Check out the recaps for SOL boys’ basketball teams in action Thursday. Tennent/Neshaminy photos provided courtesy of John Gleeson. Check back for a gallery of photos: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/f716903222
DICK DOUGHERTY MEMORIAL HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT
Championship game
Bensalem 89, Lincoln 88 (OT)
Twenty-four hours after putting 100 points on the scoreboard in their win over Norristown, the Owls would have been forgiven if they didn’t have a lot in their tank for Thursday’s title game. It seemed unlikely the Owls would be able to top their win over the Eagles, but they managed to do just that – winning in the most dramatic fashion imaginable.
With 19 seconds remaining in overtime and their team trailing by one, the Owls inbounded the ball under their own basket. Amir Drummond delivered the game’s biggest basket with 12 seconds remaining to put the Owls on top.
“They had no timeouts, they came down and got a shot with under two seconds, we rebounded to get the win,” Bensalem coach Ron Morris said.“It was just a true team victory. Everybody that’s in our locker room – that’s for the school, that’s for the community.
“To have a game like that that comes down to the end, we could have easily just quit, and no one would have said anything because we played so hard for so long. We just persevered and kept working and working and working, and we came out on top. Everyone just bought into their role, and that’s just great for our school and our community.”
There would have been no late-game heroics had it not been for the dazzling 30-point effort of senior Antonio Morris, who earned tournament MVP honors.
“Antonio has been working really hard,” coach Morris said. “He’s been having a really good season facilitating. He’s been doing a real good job just creating for others and still scoring.
“Tonight, his scoring just really took off. Thirty points is a lot of points in a championship game, and that’s a testament to his hard work.”
The Owls wasted little time before showing they hadn’t lost their ability to put points on the board, opening up a 20-16 lead after one quarter. Morris was in the middle of the action with six points while Jaidyn Moffitt was once again a force in the paint with seven points.
By halftime, Morris had 13 points and Moffitt had 11, and the Owls led 39-33. They appeared to be in complete command when they entered the final quarter with a 60-47 advantage. Morris led the Owls’ in the 20-point third quarter, adding 10 points to his total.
Then came a high octane fourth quarter that saw the two teams combine for 61 points with Lincoln outscoring Bensalem 37-24 to send the game into overtime.
“It was a crazy game,” Morris said. “Coming in being the championship game, we knew it wasn’t going to be easy. We knew Lincoln was big – they’re strong, they can shoot the ball. They’re a very good basketball team.
“It had a state playoff magnitude atmosphere as far as speed and physicality of the game. We were able to handle the pressure. We did well. We got up a little bit in the fourth – they came back and made some really tough buckets. Credit to them, they were well prepared. They knew what we’re capable of doing.”
The scoring for both sides slowed down considerably in an OT period that saw the Owls hold a 5-4 edge with Drummond accounting for both of his team’s field goals.
“This just shows everybody’s work,” Morris said. “It takes a lot for that type of game to happen, and I’m just extremely proud of the guys.
“It was a very intense game – in the fourth quarter under four minutes, it was going back and forth. We scored to send it into overtime, and we got down in overtime. It was a great basketball game. It was great to win a championship. It was just an all-around great victory. I’m very proud of the guys.”
Also for the Owls, Moffitt – who also was named to the all-tournament team – scored 24 points, and Nate Cooper had 14 as three players finished in double figures. Noah Morris added six points.
Bensalem (9-1, 6-0 SOL) will return to action next Friday when the Owls will host Central Bucks East in a crossover game pitting the top teams in the Patriot and Colonial.
Lincoln (88)—Peterson 11 8-10 31; Martin 4 3-6 9; Montgomery 5 3-7 16; D. Smith 2 0-0 4; M. Smith 11 1-2 26. Totals: 23 15-25 88.
Bensalem (89)—Antonio Morris 12 4-5 30; Noah Morris 2 0-0 6; Micah White 1 0-0 2; Amir Drummond 5 3-7 13; Nate Cooper 6 2-3 14; Jaidyn Moffitt 8 7-7 24. Totals: 34 16-22 89.
3-point goals: L—Peterson, Montgomery 3, M. Smith 3; B—A. Morris 2, N Morris 2, Moffitt.
Lincoln 17 16 14 37 4 – 88
Bensalem 20 19 21 24 5 – 89
Consolation game
Norristown 75, Lower Moreland 44
SALISBURY TOWNSHIP HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT
Quakertown 51, Salisbury 42
Winning a tournament title is never an easy feat. Defending that crown the next year is a far more difficult task.
Just don’t tell that to Quakertown, which downed host Salisbury 51-42 on Thursday to repeat as Holiday Tournament champions.
“This year was a little bit harder, but I’m glad the guys were able to be resilient and, for the most part, hold everything together, and that’s just because now this team has some seniors, so they have some experience and when teams make a run and come back, they know how to handle that,” said Panthers’ coach Tony DaCosta. “We opened up a 17-point lead in the third, but give them credit, they fought back, and I expected them to. When you coach basketball, you’ve got to expect a team is going to make a run, and you just have to have the ability with withstand it and do the same things that helped you get a lead in the first place.”
A strong first-half defense that allowed just 13 points and timely scoring from Ethan Tomlinson and Miles Longacre, who each scored 11 points before halftime, sent Quakertown into the break with a 26-13 lead.
Tomlinson added 6 points – including a clutch 4-for-4 from the foul line – in the fourth quarter and finished with 17 points. He was named the tournament MVP for his efforts on both sides of the court. Longacre – whose 20 points led the Panthers – was also key in the final quarter, scoring 5 points. He was selected to the all-tournament team.
“Ethan was our anchor on the defensive end of the floor. He was switching on guards, and alongside that, he was such a big presence and so dominant in the post,” DaCosta said. “He also had eight rebounds with his 17 points, and he’s been pretty consistent with getting double-doubles, so he was two rebounds short of that tonight. He’s been phenomenal.
“Miles has been so spectacular on the offensive end of the floor, getting us buckets when we need it. He’s so great in transition, which is why I want to get out in transition more because we’re able to take advantage of his athleticism and capitalize on his ability to get to the basket and be creative.”
Kyle Rosenberger added eight points. While only five players scored for the Panthers on this night, they were far from the only contributors.
“The bottom line is when you have guys you can bring in off the bench to sustain either the transition or the pressure, it makes a big difference, and it gives the guys who are starting a little bit of a break that they need, particularly when it’s late in the third and the fourth quarter,” DaCosta said. “Tanner Clancy comes in and does a nice job. We have Matt Thomas, Gavin Mushrush, Jameson Sykes, and Colin Ficco – those guys have been instrumental in giving our starters a little bit of a break, so they don’t have to go the full 32. If you do that now, you’re not going to have any legs come February and March.”
Quakertown (6-5, 2-4 SOL) will host Council Rock North on Wednesday in a non-league game.
Quakertown (51)—Sam Wilkin 2 0-0 4; Kyle Rosenberger 4 0-0 8; Miles Longacre 8 4-7 20; Anthony Callan 1 0-1 2; Ethan Tomlinson 5 7-8 17. Totals: 20 11-16 51.
Salisbury (42)—Steven Lozada 1 1-2 3; Brady Leiner 2 0-0 6; Andrew Grejda 3 2-2 11; Jack Foley 0 2-2 2; Jake Zellin 4 0-0 12; Thomas Lovelidge 2 0-0 4; Drew Petrie 1 0-0 2; Julian Makoul 1 0-0 2. Totals: 14 5-6 42.
3-point goals: Q—None; S—Leiner 2, Grejda 3, Zellin 4.
Quakertown 12 14 10 15 – 51
Salisbury 9 4 16 13 – 42
CARDINAL HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT
Championship game
Upper Dublin 64, Council Rock North 33
Upper Dublin ended 2023 in fine fashion, riding a stellar defensive effort to defeat Council Rock North in the Cardinal Holiday Tournament championship game by a dominant 64-33 score.
“It was a great defensive effort from our guys in the full-court pressure and in the half court,” said Cardinals’ coach Derek Brooks. “That really set the tone. Holding them to 33 points is great.”
The Cardinals led 10-5 after one quarter and 30-16 at the break. They opened the second half with another dominant effort on both ends, outscoring the Indians 21-6 in the third frame.
Noah Cohen and Ryan Mulroy led the Cardinals with 13 points each. Cohen netted 8 and Mulroy 6 in the third quarter. In all, nine Cardinals contributed to the scoring.
“Our bench was awesome today,” Brooks said. “They gave us a lot of good minutes. Our four guys who came off the bench had 33 points. They actually outscored our starters, so it was a great effort by them. In a back-to-back (game situation), it’s nice to be able to go nine deep.”
Idris Rines , who scored 19 points in Wednesday’s opening round win over Upper Moreland, earned tournament MVP honors. Ryan Milroy was named to the all-tournament team.
Grady Burt led North with 15 points, all in the second half. Oliver Schaefer added 9. Tyler Rodowicz, who turned in a 7-point effort, was the Indians’ representative on the all-tournament team.
Upper Dublin (9-2, 6-1 SOL) will host Central Bucks East in a non-league game on Wednesday. Council Rock North (4-6, 2-4) returns to action Friday, Jan. 5, when the Indians will travel to Abington for a crossover game.
Council Rock North (33)—Grady Burt 6 1-1 15; Oliver Schaefer 2 4-7 9; Josh Erman 1 0-0 2; Tyler Rodowicz 2 0-0 4; Andrew O’Keeffe 0 2-4 2; Brayden Green 0 1-2 1. Totals: 11 8-14 33.
Upper Dublin (64)—Kobe Bazemore 2 0-0 5; Chris Kohlbrenner 1 0-0 2; Brady Fogle 3 1-1 9; Ryan Mulroy 6 1-1 13; Idris Rines 0 2-2 2; Brandon Altman 2 2-2 6; Noah Cohen 5 0-0 13; James Castronuovo 1 2-2 5; Anthony Oliveira-Schultze 3 2-2 9. Totals: 23 10-10 64.
3-point goals: CRN—Burt 2, Schaefer; UD—Bazemore, Fogle 2, Cohen 3, Castronuovo, Oliveira-Schultze.
Council Rock North 5 11 6 11 – 33
Upper Dublin 10 20 21 13 – 64
Consolation game
Upper Moreland 67, MaST Charter 50
After dropping a heartbreaker in Wednesday’s opening-round game, Upper Moreland rebounded admirably, starting strong and finishing with a dominating fourth quarter to down MaST Charter 67-50 in Thursday’s consolation game.
“Our team had a nice bounce back game today after yesterday’s tough loss to a talented Upper Dublin team,” said UM coach Dan Heiland. “We played with a chip on our shoulder and we got out to a good start early. We were doing all the little things well, sharing the ball, making shots and playing tough defense. MaST did a nice job hanging around, making some big shots to keep the game close going into the half. But we turned it up a bit more in the second half and we were able to close the game out strong in the fourth to extend the lead.”
Three Golden Bears finished in double digits in scoring, with Brayden Martin leading the team with 18 points and Sean Murphy and Colson Campbell each contributing 14 points. Campbell, who led the Bears with 10 points in Wednesday’s game, was named to the all-tournament team.
“We had big games from Brayden Martin, Sean Murphy, and Colson Campbell,” Heiland said. “These three were able to help us control the game on both ends, not only scoring but rebounding and playing defense.”
Upper Moreland will look to build on this win as they enter the 2024 side of the season.
“I give a ton of credit to the coaches and players at MaST who battled the whole game and fought to the end. They made us work for this win and it was nice to see how we closed out the game,” Heiland said. “This was a great win to end 2023, and we’re looking to continue getting better and improving in the second half of the season.”
Upper Moreland (7-5, 4-3 SOL) will return to action next Friday when the Golden Bears will host Wissahickon in a crossover game.
Upper Moreland (67)—Javier Velez 0 2-4 2; Nate Best 2 1-1 5; Alex Best 3 0-0 6; Colson Campbell 6 2-2 14; Anthony Carson 2 0-0 5; Sean Murphy 5 4-8 14; Brayden Martin 6 4-5 18; Larry Hughes 1 1-2 3. Totals: 25 14-22 67.
MaST Charter (50)—M. Torres 2 0-0 5; S. Nunez 7 4-8 21; R. Dorceus 5 3-4 15; L. Webb 2 0-2 6; D. Gold 1 0-0 3. Totals: 17 7-14 50.
3-point goals: UM—Martin 2, Carson; MaST—Dorceus 2, Webb 2, Nunez, Torres, Gold.
Upper Moreland 18 13 12 24 – 67
MaST Charter 12 14 10 14 – 50
Non-league
William Tennent 51, Neshaminy 47
Christmas may be over, but fans in attendance were treated to another gift on Thursday as William Tennent edged Neshaminy 51-47 in an absolute thriller.
“It was back and forth the whole fourth quarter,” said Tennent coach Robert Mulville. “We probably had six or seven lead changes in the fourth quarter alone. It was a
pretty clean fourth quarter. I think we had one turnover at the beginning, and they had one turnover with two minutes left to go in the game. We’re just happy to come out on top.”
Tennent led by four after three quarters following a Kirby Mooney trey at the end of the period. But Neshaminy’s Nate Townsend answered with a 3-pointer to open the fourth quarter, then pulled ahead via the foul line. Neshaminy clung to a 46-44 lead with less than 3 minutes to go after another Townsend trey and a pair of free throws, but Mooney responded beyond the 3-point arc to put the Panthers back on top. Then the Tennent defense came up with a huge turnover.
“(Sean) Devine got a steal with about two minutes left, and then we started working clock at that point,” Mulville said. “They had three fouls to give, so we were able to work the clock down to 48 seconds.”
Mooney connected on 1 of 2 from the charity stripe, then the Redskins did the same. The Panthers nabbed the rebound with less than 20 seconds left, and Neshaminy put sophomore Tre Stracuzzi on the foul line.
“Tre went to the line with about 10 seconds left and knocked both of them down to put us up three,” Mulville said.
Neshaminy missed a shot on its next possession, and Tennent’s Imad Abunima came down with the rebound. He drew the foul and went 1 of 2 from the line to ice the game.
Both Mooney (14 points, 11 rebounds) and Abunima (10 points, 10 rebounds) finished with double doubles.
“Those two are probably the guys we rely most on for our rebounds, and they came up big at various points during the game but especially off the foul shot that (Neshaminy) missed,” Mulville said. “Those two did a real nice job of trying to limit them to one shot. We didn’t give them too many offensive rebounds, which is good.”
Chris D’Ambra led the Panthers with 16 points.
For Neshaminy, Townsend poured in a game-high 20 points. Emeer Coombs added 8.
William Tennent (7-4, 5-2 SOL) will host Upper Dublin next Friday in a crossover game, and Neshaminy (6-5, 3-3) will travel to North Penn Friday for a crossover game.
William Tennent (51)—Kirby Mooney 4 4-5 14; Chris D’Ambra 7 0-0 16; Sean Devine 1 0-0 2; Imad Abunima 3 4-5 10; Tony Pople 1 0-0 3; Tre Stracuzzi 1 2-2 5. Totals: 17 10-12 51.
Neshaminy (47)—Emeer Coombs 4 0-0 8; Ryan Meehan 1 2-2 4; Max Currie 4 0-0 8; Jason Leiva 2 0-0 5; Logan Gale 0 2-2 2; Nate Townsend 5 8-14 20. Totals: 16 12-18 47.
3-point goals: WT—Mooney 2, D’Ambra 2, Devine, Pople, Stracuzzi; N—Leiva, Townsend 2.
William Tennent 12 15 13 11 – 51
Neshaminy 9 17 10 11 – 47
JAMEER NELSON CLASSIC
West Chester Henderson 53, Plymouth Whitemarsh 50
Jaden Colzie turned in a dazzling 31-point effort – including the 1,000thpoint of his stellar career, and the Colonials had a lead late in the game but could not hold on for the win.
“We had a tough week last week, and we really played well today,” said PW coach Jim Donofrio, whose team was coming off losses to Wissahickon and Cheltenham. “We had an eight-point lead in the fourth quarter. We did a lot of right things, but there are things these guys have to figure out fast.”
The Colonials took a 34-28 lead into halftime, thanks in no small part to Colzie putting 19 points on the board in the opening half. Henderson trimmed three points off that lead in the third quarter, but PW still appeared to be in command. That wasn’t the case.
“We’re very Jekyll and Hyde right now,” Donofrio said. “There are moments where I’m looking around thinking in right moments – we shouldn’t be afraid of anyone, and other moments we look like we have no idea what we’re doing.
“A lot of that is being young, a lot of that is being not just young but seniors who are alongside J (Colzie) are young in terms of their positioning. I don’t think we should be happy with ourselves. I’m not thrilled with what we’re doing. We’re an average team right now because that’s what the record says we are. We have to be honest with ourselves and figure it out.”
Also for the Colonials, Mani Sajid had 10 points. No other PW player had more than five.
PW (4-4, 4-2 SOL) will square off against Unionville at 6:30 pm Saturday in their second game of the Classic.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (50)—Jaden Colzie 13 0-0 31; Mani Sajid 4 1-4 10; Michael Periera 1 0-0 2; Josh Harris 1 0-0 2; Jah Pendergrass-Sayles 2 1-2 5. Totals: 23 2-6 50.
West Chester Henderson (53)—Lamizana 5 4-4 14; Ralph-Beyer 4 5-6 14; Bell 1 0-0 3; Fleet 2 7-8 11; Smith 4 0-0 11; Kearney 0 0-2 0. Totals: 16 16-20 53.
3-point goals: PW—Colzie 5, Sajid; WCH—Ralph-Beyer, Bell, Smith.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 17 17 9 7 – 50
West Chester Henderson 17 11 12 13 – 53
Jaden Colzie surpasses 1,000-point milestone
Jim Donofrio had an idea that Jaden Colzie was special long before he set foot on the court at PW.
“I first met Jaden as a third grader in our summer camp,” the PW coach said. “He just had a certain X factor about him as even a little kid. He loved the spotlight, he loved the big shot opportunities and just had great self-confidence as an athlete and a basketball player.
“He’s what I call a ‘player.’ There are kids that play multiple sports, there are kids that give basketball a decent amount of effort, and then there’s what you call ‘players,’ who dive in full bore. J is just a pure basketball junkie. His work ethic is second to none. The kind of person he is – he just has a great personality. He’s really laidback and fun, he has a lot of friends. He’s a great kid to have at Plymouth Whitemarsh in the building.”
Colzie – a freshman on the varsity in the COVID-shortened season – was thrust into a starting role.
“To hand him the ball as a freshman and the look in his eye – he was afraid to look at me,” Donofrio said. “He wouldn’t look at me during games. He was – ‘I’m going to just do me and try and get through this.’”
Colzie has done more than just ‘get through it.’ He excelled from the outset but was always looking to improve his game.
“We’ve done our banging of heads in terms of trying to get him to see the game and keep evolving every year,” Donofrio said. “He really does love to score. I don’t want to kill his desire to put the ball in the basket, but I also know what he wants for the future, so we’ll go back and forth on how we need him to move the ball and make his teammates better. It’s ironic – we just had that conversation four days ago, and then he ended up dropping 31, and he did it in an incredibly balanced way.
“You talk about just a veteran kid as a senior who took a lot of critique the beginning of the week and then turns around – today, he was the consummate professional among the rest of his teammates who were struggling.”
Colzie – who needed just eight points to reach 1,000 points – took care of business in a hurry. His historic basket came in the first quarter on his first of five 3-pointers.
“I think the thousand-point thing excited him,” Donofrio said. “He’s been wanting to get it done forever. Every now and then, Jaden gets that look in his eyes like he did in the district final, and you just let him go. So, I have to let him go and become this Kyrie Irving-type point guard at times. I just want him to keep becoming a better thinker, a better seer of the game.”
In last year’s District 1 6A title game, Colzie scored 13 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter to help propel the Colonials to a 59-54 win over top-seeded Spring-Ford. The senior point guard worked that same kind of magic for pretty much all four quarters in Thursday’s contest.
“He was brilliant today,” Donofrio said. “To have him (score a thousand points) as a point guard who has been given so much responsibility as point guards are, and to have Q (Qudire Bennett) and Chase Coleman – he’s always had scorers around him, and yet he finds a way.”
Colzie is the 17thplayer to reach the 1,000-point plateau under Donofrio, the 23rdin the storied program’s history. He was hoping to reach the milestone at home but will be celebrated at a home game.
“When you have a kid that many years – he’s got a great set of parents and a great dad, but I feel like I get to be at least the uncle on the side,” Donofrio said. “I’ve known him so long – he’s so respectful, he’s so coachable, and he can take some heat too.
“I couldn’t be more proud of how he played today and just thrilled that he stayed loyal to Plymouth Whitemarsh. He had offers – he could have jumped anywhere. I just love the fact that he’s red, white and blue PW, and he wears it with pride, and he represents us in such a good way.”
JOHN MOLINELLI HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT
Harry S Truman 52, Ocean Township 45
Finally!
In a season that has seen Harry S Truman show significant improvement and focused efforts, the one thing that had been missing was a notch in the win column.
In the Tigers’ final game of calendar year 2023, they finally broke through, opening up a 33-29 halftime lead on their way to a 52-45 win over Ocean Township in Thursday’s consolation-round game.
“We can finally breathe now. It’s been a long time coming,” said Truman coach Randolph Jackson. “We were finally able to put one solid game together of 32 minutes. The boys are happy, the program is happy, and everyone can finally take that deep breath now.”
It wasn’t easy, though. Despite falling behind several times in the second half, the Tigers never quit and pulled back into the lead.
“I was pleased with our effort in terms of weathering the storm because it was a game of runs in the second half,” Jackson said. “Ocean Township took the lead for three to four possessions, and we just found ways to weather the storm, play together, stay together and trust each other, making the extra passes.
“More importantly, guys stepped up at the free-throw line. Tre Winton went 4-for-6 at the free-throw line towards the end, and he was able to seal the game for us. Those four points he scored from the free-throw line were very important for us.”
Freshman Adul Diallo – in his first varsity start – made an immediate impact, contributing 9 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists. He was named to the all-tournament team.
“He just came into our program from the city,” Jackson said. “His parents just moved to the area. He walked into the gym in October, and he said he was here for workouts. From there, he’s just been able to challenge our sophomores – especially our guard play – to push them to a better standard. Now we’re competing in practices.
“Today was his first start, and he did well for us. He was 4-for-10 from the field, 1-for-2 from the free throw line. As a freshman, he’s beyond his years. He’s the floor general for us. He’s a willing passer, he has the ability to attack downhill and see the double team and give it out to our shooters. That’s something we’ve been missing, and he does a great job of that for us. A lot of high praises for him.”
Another underclassman, Jaden Luchansky, scored nine points and had three steals.
“He’s a guy that didn’t play varsity last year, but due to his work ethic during the offseason, the guys voted him one of the captains,” Jackson said. “He’s a captain along with Shaq Chapman, who’s a senior captain, and Tre Winton, a junior captain.
“We’re just trying to encourage him as a coaching staff – and his teammates as well – to continuously shoot the ball. He has a nice form, but it’s the confidence. When he misses one or two, it’s like he doesn’t want to pull the trigger anymore. James Cook — a senior who transferred from Roman Catholic when his parents moved into the area – has taken Jaden under his win. They’re both lefties and shoot the ball very well. He’s been teaching him how to get to his spots and with a quick release, and he’s catching on with that.”
Senior Aaron Nathan led the Tigers with a double-double, finishing with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
“He had a nice, solid game for us,” Jackson said. “He had two blocked shots as well.
“I just wish I had another year with him because he’s so raw. He’s a baby giraffe walking out there, but when he does lock in, you can see the difference when he’s ready to take over games, especially on the defensive end.”
Brandon Armand contributed seven points and six rebounds.
Jackson is encouraging his young players to create their legacy at Truman. The players are developing relationships that extend beyond the court. On Wednesday night, they went to the Bensalem game together.
“They were there just watching the game – they like each other off the court, which is slowly translating onto the court now,” Jackson said.
Harry S Truman (1-8, 0-6 SOL) will travel to Souderton next Friday for a crossover game.
Harry S Truman (52)—Jaden Luchansky 4 0-0 9; Brandon Armond 3 1-2 7; Aaron Nathan 5 1-2 11; Adul Diallo 4 1-2 9; Shaq Chapman 2 0-2 4; Tre Winton 0 4-6 4; Davae Vaughn 0 2-6 2; James Cook 2 0-0 6. Totals: 20 9-20 52.
3-point goals: HST—Luchansky, Cook 2.
Harry S Truman 31 5 6 10 – 52
Ocean Township 11 22 9 3 – 45
ALLENTOWN CENTRAL CATHOLIC CHRISTMAS TOURNAMENT
Pennridge 66, Palmerton 64
Nothing has come easily for the Rams this season.
So, it didn’t exactly come as a surprise when – on their trip home from Allentown Central Catholic – their bus round itself in a traffic jam, the result of a downed utility pole that was struck by a car.
The delay gave the shorthanded Rams – who are minus three of their guards (Xavier Peters, Jake Bolger and Marley Steward) due to injuries – a chance to celebrate a gutsy win in Thursday’s consolation game.
“It was wonderful – it was a great win tonight,” Pennridge coach Dean Behrens said. “We’re just having a rough year from every aspect. We’ve just been ripped with injuries.
“The kids hung together and played hard. They all played hard. I’m pleased with the way the guys are playing as a team. They’re fighting for each other, their energy level has been good. The guys are really rooting for each other.
“Our freshman, Ryan Schwind, hit some big shots tonight, and all the kids were pumped up for him. I thought that was important. I want them to have fun, I want them to play hard, I want them to be good teammates, no matter if we win or lose.”
This one came down the wire. With the Rams leading by one, they inbounded the ball to Cole Gehlert, who was fouled immediately with 4.9 seconds on the scoreboard clock.
“He hit the first one, we called timeout – we were talking, ‘Shall we have him miss on purpose?’ I said – ‘No, no, no, we’re not going to do that,’ but he did miss it. We set up a defense, and they never got a shot off.”
The Rams came out of the game with their offense operating on all cylinders, opening up a 21-14 lead after one quarter. Charlie Rising and Schwind were the catalysts. Rising scored eight points, which included a pair of 3s, and Schwind also buried two 3s for six points. Dylan Horton added four points.
Pennridge took a 37-31 lead into halftime but found themselves clinging to a 54-51 advantage heading into the fourth quarter. Palmerton outscored the Rams – who received five points from Schwind – 13-12 in the final frame, but it wasn’t enough as the Rams held on for the win.
Rising’s stellar 21-point effort included three 3s and led the Rams. Schwind added 13 with three 3-pointers while Gehlert added 12 with two 3s.
“I thought Charlie Rising really played well tonight,” Behrens said. “We had three guys in double figures, which was amazing.
“Palmerton has two thousand-point scorers on its team, and the one kid is going to play football at Lehigh. They were good athletes. They weren’t chopped liver. We thought this was a really good win. Palmerton was 6-2 going into this game. When you have two thousand-point scorers – and they both scored in the 20s, but we figured it out enough to get the win. The kids were excited, so I’m excited. It’s nice to get a win going into the new year and getting back into the league starting next Friday.”
Pennridge (3-8, 2-4 SOL) will host Pennsbury on Friday in a crossover game.
Pennridge (66)—Rownan Smith 3 0-0 7; Tom Costa 0 0-2 0; Cole Gehlert 4 1-2 11; Kyle Richards 2 0-0 4; Dylan Horton 2 0-0 4; Ryan Schwind 5 0-0 13; Charlie Rising 8 2-2 21; Jake Barbadoro 3 0-2 6. Totals: 27 3-8 66.
Palmerton (64)—Matt Machalik 9 2-2 20; Jacob Grammes 4 3-4 14; Brayden Hosier 10 1-3 24; Zach Anthony 1 0-0 2; Logan Anthony 1 1-2 4. Totals: 25 7-11 64.
3-point goals: PR—Smith, Gehlert 2, Schwind 3, Rising 3; PA—Grammes 3, Hosier 3, L. Anthony.
Pennridge 21 16 17 12 – 66
Palmerton 14 17 20 13 – 64
BOARDWALK CLASSIC
Ray Martin Memorial Bracket
Pennsbury 61, Atlantic Central (NJ) 40
Nine different players scored – with three scoring in double digits – as Pennsbury put together a total team effort in downing Atlantic Central 61-40 in Thursday’s opening-round game.
“We played an excellent, well-balanced game,” Pennsbury coach Wes Emme said. “Our boys accepted the challenge of taking on an unfamiliar opponent in an unfamiliar environment.”
The Falcons scored 20 points in the first quarter and held a 33-14 lead at halftime.
“Grayson Gozum (team-leading 15 points) was efficient scoring and Teddy Mangan was tremendous making plays,” Emme said. “Credit to Simon Dlugi in rim protection.”
Joining Gozum in double digits were Danny Cohen (11 points) and Connor Taddei (10 points), while Mike Roccograndi was right behind with 9 points.
Pennsbuy (6-4, 3-3 SOL) will now face state power Pittsburgh Central Catholic at 2:45 pm on Friday.
Pennsbury (61)—Teddy Mangan 3 0-0 7; Mike Roccograndi 4 1-2 9; Danny Cohen 4 0-0 11; Grayson Gozum 6 0-0 14; Sam Callahan 1 0-0 3; Connor Taddei 3 2-4 10; Mitch Primola 1 0-0 3; Colin Kelliher 1 0-0 2; Max Manga 1 0-0 2. Totals: 24 2-5 61.
Atlantic Christian (40)—Gibbs 2 4-6; Stokes 5 4-4 15; C. Costello 3 0-0 6; Dawkins 0 2-6 2; Kim 0 1-2 1; E. Costello 3 1-2 8. Totals: 13 12-20 40.
3-point goals: P—Cohen 3, Gozum 2, Taddei 2, Mangan, Roccograndi, Callahan, Primola; AC—Stokes, Costello.
Pennsbury 20 13 17 11 – 61
Atlantic Christian 9 5 11 15 – 40
Bill Osborn Memorial Bracket Championship Game
Pittsburgh Central Catholic 53, Council Rock South 41
The Golden Hawks found themselves on the short end of a 22-11 score after one quarter and trailed by a 35-22 score at halftime. They never could make up the early ground they lost.
“We got behind early and fought back but could never get over the hump,” Rock South coach Andrew Rogers said.
Ryan Delp’s 16 points included four 3s and led the Golden Hawks. No other player had more than five points.
Council Rock South (6-4, 4-2 SOL) will face Atlantic Christian School on Friday at 10 a.m.
Council Rock South (41) – Timmy Rahill 2 0-0 5; Gabe Cerulli 1 0-0 2; Mike Burns 0 3-4 3; George O’Brien 1 0-0 3; Jordan Getz 1 0-0 3; Ryan Wekluk 1 2-4 5; Ryan Delp 5 2-3 16; MJ Thompson 1 2-2 4; Totals 12 9-13 41.
Pittsburgh Central Catholic (53) – Payton Wehner 3 2-4 8; Vernon Settles 1 0-0 2; Alex Pitcher 1 0-0 2; Calvin Vento 1 1-2 4; Bradley Gompers 11 6-6 29; Enzo Khalil 2 0-0 6; Ryan Hower 1 0-0 2; Totals 20 9-12 53.
3-point goals: CRS – Ryan Delp 4, Timmy Rahill, George O’Brien, Jordan Getz, Ryan Wekluk; PCC – Enzo Khalil 2, Bradley Gompers, Calvin Vento.
Council Rock South 11-11-13-6 41
Pittsburgh Central Catholic 22-13-9-9 53
Bill Osborn Memorial Championship
Mount Pleasant (Del.) 63, Central Bucks South 49
Central Bucks South held a 47-41 lead heading into the final quarter of Thursday’s championship game, then it ran into a buzzsaw. Mount Pleasant (Del.) outscored the Titans 22-2 in the final frame, rallying to a 63-49 final to earn the title.
Dylan Valentine led the Titans with 15 points, including 6 points in a third quarter that saw the Titans outscore Mount Pleasant by a 21-7 count. Dan Gies scored 9 of his 12 points in the third quarter on three 3-pointers.
Central Bucks South (3-8, 1-5 SOL) will be on the road at Council Rock North in a crossover game next Friday.
Mount Pleasant (63)—Justin Lawrence 1 2-4 4; Cairo Isaac 6 0-0 16; Cyril Stewart 3 2-4 8; Jayden Larence 7 3-3 19; Jayden Scott 4 0-0 8; Za’mi Kennedy 3 2-4 8. Totals: 24 9-15 63.
Central Bucks South (49)—Akex Shahin 2 0-0 5; Dan Gies 4 0-0 12; Ben Harrison 4 1-3 9; Dylan Valentine 5 3-4 15; Brett Barrett 1 0-0 2; Cole DiEmidio 0 0-2 0; JD Kollock 1 0-0 3; Conor Thompson 1 0-0 3. Totals: 18 4-9 49.
3-point goals: MP—Isaac 4, Lawrence 2; CBS—Shahin, Gies 4, Valentine 2, Kollock, Thompson.
Mount Pleasant 17 17 7 22 – 63
Central Bucks South 14 12 21 2 – 49
MODIE RISHER HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT
Central Bucks West 57, EAU Claire (SC) 44
The Bucks put on quite an offensive display from beyond the arc.
In the opening quarter, West opened up an 18-12 lead, thanks to six 3-pointers. By halftime, that lead had grown to 33-23, and they never looked back, advancing to Saturday’s semifinal round with the 11-point win.
No one was in a better offensive groove from long range than Roman Kulsea, who had four 3-pointers in his team-high 14 points. Julian Phillips added three 3s and finished with 13 points. All told, the Bucks connected on 11 shots from beyond the arc.
“Julian Phillips and Roman Kulsea shot the ball really well,” West coach Adam Sherman said. “Matt Engle had a great floor game setting up teammates.”
Bowen Gugger and Sam Jankowski each added seven points while Aidan Kimberly and Dan Gallagher both had six.
Central Bucks West (6-3, 3-3 SOL) will take on Collins Hill (GA) on Saturday at 5 p.m. in the tournament semifinals.
EAU Claire (S.C.) (44) – Asa Price 9 3-3 23; AJ Garner 3 0-0 7; Aric Hicks 3 0-0 6; Jordan McCray 0 2-2 2; Aidan Price 1 2-2 4; Cory Greene 1 0-2 2; TOTALS 17 7-9 44.
Central Bucks West (57) – Matt Engle 1 0-0 2; Bowen Gugger 3 0-5 7; Roman Kulesa 5 0-2 14; Sam Jankowski 2 2-2 7; Aidan Kimberly 2 0-0 6; Julian Phillips 5 0-0 13; Dan Gallagher 2 2-2 6; TOTALS 20 4-10 55
3-point goals: EAU Claire – Asa Price 2, AJ Garner; CBW – Roman Kulsea 4, Julian Phillips 3, Aiden Kimberly 2, Sam Jankowsi, Bowen Gugger.
EAU Claire (SC) 12-11-7-14 44
Central Bucks West 18-15-9-13 55
TIM EHST HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT
Overbrook 55, Souderton 40
Three Souderton players scored in double digits, but the Indians fell 55-40 to Overbrook in Thursday’s consolation game.
Bill Sackor led Souderton with 12 points. Along with his 18 points in Wednesday’s opener, Sackor was named to the all-tournament team. Danny Dyches scored 8 of his 10 points in the third quarter, and Nolan Watkins also scored 10 to join Sackor in double-digit scoring.
The Indians took a 2-point lead into the second quarter, where they were outscored 16-5, with Sackor responsible for Souderton’s only points in the quarter.
Souderton (5-6, 3-3 SOL) will return to action next Friday at 6:30 when the Indians host Harry S Truman.
Overbrook (55)—Belcher 2 0-0 4; Jones 3 1-8 8; Manning 1 4-8 6; Davis 5 7-8 18; Hall 1 2-2 4; Warring 3 0-1 6; Kelly 4 0-0 9. Totals: 19 14-27 55.
Souderton (40)—Joey Childs 0 1-3 1; Trey Bui 1 0-0 3; Bill Sackor 3 5-7 12; Clinton Kikonjo 1 2-4 4; Nolan Watkins 3 2-2 10; Danny Dyches 5 0-0 10. Totals: 13 10-16 40.
3-point goals: O—Jones, Davis, Kelly; S—Bui, Sackor, Watkins 2.
Overbrook 8 16 17 14 – 55
Souderton 10 5 16 9 – 40
PERKIOMEN VALLEY HOLIDAY SHOOTOUT
Methacton 61, Wissahickon 49
Methacton played a strong first half, including a dominating 21-5 second quarter, to down Wissahickon 61-49 in Thursday’s consolation round.
Nico Vacchiano scored 8 of his team-leading 17 points in the fourth quarter for the Trojans. Brayden Ryan poured in 8 of his 11 in the final frame as well. Dom Vacchiano joined the two in double digits with 11 points, including three 3-pointers.
Wissahickon (3-7, 3-3 SOL) will be on the road at Upper Moreland next Friday for a crossover game.
Methacton (61)—Anthony Daddazio 3 1-2 10; Mason Conrad 0 1-2 1; Sal Iemmella 4 0-1 8; Christian Mates 10 3-4 26; Alex Hermann 3 0-0 6; Manny Rodriguez 1 2-2 5; Wes Robinson 2 1-1 5. Totals: 23 8-12 61.
Wissahickon (49)—Brayden Ryan 4 1-1 11; Nico Vacchiano 7 3-3 17; Gabe Lassiter 1 0-0 2; Josh Palutis 3 1-2 8; Dom Vacchiano 5 0-2 11. Totals: 19 5-8 49.
3-point goals: M—Daddazio 3, Mates 3, Rodriguez; W—Ryan 2, Palutis, D. Vacchiano 3.
Methacton 12 21 11 17 – 61
Wissahickon 9 5 16 19 – 49
Perkiomen Valley 57, North Penn 37
Host Perkiomen Valley left little doubt, roaring out to a 33-12 lead at halftime en route to a 57-37 victory over North Penn.
North Penn (4-7, 3-3 SOL)
North Penn 6 6 21 4 – 37
Perkiomen Valley 18 15 12 12 – 57
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