Check out the recaps for SOL boys’ basketball teams in action Saturday. PW/Malvern Prep photos provided courtesy of Larry Small. CLICK HERE for a gallery of photos.
Non-league
PENNRIDGE 61, READING 59 (OT)
Sean Yoder scored 29 points – which included four three-pointers – and Jon Post added 24 to lead the Rams to the impressive non-league win. The duo combined for all seven of the Rams’ points in overtime.
“They were monsters,” coach Dean Behrens said. “It was a little daunting for some of our other guards. Reading puts you in some difficult positions. You have to be really strong with the ball. I feel like we learned a lot tonight.
“It was an energetic crowd. Reading came with their fans. It was a good atmosphere for high school basketball. I thought it was a good atmosphere for us to be in to deal with a team of that caliber and, obviously, to walk out of there with a win.”
The Rams led 27-16 at halftime. Yoder and Post combined for 23 of those points.
“In the first half, I thought defensively we did a very good job,” Behrens said. “We held them to 16 points. Their kid (Wes) Butler is averaging 24 a game – he’s a really good player. Sean (Yoder) guarded him and did an outstanding job of keeping him under control.
“We rebounded extremely well. You can do a good job defensively, and if they rebound and put it back, it breaks your back. I thought we did a really good job of controlling the boards and limiting them to one shot and done. Jon Post had a lot to do with that. I don’t have the stats, but he probably had double figures rebounding, and Sean was probably in that ballpark. Trent Fisher had a nice game for us as well.”
The Rams still led by six (37-31) heading into the final quarter when Reading erupted for 23 points.
“Most of the time we were leading by seven points, nine points, 11 points, but they really started ramping up the pressure, so we had to get more guards on the floor,” Behrens said. “It really became a guard-oriented game. We went with four guards and Jon Post. They started making a run at us.”
Some missed foul shots, a few costly turnovers opened the door for the Reading comeback.
“We were up two with about 15 seconds, we inbounded the ball, and our guy was getting trapped in the corner,” Behrens said. “I should have called timeout, but I thought our guy was getting out of it. He loses the ball, they get a shot with 11 seconds, we don’t get the rebound, they get a putback with 1.1 seconds.”
In overtime, Reading had a one-point lead and the ball, but the Rams regained possession on a jump ball.
“We missed a little layup, we got the rebound and came down and Post hit a bucket,” Behrens said. “Once we got the lead in overtime, then Sean finished it off with foul shots.”
Yoder buried 5-of-6 at the foul line in OT. The Rams connected on 17-of-29 foul shots for the game.
Pennridge (17-2, 8-1 SOL) will host Central Bucks South on Monday in a key conference showdown. It is the first of three league games to close out the regular season for the Rams, who have a one-game lead in the loss column over the Titans. The Rams – fifth in the latest District One 6A power rankings – will host Central Bucks East on Tuesday and travel to North Penn on Thursday.
“You can actually put something up in your gym if you win the league,” Behrens said. “We’re not putting anything up for beating Reading. It’s a nice win, it really is, but the goal from the outset is to try and win the league.
“Our motto starting last night was 5 in 7, five games in seven days. Now it seems easy – three games in five days. We’re going to have to physically and mentally be ready to go. It’s going to be a lot for our guys to handle. We’d like to win Monday and Tuesday, and we would win the division if we did that. That’s going to be a tough task, but we’re in a good spot.”
Reading 8-8-15-23-5 59
Pennridge 11-11-15-17-7 61
Reading (59) – Jose Brea 12, Wes Butler 12, Joey Chapman 2, Daniel Coulter 13, Denim Adams 12, Juan Matos-Segura 6, Moro Osumaro 2.
Pennridge (61) – Luke Yoder 2, Sean Yoder 29, Nick Dunn 2, Trent Fisher 4, Jon Post 24.
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 64, WILLIAM TENNENT 41
The visiting Bucks seized early control of Saturday’s non-league game, opening up a 20-11 lead after one quarter and extending that to 41-25 at the half. They came out of halftime and outscored the Panthers 16-4 in the third quarter en route to the decisive win.
Jack Mulhearn’s 17 points – which included five three-pointers – led the Bucks. He also had four assists. Jack Neri added 11 points, three rebounds and three steals. Connor Briece had nine points, and John Nurnen added eight. Mika Munari added six points and four rebounds. Reed Zerwek led the Bucks under the backboards with eight rebounds to go along with four steals.
Derrik Cosenza led the Panthers with 12 points while David West added nine and Kip Mooney had six points.
Central Bucks West (14-6, 4-6 SOL) will travel to Quakertown on Tuesday, and William Tennent (4-15, 3-6) will travel to Pennsbury on Monday.
Central Bucks West 20-21-16-7 64
William Tennent 11-14-4-12 41
Central Bucks West (64) – Connor Briece 9, Jack Mulhearn 17, Mika Munari 6, Jack Neri 11, Reed Zerweck 4, Owen Haney 5, John Nurnen 8, Ted Spratt 2, Danny Miller 2.
William Tennent (41) – Kip Mooney 6, David West 9, Derrik Cosenza 12, Bryce Lockett 2, Jay Stanfield 4, Daulton Zeaman 2, Ryan Savage 4, Del Matunda 2.
UPPER MORELAND 65, HARRY S TRUMAN 49
The Golden Bears led by four after one quarter and took a 28-22 lead into halftime. Any thoughts of a Tiger comeback were put to rest in a third quarter that saw the Golden Bears outscore their visitors 25-13 to go on top 53-35.
The Bears, according to coach Sean Feeley, received a great third quarter from Tyler Ibbotson.
“All five starters played incredibly hard, and I’m proud of them,” Feeley said. “
Leading the Golden Bears were Beau Woollens (15 points), Ibbotson (14 points), Jahire Johnson (13 points) and Christian O’Donnell (12 points).
Truman was led by the double-figure scoring efforts of TJ Rogers (13 points), Javeer Peterson (10 points) and Jordan Fant (12 points).
Upper Moreland (11-8, 5-7 SOL) will travel to Plymouth Whitemarsh on Tuesday, and Harry S Truman (5-13, 4-6) will host Pennsbury on Tuesday.
Harry S Truman 12-10-13-14 49
Upper Moreland 16-12-25-12 65
Harry S Truman (49) – Javeer Peterson 10, TJ Rogers 13, Donald Imo 2, Treszon Chapman 3, Kashun Holden 1, Mike Leonhauser 3, Jordan Fant 12, Robert Winton 5.
Upper Moreland (65) – Byron Hopkins, Beau Woolens 15, Christian O’Donnell 12, Jourdan Gregg 2, Jahire Johnson 13, Jake Tiernan 4, Tyler Ibbotson 14.
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 58, NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 47
The Patriots received double-figure performances from three players – Nick Roggio (15 points), Leo Masterson (14 points) and Joe Jackman (11 points) – in a hard-fought win over the Lions.
The Patriots, who led by just one after the first quarter, took a 25-18 lead into halftime. It was a seven-point game until the fourth quarter when the Patriots outscored their hosts 18-14.
Roggio also led the Patriots with eight rebounds. Masterson added four steals. Ben Markowitz didn’t score but handed out five assists. Anthony Gioardano had three steals for the Patriots, who connected on 17-of-25 from the foul line.
Central Bucks East (14-6, 6-5 SOL) – 11th in the latest District One 6A power rankings – will travel to Pennridge on Tuesday.
Central Bucks East 9-16-15-18 58
New Hope-Solebury 8-10-15-14 47
Central Bucks East (58) – Nick Roggio 15, Leo Masterson 14, Jack Hamilton 3, Jason Markowitz 5, Tyler Young 5, Joe Jackman 11, Brendan Harte 2, Anthony Giordano 3.
MALVERN PREP 90, PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 86
Malvern Prep and PW put on an offensive show in Saturday’s John Salmons Classic, combining for a 178 points. There were monster performances on both sides with Malvern’s Deuce Turner earning scoring honors with a game-high 41 points. The Bucknell-bound junior connected on three three-pointers and was 14-for-17 from the foul line. Teammate Rah Hicks added 25 – including six threes – in a supporting role.
For the Colonials, Caelin Peters was all but unstoppable, finishing with 37 points. He buried four threes and was 9-for-12 at the charity stripe. Naheem McLeod added 20 points.
Behind eight points from McLeod and seven from Peters, the Colonials led 19-16 after one quarter. That lead was erased in a second quarter that saw Malvern erupt for 27 points to go into halftime with a 43-40 advantage. The teams spent the second half exchanging baskets – both squads scored 26 in a 52-point fourth quarter.
Also for the Colonials, Jaden Pryce had nine points while Kyree Pendleton and Jason Cherry had seven each.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (12-8, 8-4 SOL) will host Upper Moreland on Tuesday.
Malvern Prep 16-27-21-26 90
Plymouth Whitemarsh 19-21-20-26 86
Malvern Prep (90) – Rah Hicks 25, Deuce Turner 41, Tygee Leach 4, Brock Dudek 5, Joe McElwee 3, Fran Oschell 8, Blaise Bekkedam 4.
PERKIOMEN VALLEY 52, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 31
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