Check out the results for SOL boys’ basketball teams in action Tuesday.
American Conference
Springfield 47, Upper Merion 38
Springfield was waiting for that elusive first conference win.
That wait is over after the Spartans were able to convincingly beat visiting Upper Merion on Springfield's Senior Night.
Christian Yoast hit four three-pointers and led the way with 15 points for the Spartans (1-12, 3-17), who also got 12 points out of Sean Stovall.
"It was good," Springfield coach Gary Nolan said. "The seniors really came out and played well tonight. It was good to get the monkey off their backs, and they had a lot of pressure on them.
“IIt's tough to start the new year with a new coach and with a returning starter hurt. Some other guys came in late from football and some had injuries and it didn't really start the way they wanted to, but they played really well tonight."
Yoast scored nine of his points in the first quarter and hit two big three-pointers in the second half. Quentin Johnson added eight points, while Justin Hill scored six.
Springfield led 24-16 at the half before allowing the Vikings to cut their deficit to one (30-29) going into the fourth. The Spartans outscored Upper Merion by eight in the final quarter.
Seniors Yoast, Stovall, DeAndre Johnson and Brendan Dugan were all honored in their final home game at Springfield.
"Tonight, those guys were big down the stretch," Nolan said. "Yoast with a couple big shots and Johnson had a couple big shots in the fourth quarter. Stovall really ignited us with a steal and a dunk in the first quarter, which got the whole team and the crowd into it. They just came out with and had a lot of confidence and energy throughout the game."
Upper Merion, which fell to 2-17 overall and 1-12 in conference play, was led by Matt Faw's 19 points.
Upper Merion 12 4 13 9—38
Springfield 16 8 6 17—47
Plymouth Whitemarsh 59, Cheltenham 44
A Jan. 9 loss to Cheltenham was the first time Plymouth Whitemarsh had been beaten all season. Heading into Tuesday’s Senior Night rematch with the Panthers, it remained the Colonials’ only conference loss.
PW got the revenge it was looking for against the Panthers, winning handily to clinch the American Conference for the second consecutive year. It is the Colonials ninth title in the last 11 years and the 23rd since 1990.
"If our players look at the success we've had in our league over the last decade or so, sometimes kids can start to think it's an easy thing to win the conference and it's not," Donofrio said. "I want to make sure they appreciate what they accomplished. It's not easy. You have to be really playing consistently good basketball for an entire season.
"Everything has to work right and league titles have to be respected. I think it's a big sign of consistent excellence to win it as many times as we've had over the years. We're very proud of that. That is the foundation for success – consistent championships. Not a lot of teams in any league can say that."
The Colonials (19-2, 12-1) were led by Jimmy Murray, who scored 21 points, while Andre Mitchell added 14 points, five rebounds, five assists, one steal and one blocked shot.
Devon Montiero-Gray played well for the Colonials, recording nine points, six rebounds, one assist and three steals.
Fatiir Al-Ahad led the Panthers (12-8, 9-4) with 11 points, while Khalil White scored nine. Anthony White and Vaughn Jenkins each scored eight.
A commanding second quarter that saw the Colonials outscore their visitors 22-13 lifted PW to a 35-26 halftime lead. The Colonials took a 14-point lead (52-38) into the fourth before closing things out.
"Tonight was really so many different things," Donofrio said. "It's about who has a little bit of a psychological edge. When you're talking about that, it gives us incentive. One, it's a payback game from when they beat us (at their place). The kids are already in a mood to bounce back from that.
“Two, you have Senior Night, which always adds good emotion to it. You’re also fighting to see if you can get a top five seed in the playoffs, but the majority of it was the payback mentality. Along with Senior Night, it was going to be difficult for us not to play well."
Cheltenham 13 13 12 6—44
Plymouth Whitemarsh 13 22 17 7—59
Wissahickon 34, Upper Dublin 33
With a whole lot at stake, Wissahickon held on down the stretch for a win by the slimmest of margins over neighborhood rival and visiting Upper Dublin.
For the Trojans, the game was a rematch with an Upper Dublin squad that had defeated them by 10 points on Jan. 9. Throw in the fact that the Cardinals are their biggest rival and both teams are vying for district playoff berths, and it’s easy to understand why emotions ran high.
It was the Trojans turning in a strong defensive game to improve their record to 11-8 overall and 9-4 in conference play.
"It's a huge win," Wissahickon coach Kyle Wilson said. "We're still playing for our playoff life. Last year, we barely made it in. For us, Cheltenham is a playoff game on Friday. I think if we don't win there, we're out. We've got to try to do everything we can to control our own destiny. I know I'd rather go into the Cheltenham game like this rather than after a loss."
Upper Dublin (12-8, 8-4) led 9-5 after one quarter but then just managed four points in the second quarter as Wissahickon built up a 21-13 halftime lead. The Cardinals, who trailed 28-19 after three quarters, fought nearly all the way back with a huge fourth quarter but fell just short.
Wissahickon saw perhaps the unlikeliest of players seal the win, as freshman Zach Reiner drove hard for a layup with 1:10 remaining on the scoreboard clock. The bucket was good enough for the win as Upper Dublin had the ball with 15 seconds to play and couldn't tie the game.
Stephen Driscoll led the way for Wissahickon, scoring nine points. Ron Brundage added eight points and 10 rebounds, while Tre Holcomb also scored eight. Reiner brought down six rebounds. Simeon Fryer led the Cardinals with 17 points.
"They closed in the fourth,” Wilson said. “They knocked down a big three, got to the free throw line, made some plays and Upper Dublin was back in striking distance.
"But our kids played tough defense. We knew that we had to slow down Simeon Fryer and John Barrett. Barrett had a three in the first quarter, but didn't hit another basket for the rest of the game."
The game also marked he fourth annual "Silent Night" at Wissahickon.
Wilson said the crowd came out to support the Trojans as well as he could've asked.
"The atmosphere was great,” the Trojans’ coach said. “Tonight, our gym was packed to the gills. The crowd was unbelievable and I think the team came in ready for that environment. It was not a high-scoring game, but we defended well and we had good poise and made a few more plays than they did. Sometimes that's the difference in the game."
Fryer led the Flying Cardinals with 17 points. No other UD player had more than three.
Upper Dublin 9 4 6 14—33
Wissahickon 5 16 7 6—34
Upper Dublin (33) – John Barrett 5, Matt Thompson 2, Luke Teesdale 3, Ryan Stover 3, Simeon Fryer 17, Phil Santerian 3.
Wissahickon (34) – Todd Bentley 2, Tre Holcomb 8, Ron Brundage 8, Stephen Driscoll 9, Brandon Pace 4, Zach Reiner 3.
Norristown 54, Upper Moreland 45
Darryl Carr and Kether Messiaz each scored 15 points to lead Norristown to a victory over host Upper Moreland. Carr also had six rebounds and two steals.
Carr knocked down all eight of his free throw attempts, while Roy Green chipped in with 11 points for the Eagles, who improved to 11-9 overall and 8-5 in conference play with the win. Green also had seven boards. Kyle Simpson handed out six assists as he directed the Eagles’ offense.
The Bears were led by James Martin’s 16 points. Joe Trovato added 13.
Norristown led 22-18 at the break after an extremely futile second quarter that saw the two teams combine for us seven points. Both teams scored 12 points in the third quarter, but the Eagles sealed the win with a 20-15 fourth quarter advantage. Upper Moreland fell to 7-14 and 3-10, respectively.
Norristown 19 3 12 20—54
Upper Moreland 14 4 12 15—45
Norristown (54) – Darryl Carr 15, Roy Green 11, Carlton Brown 3, Amir Carter 3, Kyle Simpson 2, Desmond Gorski 3, Kether Messiaz 15, Tyler Armstrong 2.
Upper Moreland (45) – Brendan O’Donnell 7, Aaron Heller 1, James Martin 16, Joe Trovato, Brett Brossman 6, Shane Stone 2.
National Conference
Abington 54, Council Rock North 39
For the third consecutive year, Abington cinched sole possession of the National Conference championship.
A double-digit victory over host Council Rock North helped the Ghosts to remain undefeated in conference play (13-0).
“It feels good,” Abington coach Charles Grasty said. “The kids are excited. We lost a lot of seniors last year and our guys wanted to make a name for themselves. They wanted to leave their own mark on the program and they did, so they’re happy, they’re excited and they’re going to enjoy it.”
Senior Amir Hinton had another big night for Abington (18-3), scoring 21 points to lead all scorers. Curtis Lochner added 10 for the Ghosts.
The Indians (13-8, 8-5) were led by Steve Nowmos and Will Desautelle, who scored 11 and eight, respectively.
Abington outscored CR North 20-5 in the second quarter to take a 33-16 lead into the locker room. The two teams exchanged baskets in the second half second half.
After falling just second short of reaching the state championship game last year, Abington is looking forward to attempting yet another deep postseason run this winter.
“Our goals aren’t going to change,” Grasty said. “Every year I tell the guys that the goal is to win the conference title and that we want to win the district titles and state titles.
“Last year we came pretty close, but the guys are working hard and it’s good to see that they’re leaving their own mark on the program. We’ll see how far we can take this.”
Abington 13 20 12 9—54
Council Rock North 11 5 10 13—39
Abington (54) – Robbie Heath 3, Matt Penecale 4, Curtis Lochner 10, Brian Close 3, Amir Hinton 21, Bernard James 3, Porter 3, Wessels 1, Steinman 5, Griffin 1.
Council Rock North (39) – Tyler Nowmos 5, Riley Thompson 5, Drew Glenn 2, Matt Margolis 6, Steve Nowmos 11, Elonas Marcauskus 2, Will Desautelle 8.
William Tennent 53, Bensalem 37
John Ryan scored 18 of his 26 points in the second and third quarters combined to help lead William Tennent to a convincing win over visiting Bensalem.
The Panthers (6-15, 5-8) saw Ryan also bring down 10 rebounds while tallying four steals. Kevin Simonson scored eight points in the fourth and finished with 13 on the night.
“I felt really happy for the seniors in their last home game,” Tennent coach Robert Mulville said. “I think we really came out healthy tonight for the first time in a long time.
“We came out a little flat in the first quarter, but we responded in the last 28 minutes of the game and turned up the pressure on the offensive end. I just think they executed great tonight and I was so happy for them.”
Tennent went down by six after one quarter (13-7), but a huge second helped the Panthers to a 24-18 halftime lead. Still on top by six after three quarters of play, Tennent outscored the Owls by 10 in the fourth to earn the double-digit win.
Bensalem (8-13, 5-8) was led by Nick Mulvey, who finished with 14.
Bensalem 13 7 13 6—37
William Tennent 7 17 13 16—53
Harry S. Truman 40, Neshaminy 38
Harry S. Truman held on for a close win over visiting Neshaminy.
The Tigers (7-14, 5-8) were led by Tyquan Law’s 15 points and four rebounds, while Danell Snelling had a big game, scoring 13 points while bringing down nine rebounds. Snelling converted a huge three-point play with two minutes remaining to put Truman on top for good.
Lucas Waters added eight points for the Tigers, who led 23-18 at the half.
Neshaminy (4-14, 1-2) was led by Jenkins Kimber’s 10 points. Chris Arcidiacono and Jack Springler each scored nine.
Neshaminy 12 6 11 9—38
Harry S. Truman 8 15 10 7—40
Pennsbury 80, Council Rock South 59
Pennsbury opened the game up with a big first quarter and cruised to a convincing victory over host Council Rock South.
The Falcons (16-4, 11-2) were led by Derrick Woods, who scored 20 points. Mekhi Bryant and Cameron Jones added 16 and 14, respectively.
Pennsbury raced to a 20-7 lead after one quarter and took a 39-23 lead into the half. The Falcons led 66-44 heading into the fourth quarter before clearing its bench.
Austin Thomas led the Bucks (7-14, 4-9) with 17 points, while Matt Stewart added 10.
Pennsbury 20 19 27 14—80
Council Rock South 7 16 21 15—59
Pennsbury (80) – Zack Dea 5, Mekhi Bryant 16, Juan Perez Jones 4, Corey Dea 6, Derrick Woods 20, Nick Cereby 5, Cameron Jones 14, Isaiah Carpenter 1, Rob Daly 9.
Council Rock South (59) Austin Thomas 17, Dan Buchnik 5, Mike Stock 8, Alex Nordenholt 4, Kevin Newbert 7, Matt Stewart 10, Joe Rebholz 2, John Gannon 2, Ryan Boyd 4.
Continental Conference
Central Bucks South 53, Quakertown 41
Sean Gallagher’s 12 points led the way for Central Bucks South in a win over host Quakertown.
The Titans led by six after one quarter (15-9) and then took a 39-28 lead into the fourth quarter before running away with the game.
“Both teams played physical through all four quarters,” CB South coach Jason Campbell said. “Josh Brodie put the game out of reach from the free throw line.”
Brodie hit six of his seven free throw attempts and scored nine points to help the Titans (12-8, 8-5) remain in the hunt for second place in the conference. Tommy Doyle added nine as well.
The Panthers (9-12, 3-10) were led by Griffin Schmidt’s 11 points. Kevin Norvaisis add nine while Kyle Basking and Brian Rejniak both added eight.
Central Bucks South15 9 15 14-53
Quakertown 9 9 10 13—41
Central Bucks South (53) – Alex Karras 4, Josh Brodie 8, Tommy Doyle 9, Bryan Meyers 7, Ian Vogt 5, Tim Waddington 6, Chris Hones 2, Sean Gallagher 12.
Quakertown (41) – Griffin Schmidt 11, Jake Perrine 3, Brian Rejniak 8, Kevin Norvaisas 9, Kyle Baskin 8, Hunter Nice 2.
Pennridge 67, Hatboro-Horsham 59 (OT)
Pennridge – with a Continental Conference title already assured – went into Hatboro-Horsham and struggled a bit, but came out on top with an overtime victory.
The Rams outscored the Hatters 11-3 in the extra period to come out with their 12th conference win of the season.
Pennridge (18-2, 12-1) was led by Zach Muredda’s 22 points. Dan Long scored 21, while Joe Molettiere added 13. Stephen Lowry chipped in with nine.
The Rams led by 10 after one quarter (17-7) and then took a 26-18 lead into the break. The Hatters stormed back with a huge third quarter and led by three (41-38) going into the fourth.
Brian McEachern came off the bench and led the Hatters (9-11, 5-8) with 23 points. Walt Kimble added 17.
Neither team shot exceptionally well from the line, as Pennridge hit only 12 of 22 free throws, while the Hatters went 6-for-12.
Pennridge 17 9 12 18 11—67
Hatboro-Horsham 7 11 23 15 3—59
Pennridge (67) – Joe Molettiere 13, Dan Long 21, Zach Muredda 22, Steve Lowry 9, Joe Unangst 2.
Hatboro-Horsham (59) – Joe Russell 2, David Robinson 2, Brian McEachern 23, Walter Kimble 17, Pat Haggerty 5, Zeke Sloan 1, Ryan Murphy 3, Clifton Moore 6.
Central Bucks West 62, Central Bucks East 40
After a fairly even first half, Central Bucks West went on a tear in the second half, scoring 44 points en route to the big win over its neighboring rival.
The Bucks (16-5, 9-4) were led by Nico Munari’s 14 points. Jim McCusker added nine, Cal Reichwein and Bill Power each added eight and Seamus Fox scored six in what was a very balanced scoring game for CB West.
The Patriots (6-15, 1-12) were led by Travis Ives’ 12 points. Matt Pattyson and Tommy Strasburger added 11 and 10, respectively.
CB West led 18-13 at the half and outscored the Patriots 44-27 in the final two quarters.
Central Bucks East 3 10 15 12—40
Central Bucks West 7 11 23 21—62
Central Bucks East (40) – Matt Pattyson 11, Travis Ives 12, Justin O’Neill 7, Tommy Strasburger 10.
Central Bucks West (62) – Luke Irons 2, Owen Cooney 3, Cal Reichwein 8, Erich Hohlenleitner 4, Nico Munari 14, Connor Lynch 5, Jim McCusker 9, Seamus Fox 6, Bill Power 8, Jake Reichwein 3.
Souderton 53, North Penn 44
Souderton started strong and finished strong in a win over visiting North Penn in a key late-season matchup.
The Indians outscored the Knights by nine in the first quarter (19-10) and eight in the fourth to come out victorious. Evan Slone’s 22 points led Souderton (12-9, 8-5) offensively. Tracy Simsick and Austin Eberhart each scored 11.
North Penn (11-10, 6-7) was led by Cordell Lord’s 15 points. Jared Melone added eight.
North Penn 10 12 18 4—44
Souderton 19 11 11 12—53
North Penn (53) – – Matt Pickford 2, Joey Ricahrds 6, Johns 2, Kyle Hulmes 6, Cordell Lord 15, Jared Melone 8, Heiserman 5.
Souderton (44) – Evan Slone 22, Ty Salone 4, Ben Wonderling 3, Tracy Simsick 11, Tim markow 2, Austin Eberhart 11.
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