven points while Jah Pendergrass-Sayles had five as the Colonials closed it out with an 18-15 quarter.
Bennett’s 28 points – which included four 3-pointers – led all scorers. Coleman added 11 points, and Pendergrass-Sayles had 10.
“Q was great – he just is a scoring machine, and they share the ball,” Donofrio said. “Jaden Colzie just is quietly evolving into a really good point guard that understands how to run a team. He puts a lot of pressure on himself as a scorer too, and it’s really nice to see him evolve into a guy that just knows when to make really important decisions.”
Plymouth Whitemarsh (7-1, 5-0 SOL) will take on West Chester East on Friday at 5:15 p.m. as part of the Scholastic Play by Play Classic.
Salesianum 12-4-17-15 48
Plymouth Whitemarsh 20-14-8-18 60
Salesianum (48) – Isaiah Hynson 2 0-0 5; Nicholas Haggarty 5 2-2 12; RJ Johnson 6 0-0 12; Anthony Smith 5 3-4 14; TOTALS 20 6-8 48.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (60) – Chase Coleman 4 3-5 11; Ben Marsico 1 0-0 3; Qudire Bennett 11 2-3 28; Jah Pendergrass-Sayles 4 0-2 10; Lincoln Sharpe 1 2-2 4; Rodney Willis 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 23 7-12 60.
3-point goals: Salesianum – Isaiah Hynson, Anthony Smith: PW – Qudire Bennett 4, Jah Pendergrass-Sayles 2, Ben Marsico.
Haverford Holiday Tournament
Council Rock North 43, Haverford 39, OT
Council Rock North completed the sweep, following up its victory on Tuesday with a 43-39 win over host Haverford.
Haverford forced overtime with a 3-pointer with time running out in regulation, but the Indians responded by outscoring the hosts 5-1 in the extra session to earn with victory. Adam Mahtat buried a 3-pointers, and Cole McCarthy connected on a pair at the foul line.
“That’s tough to get your guys to realize, ‘Hey, we got another four minutes,’ but we did a great job of just moving on to the next one,” said North assistant coach Tyler Sessa-Reeves. “We talk about it all the time – you can’t control what already happened, but you definitely can control the next possession, and we did a fantastic job of that tonight.
“It was a really, really good win for us. We played super hard tonight. So many of our guys stepped up. We shot 9-for-11 from the free-throw line as a team, two of them in the overtime and another two at the end of the fourth quarter.”
North – sparked by six points from Mahtat – came out firing on all cylinders, taking a 16-7 lead after one quarter. But momentum swung into Haverford’s corner in the second quarter, and the Indians went into halftime nursing a 1-point lead at 22-21. Mahtat led the way with nine points in the half while Jack Blum added five.
“Anytime anyone goes on a run like that, you kind of feel, regardless of the score, that you’re losing even though we were winning by one point,” Sessa-Reeves said. “Our conversation at halftime was just getting our guys to stay focused and understand that if we play hard and we do the things we’re supposed to do everything will take care of itself, and we’ll get back to playing the way we had in the first quarter, and that’s exactly what they did.”
Mahtat tied for game-high with 15 points, including a pair of 3-pointers for the Indians. Blum added 9 points, and McCarthy, six points. Mahtat and Blum were named to the all-tournament team.
“All the credit to Haverford – they have really good guards, and they run their stuff really well,” Sessa-Reeves said. “We did a great job of executing what we were trying to do as far as making some of their other players beat us. The guys bought in and trusted me and the rest of the staff, and we executed. It was really good to see all that stuff come together.”
North improves to 5-3 overall (3-2 Patriot Division) and will host Central Bucks West at 7 pm on Jan. 3.
Council Rock North 16-6-7-9-5 43
Haverford 7-14-12-5-1 39
Council Rock North (43) – Oliver Schaefer 1 0-0 3; Tyler Rodowicz 2 0-0 5; Cole McCarthy 2 2-2 6; Micah Oxley 1 0-0 3; Adam Mahtat 6 1-2 15; Jack Blum 1 6-6 9; Luke Blum 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 14 9-10 43.
Haverford (39) – Brian Wiener 3 0-0 8; Tommy Wright 2 0-0 6; Gorman Bright Jr. 1 0-0 2; Googie Seidman 5 3-4 15; Kevin Gannon 2 0-0 5; TOTALS 14 3-4 39.
3-point goals: CRN – Adam Mahtat 2, Oliver Schaeffer, Tyler Rodowicz, Micah Oxley, Jack Blum; Haverford – Brian Wiener 2, Tommy Wright 2, Googie Seidman 2, Kevin Gannon.
Council Rock South 57, Kennett 38
Council Rock South made sure this one was never in doubt.
Rebounding from Tuesday’s loss in the opener of the Haverford Tournament, the Golden Hawks posted 22 points in the opening frame and led by 15 points after one quarter, 22-7. They never looked back on the way to a 57-38 victory over Kennett.
Matt Robinson and Jordan Getz were named to the All-Tournament Team. Robinson led all scorers with 16 points on Wednesday and added 5 rebounds. He sank two treys in the first quarter and went 4-for-4 from the foul line in the fourth quarter. Getz scored 9 and had 2 steals and also had a pair of first-quarter 3-pointers to lift the Hawks early.
Cole Delp had 9 points and pulled down 6 boards, while Gabe Cerulli scored 8 and added 4 blocks.
“It was a good team win. Everyone gave us a boost,” said South coach Andrew Rogers.
The Hawks improve to 2-6 overall, 1-4 in the Patriot Division. They are back in action when they host Central Bucks East at 7 pm on Jan. 3.
Council Rock South 22-11-9-13 57
Kennett 7-11-11-11 38
Council Rock South (57) – Matt Robinson 4 5-6 16; Aiden Wallace 1 2-2 4; Jordan Getz 2 3-6 9; Gabe Cerulli 3 2-3 8; Cole Delp 4 1-2 9; Justin McCloskey 1 0-0 3; Michael Burns 2 0-0 5. TOTALS 17 13-19 57.
Kennett (38) – Reagen Pelletier 6 0-0 15; Bo Freeberg 1 5-5 12; Braedyn Smith 1 0-2 3; Joey Carozzo 0 2-2 2; Jackson Lowe 3 0-1 8; Connor Schmoucher 1 3-6 5. TOTALS 12 10-16 38.
3-point goals: CRS – Matt Robinson 3, Jordan Getz 2, Cole Delp, Justin McCloskey, Michael Burns; Kennett – Reagan Pelletier 3, Braedyn Smith, Jackson Lowe 2.
Salisbury Holiday Tournament
Quakertown 47, Saucon Valley 29
Ethan Tomlinson followed up an 18-point opener by scoring 10 on Wednesday to earn Tournament MVP honors as Quakertown topped previously undefeated Saucon Valley, 47-29.
Miles Longacre scored 16—after a 12-point effort on Tuesday—to be named to the All-Tournament Team.
The two tourney wins come at a perfect time for a Quakertown team that entered the break coming off a couple of tough losses. Despite a depleted bench for both games in the holiday tournament, the Panthers stepped it up and pulled out two gutsy wins.
“I basically told them, we are playing Ironman basketball,” said Quakertown coach Tony DaCosta. “Today we had 13 available guys between JV and varsity, yesterday we only had 12. We’re usually a team of 18 to 20, but we only had 12 kids on the bus. You almost have as many coaches and scorekeepers as you have players.
“I thought we did a really strong job. I think this is a real nice confidence booster for what we can do if we’re willing to pay attention, follow directions.”
The Panthers jumped out to an 11-4 lead after one quarter and led 18-12 at halftime. Longacre’s eight points led the way in the half.
A 15-7 third quarter that included five points from both Kyle Rosenberger and Sam Wilkin put the game out of reach.
“The team played phenomenal defense and executed extremely well offensively,” DaCosta said. “We were efficient all night and only committed 7 turnovers against constant pressure. Sam Wilkin did a nice job keep us in control and operating on all cylinders all night.”
Wilkin finished with 11 points, including a pair of 3-pointers as the Panthers improve their overall record to 4-6.
“This is huge because we’ve been dealing with a lot of kids that are sick,” DaCosta said. “The flu and everything that’s going around has hit us pretty hard, so it really makes things disjointed and really hard to come together when you have so many variables pulling at the fabric of consistency and chemistry.
“For the guys to be able to come out with this victory was uplifting because I know our spirits were a little bit dampened by the loss to Hatboro-Horsham and then we took a spanking from Abington. To have this opportunity to kind of find ourselves – I told them that as a former player, I know what it’s like to be in that situation. You kind of lose your confidence and then start to doubt yourself and ask yourself – are you really that good, can you really compete.
“I said I was really proud of their grit and their grind to really be mentally tough enough to not forget about the things they’d built all summer and all offseason in all the workouts they did and stick to the plan and, most importantly, just follow directions.”
The Panthers will look to build on the tournament victory when they return to action at Lower Moreland at 7 pm Jan. 3.
Quakertown 11-7-15-14 47
Saucon Valley 4-8-7-10 29
Quakertown (47) – Miles Longacre 6 4-5 16; Sam Wilkin 4 1-3 11; Ethan Tomlinson 3 4-4 10; Anthony Callan 1 0-0 2; Kyle Rosenberger 3 1-1 8; Aiden Burgy 0 0-1 0; TOTALS 17 10-14 47.
Saucon Valley (29) – Alex Magnotta 2 0-0 4; Braden Weiss 2 0-0 5; Constantine Donahue 0 0-2 0; Jack Robertson 1 2-6 5; Henry Kreschellok 1 00 3; Jacob Klotz 2 0-1 6; Adam Clark 2 0-2 4; Caleb Grim 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 11 2-11 29.
3-point goals: Quakertown – Sam Wilkin 2, Kyle Rosenberger; SV – Jacob Klotz 2, Braden Weiss, Jack Robertson, Henry Kreschellok.
Perkiomen Valley Holiday Tournament
North Penn 68, Methacton 66
North Penn bounced back in a big way.
After falling behind early and never catching up in a 61-37 loss in Tuesday’s opening game, the Knights bounced back with a huge down-to-the-wire thriller over district power Methacton.
“Especially on the heels of last night, I was really proud of the kids, the turnaround and resiliency. They definitely competed tonight,” said North Penn coach John Conrad. “I thought Perk Valley really bullied us last night, so it was good for us to respond.
“We did a much better job of sharing the basketball. It was 24-12 after the first quarter. We just were shooting the ball well, which allowed us to play with the lead which made it a little easier especially against a team like Methacton. They’re a really good basketball team.”
The Knights also showed their resiliency by refusing to fold after Methacton erased a 16-point deficit to knot the score at 55-55 in the fourth quarter.
“Give Methacton credit – they didn’t quit, they just kept plugging away,” Conrad said. “We cooled off a little bit. Defense feeds the offense. They got 23 points in the third quarter, so we weren’t getting any stops and able to run out. They were getting some stops and getting transition baskets. They were able to get Matt Christian going. They’re a really good basketball team, and they take advantage of mistakes, and I think that’s all that happened in the third. They made some shots, and we obviously didn’t.
“We played well down the stretch. We missed a couple of one-and-ones, but we were able to get stops on the defensive end so that was really good.”
Ryan Zeltt led North Penn with 16 points, including 8 in the opening quarter to spark the Knights’ fast start. Norman Gee sank three treys among his 15 points. Ryan Deininger (13) and Teddy McAllister (10) joined the two in double-digit scoring. McAllister scored 7 in the opening quarter.
“I just thought we were unselfish tonight,” Conrad said. “We were looking to make the extra pass, hitting guys on time and on target, and we were able to make shots, which obviously is a big factor.”
North Penn improves to 5-3 overall (3-2 Colonial Division) and returns to action on Jan. 3, when the Knights host Pennsbury at 7 pm.
North Penn 24-14-15-15 68
Methacton 12-13-23-18 66
North Penn (68) – Mario Sgro 3 0-0 6; Norman Gee 5 2-3 15; Teddy McAllister 4 0-0 10; Ryan Zeltt 7 0-1 16; Ryan Deininger 6 0-0 13; Corey Meade 3 2-6 8. TOTALS 28 4-9 68.
Methacton (66) – Anthony Deddazio 1 0-0 3; Jason Laguna 1 0-0 3; Sal Iemello 7 0-0 16; Evan Spang 2 0-0 5; Cam Chilson 5 1-3 11; Alex Hermann 3 5-5 11; Matt Christian 5 2-2 15; Preston Hutl 1 0-0 2. TOTALS 25 8-10 66.
3-point goals: North Penn – Norman Gee 3, Teddy McAllister 2, Ryan Zeltt 2, Ryan Deininger; Methacton – Anthony Deddazio, Jason Laguna, Sal Iemello 2, Evan Spang, Matt Christian 3.
Perkiomen Valley 55, Wissahickon 42
Dom Vacchiano sank a career-high six 3-pointers, but it wasn’t enough for Wissahickon as the Trojans, who trailed by eight at halftime, dropped a 55-42 decision to tournament host Perk Valley.
“It was an intense first half with both teams knocking down big shots at both ends,” Wissahickon coach Kyle Wilson said. “For us, Dom kept us in the game with big shot after big shot. Tough loss, but it was promising to see him get his shot going.”
Vacchiano led all scorers with 24 points, including 9 points on three treys in the second quarter. Jaylon Williams added 8 for the Trojans.
The Trojans fall to 2-6 overall (2-3 Liberty Division), and will return to action at 7 pm Jan. 3 when they visit William Tennent.
Wissahickon 10-14-8-10 42
Perkiomen Valley 15-17-10-13 55
Wissahickon (42) – Will Kirkpatrick 0 0-1 0; Jaylon Williams 3 1-1 8; Brayden Ryan 1 0-0 3; Andrew Slackman 1 0-0 2; Dom Vacchiano 8 2-4 24; Earl Stout 2 1-1 5; TOTALS 15 4-7 42.
Perk Valley (55) – Luke Hansen 0 2-2 2; Julian Sadler 7 8-8 23; Ryan Murphy 1 2-2 5; Kyle Shawaluk 4 0-2 10; Shane Nelson 1 0-0 2; Morgan McKenney 5 1-6 11; Josh Tagert 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 19 13-20 55.
3-point goals: Wissahickon – Dom Vacchiano 6, Jaylon Williams, Brayden Ryan; PV – Kyle Shawaluk 2, Julian Sadler, Ryan Murphy.
Boyertown Holiday Tournament
Pennridge 62, Governor Mifflin 54
The focus was there … the team effort was there … and so was the victory as Pennridge overcame a slow start to down Governor Mifflin in Wednesday’s matchup.
“We talked to them about being mentally focused from the tip because when you play at 3 o’clock in the afternoon over Christmas, everyone is having a good time,” said Rams’ coach Dean Behrens. “We still have to try and win games. We started out the first quarter like we were still at the Christmas table.
“We were only down 14-10, but we couldn’t catch the ball, we couldn’t pass the ball, and our energy level wasn’t very good. I was like, ‘What are we watching?’ We got to the second quarter, and our energy level got back to where we wanted it, and I felt we played good basketball from the second quarter on.”
The Rams turned things around with a 21-point second quarter, storming back to take a 31-23 lead into halftime.
“Tommy Cramer, who probably couldn’t have played any worse the first quarter, played unbelievably the next three quarters and had 16 points and 8 rebounds,” Behrens said. “He really stepped up for us tonight.”
Pennridge sophomore Xavier Peters led all scorers with 21 points, including 6 in the first quarter and 7 in the second to lead the Rams’ rally.
“It started actually with Xavier Peters,” Behrens said. “He was under assault the whole game from their defense. I thought they did a really nice job defensively on us, but he controlled the tempo off the game and got guys good shots. He was able to get to the basket, he was able to create and get good shots for himself.”
Matt Campione scored 9 for the Rams and Ryan Hass sank a pair of treys among his 8 points.
“Ryan Hass came off the bench and gave us a shot in the arm,” Behrens said. “It was good to get some balanced scoring. Every time we win or lose it’s going to be a team effort. All our guys have to play well for us to be successful. The guys played their roles well.
“You’re playing in front of 65 people, your mind is on Christmas and New Year, and we have to do it again tomorrow.”
Pennridge (5-4 overall, 2-3 Colonial Division) will face Avon Grove at 4:30 pm today in the second game of the Boyertown Holiday Tournament.
Pennridge 10-21-12-19 62
Govenor Mifflin 14-9-15-16 54
Pennridge (62) – Caden Fisher 1 1-2 3; Jake Buesing 1 0-0 3; Gannon Perlini 1 0-0 2; Matt Campione 2 5-6 9; Xavier Peters 8 4-6 21; Tommy Cramer 4 7-10 16; Ryan Hass 3 0-0 8. TOTALS 20 17-24 62.
Govenor Mifflin (54) – Delsin McNeil 1 2-4 4; Andrew Galantuomo 1 2-2 5; Stephen Mayo 1 0-3 2; Gerrell McNeil 4 8-9 16; Darryll Johnson 6 0-0 12; Cole Renninger 1 0-0 2; Tyler Minick 6 1-2 13. TOTALS 20 13-20 54.
3-point goals: Pennridge – Jake Buesing, Xavier Peters, Tommy Cramer, Ryan Hass 2; GM – Andrew Galantuomo.
Phillipsburg Holiday Tournament
Hatboro-Horsham 66, Bangor 57
The third time was indeed a charm for Hatboro-Horsham. Playing its third straight overtime game—and having dropped the previous two, including Tuesday’s opening game to host Phillipsburg—the Hatters found their overtime magic on Wednesday, pulling away from Bangor and earning the victory.
Early on, it didn’t look like overtime was in the cards, as the Hatters trailed 29-18 at halftime. But a 20-point third quarter sparked the rally, and the Hatters were able to take the game into the extra frame after finishing regulation knotted at 50-50.
“I told the kids at the half that they needed to figure it out, and I let them make the decision on how we were going to play the second half,” said Hatters’ coach Rick Fedele. “I tell them all the time that this is their team, and for them to be successful, they have to own the team. Tonight, they did that.
“The team made adjustments to come out and press. We forced Bangor to take quick possessions and turn the ball over. Within the first 3 minutes we had it at a 4-point game.”
The Hatters seized control of overtime, outscoring Bangor 16-7.
Kyle Dittus was key from beyond the 3-point line in the latter stages of the game. He sank his first trey with less than 2 minutes left in regulation to force the tie, then nailed two more treys in overtime to finish with 11 points.
Jake Grier led the Hatters with 21 points, including 6 points in the fourth quarter and 4 more in overtime.
Noah Schlosser finished with 20 points. He accounted for all of the Hatters’ 8 first-quarter points and added 8 points in the third quarter.
“At the end of regulation, my comment in the huddle was, ‘Great comeback, let’s win this,’ and that the third time is the charm as it was our third straight overtime game and we were going to win,” Fedele said.
The overtime win capped a long – but successful – day in Boyertown for the Hatters.
“The kids had been at the gym since 12 (noon),” Fedele said. “Our JV team won the tournament JV championship at 1:30, our freshmen won their consolation game at 3:00, so the varsity team had to sit through those games before we started at 4:30.”
The Hatters improve to 2-9 overall (1-4 Liberty Division). They will host New Hope-Solebury at 7 pm Jan. 3.
Hatboro-Horsham 8-10-20-12-16 66
Bangor 13-16-14-7-7 57
Hatboro-Horsham (66) – Jake Grier 8 3-4 21; Noah Schlosser 7 4-5 20; Kyle Dittus 4 0-0 11; Matt Wingen 3 1-1 7; Mason Bynum 1 5-8 7; TOTALS 23 13-18 66.
Bangor (57) – Hunter McShane 2 2-3 7; Ashton Kluska 5 6-7 17; Gavin Nelson 2 0-0 4; Josh Giaquinto 7 5-5 24; Quin Kamer 2 1-1 5; TOTALS 18 14-16 57.
3-point field goals: HH – Kyle Dittus 3, Noah Schlosser 2, Jake Grier 2; Bangor – Josh Giaquinto 5, Hunter McShane, Ashton Kluska.
Over The River Holiday Classic
Springfield Twp 52, Bristol 47, OT
Springfield rode the hot hand of Dylan McKenzie to a thrilling overtime consolation game win over Bristol. After pouring in 27 points in Tuesday’s opener, McKenzie followed it up with another massive effort, scoring 25 points en route to an All-Tournament Team selection.
“He’s been playing great,” Spartans’ coach Rob Fusaro said of McKenzie, who also added 5 steals. “He’s shooting the ball really well. He’s attacking the rim. He does a lot for us. He’s a great leader by example, and he’s done a really good job with that. He’s an awesome kid.”
The Spartans got off to a slow start, trailing 14-7 after one quarter. McKenzie’s 9 second-quarter points gave Springfield a 20-19 lead at the half, but the Spartans trailed 35-31 heading into the final frame. The Spartans outscored the Warriors 10-6 in the fourth to force overtime, then put up 11 points to earn the victory.
Miles Godwin stepped up in the extra session, scoring 7 of his 11 points in overtime. He also added 8 rebounds and 2 blocks on the day.
“Miles had a great game,” Fusaro said. “I got on him, motivated him, and he responded tremendously well. He was all over the court, he was attacking the rim, he was super-confident, and he rebounded really well. He was a major part of how we were able to get that win.”
Johnny Nosal added five points, eight rebounds and two blocks.
The overtime victory gives the Spartans a boost heading into the new year.
“It was huge just to get their confidence and sense of pride that they can close out a game,” Fusaro said. “They forced us to overtime, they played us super-tough. They were trapping a lot, switching things up, and we executed and came out with a win. They all came together and were very motivated to go 1-1 in the tournament.”
The Spartans improve to 4-5 overall (1-4 Freedom Division) and will return to action at 7 pm Jan. 3 when they host local rival Upper Dublin.
Springfield 7-13-11-10-11 52
Bristol 14-5-16-6-6 47
Springfield Twp (52) – Dylan McKenzie 9 6-8 25; Brett Smith 1 0-1 2; Alex Hood 1 2-2 5; Miles Godwin 5 0-2 11; Trey Mapp 1 3-4 5; Nosal 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 19 11-17 52.
Bristol (47) – Morris Ivery 9 6-6 28; John Sozio 1 0-1 2; Kyle Cottrell 2 2-2 6; Bobby Kemokai 4 0-0 8; Luca Light 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 17 8-9 47.
3-point goals: Springfield – Dylan McKenzie, Alex Hood; Bristol – Morris Ivery 4, Luca Light.
Modie Risher Holiday Tournament
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 54, BURKE HIGH SCHOOL 28
The Bucks raced out of the gate to a 22-5 lead after one quarter and never looked back. Matt Engle and Bowen Gugger were catalysts in West’s fast start with both players contributing eight points in the opening quarter.
“It was a good team win,” West coach Adam Sherman said. “We jumped out early.
“We’re excited to play in the second round tomorrow.”
Gugger (12 points) and Engle (10 points) led a balanced West attack that saw nine players put their names in the scoring column. Julian Phillips added eight points and Trey Reed had seven.
Central Bucks West (2-7, 1-4 SOL) will face Indian Land High School (SC) on Thursday at 8:30 p.m.
Central Bucks West 22-5-11-16 54
Burke 5-4-8-11 28
Central Bucks West (54) – Max Milillo 0 5-6 5; Jackson Wisniowski 1 0-0 3; Matt Engle 3 2-2 10; Aidan Kimberly 0 4-4 4; Julian Phillips 3 1-2 8; Max McGlone 1 0-2 2; Colin McKenna 1 1-1 3; Bowen Gugger 5 2-3 12; Trey Reed 3 1-1 7; TOTALS 17 16-21 54.
Burke (28) – Daniel Watkins 1 0-2 3; Jayden Brown 3 0-0 6; Jayvon Ford 4 2-6 10; Samuel Mattson 0 0-2 0; Terry Jenkins 1 1-2 3; Ovaury Polite 3 0-0 6; TOTALS 12 3-12 28.
3-point goals: Burke – Daniel Watkins; CBW – Matt Engle 2, Jackson Wisniowski, Julian Phillips.
Robert Hopf Memorial Tournament
Upper Moreland 56, Jenkintown 31
Ten players contributed to the scoring as Upper Moreland cruised past host Jenkintown 56-31 in Wednesday’s opening-round matchup.
Jon Clark led all scorers with 11 points. Alex Best added 10, and Colson Campbell chipped in with 9 for the Golden Bears, who led 33-16 at halftime.
Upper Moreland (8-1 overall) moves to the Championship Game at 7:15 pm today.
Upper Moreland 15-18-12-11 56
Jenkintown 10-6-9-6 31
Upper Moreland (56) – Javier Velez 1 0-0 2; Nigel Adamson 1 0-2 2; Alex Best 3 2-2 10; Jon Clark 4 2-2 11; Ralph Tyler 1 1-2 3; Jaryd Meehl 1 0-0 3; Anthony Carson 3 1-2 8; Sean Murphy 3 0-0 6; Colson Campbell 4 1-2 9; Corey Ellison 1 0-0 2. TOTALS 22 7-12 56
Jenkintown (31) – D. Ecker 1 1-2 4; B, McMahon 1 1-3 3; J. Liu 3 1-2 9; T. Walsh 3 1-4 7; W. Gouveia 0 1-4 1; K. Jackson 1 0-2 2; T. Siguenza 0 2-2 2; J. Williams 1 0-0 3. TOTALS 10 7-19 31.
3-point goals: Upper Moreland – Alex Best 2, Jon Clark, Jaryd Meehl, Anthony Carson; Jenkintown – J. Liu 2, D. Ecker, J. Williams.
Great Valley Holiday Tournament
UPPER DUBLIN 69, RENAISSANCE ACADEMY 21
The Flying Cardinals controlled play from the outset, opening up a 28-9 lead after one quarter and extending that to 48-15 by halftime on their way to the no-doubt-about-it win.
“It was just an all-around team effort,” UD coach Derek Brooks said. “We were focused, and our guys executed everything we asked of them.”
Ryan Mulroy led the first-quarter charge, erupting for 14 points in the frame. Mason Pensabene added seven points. By halftime Pensabene had all of his game-high 18 points while DJ Cerisier, who finished with 12 points, had 10 points in the half. Idris Rines had all nine of his points in the opening half.
Seton Kukla added eight points – all in the third quarter.
Pensabene finished with seven points.
Upper Dublin (5-4, 3-2 SOL) will face Pottstown in Thursday’s title game at 1 p.m.
Renaissance Academy 9-6-4-2 21
Upper Dublin 28-20-15-6 69
Reinaissance Academy (21) – EBreazeale 2 3-3 7; EJ Rouse 0 1-2 1; DJ Savior 3 0-0 6; J. Johnson 1 0-0 2; T.Byrd 1 1-2 3; D.Stephenson 1 0-4 2; TOTALS 8 5-11 21.
Upper Dublin (69) – Mason Pensabene 3 0-0 7; Brady Fogle 1 0-0 3; DJ Cerisier 5 2-2 12; Ryan Mulroy 9 0-0 18; Seton Kukla 4 0-0 8; Kobe Bazemore 2 1-2 5; Idris Rines 3 3-4 9; Chris Kohlbrenner 1 0-0 3; Griffin Pensabene 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 30 6-8 69.
3-point goals: UD – Mason Pensabene, Brady Fogle, Chris Kohlbrenner.
Dick Dougherty Tournament
EXECUTIVE CHARTER 66, BENSALEM 47
Executive Charter – with a pair of 6-11 brothers in its lineup – proved to be too tall an order for the Owls. They trailed by just one at the end of a quarter but found themselves on the short end of a 32-21 halftime score.
“We were up against a tough match – Executive Charter is always good,” Bensalem coach Ron Morris said. “They have two 6-11 guys. We got a couple guys that are battling non-COVID illness. Eric Gonzalez only played a little bit, and Antonio (Morris) is battling the same, so he was only a shell of himself. We had some guys step up and play roles.”
The Owls cut the Raptors lead to single digits in the second half.
“We were down 11 at the half, and we got two buckets and a stop,” Morris said. “They scored one foul shot, so we were down eight. We missed a corner three that would have cut it to five.
“We pressed in the fourth quarter and got a couple of steals, but when you’re playing chaotic pressing run and jump basketball, you miss an assignment, and they got a couple of easy layups. I don’t think the score was a true testament to how close it really was. We were undermanned and undersized, but we’re really proud that our guys battled the way they do. We have a brand of basketball, and we always say – you have two things you can control – your effort and your attitude, and everybody did that tonight. Unfortunately, we didn’t come out on top.”
Jack Wineburg’s 18 points – which included three 3-pointers – led the Owls. One night earlier, he scored 17 points.
“Jack Wineburg had another good night tonight,” Morris said. “He’s always doing the little stuff, but hopefully, these last two games get him going for his confidence offensively.
“Micah (White), Idris (Salvadago) and Jaidyn (Mofifitt) were battling down low. Going against 6-11 guys is not easy, but they just kept battling and battling and battling. Noah (Morris) had a great second half. He did a lot of things defensively, and he had a couple of good pull-up shots.
“Amir Drummond came in – Noah and Amir are two guys that had to take on a bigger role tonight, and I thought they both did well.”
Executive Charter’s Rylan Muniz led all scorers with 27 points.
“We were rotating guys on Muniz – I tip my hat to him,” Morris said. “He hit seven of nine 3s, and six of the seven were contested. He’s a sniper. We knew he was a really good shooter, and he was on fire tonight.
“They have a kid (Gabe) Hornberger, and he’s very smooth with the ball. Micah (White) was battling against him. They have a really good team. We battled to the end.”
Bensalem (7-2, 4-1 SOL) will host Souderton in a crossover game on Tuesday.
Executive Charter 15-17-16-18 66
Bensalem 14-7-9-17 47
Executive Charter (66) – Gabe Hornberger 4 2-4 11; Rylan Muniz 9 2-2 27; Gonzalez 3 0-0 6; Josh Washington 4 2-2 10; Moustapha Samoh 3 0-1 6; Lamine Samoh 2 2-2 6; TOTALS 25 8-11 66.
Bensalem (47) – Noah Morris 2 0-0 4; Micah White 2 0-2 4; Amir Drummond 1 2-2 4; Nate Cooper 0 1-2 1; Antonio Morris 4 4-5 13; Jack Wineburg 7 1-2 18; Angelo Semon 1 0-0 3; Jaidyn Moffitt 0 0-2 0; TOTALS 17 8-15 47.
3-point field goals: Executive Charter – Rylan Muniz 7, Gabe Hornberger; Bensalem – Jack Wineburg 3, Angelo Semon, Antonio Morris.
NORRISTOWN 51, LOWER MORELAND 42
Cactus Jam
Central Catholic (Toledo, OH) 48, Central Bucks East 46
A three-point attempt at the buzzer for the win came up short as Central Bucks East fell to Central Catholic (Toledo, OH), in Wednesday’s semifinal matchup in Phoenix, AZ.
Tyler Dandrea and Justin DiRoberto each scored 12 to lead the Patriots, who trailed 34-24 at halftime after committing 11 first-half turnovers.
Kyle Berndt chipped in with 11 points for East, which roared back in the second half. The Patriots had just two turnovers in the second half and limited Central Catholic to 14 points, outscoring CC 22-14, but it wasn’t enough.
East shot 9-for-11 from the free-throw line for the game.
The Patriots, who sit atop the Colonial Division at 5-0, drop to 9-1 overall, and will play Skyview (Washington) in the third-place game at 2 pm EST on Friday.
Central Bucks East 14-10-14-8 46
Central Catholic 17-17-9-5 48
Central Bucks East (46) – Joey Giordano 5; Jacob Cummiskey 6; Tyler Dandrea 12; Justin DiRoberto 12; Kyle Berndt 11.
Central Catcholi (48) – Michael Greenlee 11, Makhi Leach 10, Isaiah Brenneman 11, KJ Johnson 5, Tim Bals 2, TyWaun Clark 9.
3-point goals: CBE – Justin DiRoberto 3, Kyle Berndt, Tyler Dandrea; Central Catholic – Greenlee, Leach, Brenneman, Johnson.
Tim Ehst Holiday Tournament
DOCK MENNONITE 53, SOUDERTON 44
Levi John scored 17 points, but it wasn’t enough for the visiting Indians to overcome the Pioneers in Wednesday’s title game between the neighboring rivals.
“Levi was outstanding,” Souderton coach Okoteh Sackitey said. “He was kind of the star of the game.”
The Indians, who trailed by one after one quarter, trailed 28-21 at halftime. Souderton outscored its hosts 11-6 in the third quarter to pull to within two heading into the final frame (34-32). The score was deadlocked 35-35 with four minutes remaining in regulation.
Dock scored to take a two-point lead and then turned a Souderton miscue into an easy bucket and a 39-35 lead. The Indians never could make up the ground they lost.
“We struggled to score tonight,” Sackitey said. “We struggled to make shots, we struggled to finish layups.
“We clawed back in to tie it up, they get the live ball turnover, and that was tough to come back from. We missed another shot after that, and they got another transition bucket, and now it’s six points.”
Souderton’s Nate Hemsing and James Blair were named to the all-tournament team.
Souderton (3-6, 2-3 SOL) will travel to Bensalem on Tuesday for a crossover game.
Souderton 12-9-11-12 44
Dock Mennonite 13-15-6-19 53
Souderton (44) – Nate Hemsing 0 1-2 1; Jared Zimmerman 3 0-0 7; Nolan Watkins 2 0-0 5; James Blair 3 0-0 6; Chanse Salone 1 0-0 3; Aiden Maue 2 0-0 5; Levi John 6 2-3 17; TOTALS 17 3-5 44.
Dock Mennonite (53) – Nate Lapp 7 3-3 19; Hoyt Bultje 1 0-0 2; Lane Bergey 4 2-3 12; Vaughn Martin 2 0-0 6; AJ Washington 1 0-0 2; Ethan Parr 1 0-0 2; Tony Martin 5 0-0 10; TOTALS 21 5-6 53.
3-point goals: Souderton – Levin John 3, Jared Zimmerman, Nolan Watkins, Aiden Maue, Chanse Salone; Dock – Nate Lapp 2, Vaughn Martin 2, Lane Bergey 2.
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