SOL Boys’ Basketball Wrap (2-7-25)

Check out the recaps for SOL boys’ basketball teams in action Friday in the SOL Tournament. Upper Dublin/Cheltenham photos courtesy of Troy Leatherbury, UM/CB East photos courtesy of Greg Lindsay, New Hope/Morrisville photos courtesy of Karla Donohoe & PW/Bensalem photos courtesy of Larry Small. Check back for galleries of all four games. CLICK HERE to go directly to the Suburban One Sports’ BOYS’ BASKETBALL GALLERIES.

SOL Tournament

#1 UPPER DUBLIN 66, #8 CHELTENHAM 44

In a battle of Liberty Division rivals, the Flying Cardinals won for the third time in as many outings against the Panthers, winning their 22^nd in a row since dropping their season opener to Lower Merion.

The Cardinals, who led 14-10 after one quarter, took a 23-13 lead into halftime. They upped that lead to 13 heading into final frame when they erupted for 23 points, putting an exclamation point on the big win.

Key players: Ryan Mulroy’s 15 points led a balanced attack. He jumpstarted the Cards with seven first-quarter points and added eight in the third quarter. Kobe Bazemore added 13 points – seven in the big fourth quarter.

For the Panthers, Osei Johnson led the way with 10 points.

Upper Dublin coach Derek Brooks: “In the first quarter, we had an eight-point lead at one point, but they made a run towards the end. It was 14-10 to close the quarter. We had a great defensive second quarter. We struggled a little offensively, and we were up 10 at halftime. It was a very physical game. I thought both teams played very intense. Both teams struggled to score a little bit.

“In the third quarter, it opened up a little bit. We were doing a good job scoring, but we had too many turnovers, and they were in the same boat. They would either get a layup or they would get a turnover. We got it to a 16-point lead in the third. They ended the quarter with a 3, so it was 13, but eventually, we got it to 16, 17, 18, but it felt closer than the final result was, for sure.

“We had too many turnovers. That was the one thing – we need to be stronger with the ball in a physical environment like that, but with a 22-point win against a Cheltenham team that’s always tough, you’ll take it.”

–Sharing the rock: “Our eight guys who play – you look at the box score any given night, and it’s not uncommon for us to have seven or eight guys score and all eight guys contribute. Everyone in our rotation had four points or higher. That’s how we like to play. We think it’s to our advantage. We have a lot of guys that can do things, and we share the ball. A lot of guys are unselfish, and they don’t care who gets the shot, which is one of the reasons we’ve had the success we’ve had this year. We haven’t had an issue of selfishness literally once during the season. We have shared the ball beautifully. It’s a testament to our boys, their character and their willingness to play that way because it works, it really does. I love seeing eight guys in the scoring column.”

–Props: “Ryan (Mulroy) had a big third quarter for us. Kobe (Bazemore) was pretty consistent throughout the game. He had a nice night. I thought Justin (Ragsdale), Dris (Rines), James (Castronuovo) and Ryan (Mulroy) defensively around the rim were big. There were plenty of opportunities that Cheltenham could have gotten a layup, but we got a lot of blocks this game. Outside of that, it was pretty balanced, sharing the ball.”

Up next: Upper Dublin (22-1, 10-1 SOL) will host Plymouth Whitemarsh in a semifinal game Saturday (1 pm). It is the third meeting between the SOL Liberty rivals with the most recent on Tuesday.

“Any PW game is a big deal on its own, but having two in five days is different,” Brooks said. “It’s a different animal, so I’m sure they’re feeling it just the way we are. It’s a great challenge for us. It’s such a good test mentally and physical.

“We play at one o’clock tomorrow. I hope we’re up for it. I know I am – I’m excited for this. It should be a great game. PW is a great team. They had a big win tonight. Just because we won the first two games – the worst thing we can do is waltz into the gym thinking it’s going to be the same result, so we have to come ready to go tomorrow.”

Cheltenham (15-8, 9-1) awaits its final seed in the District 1 6A Tournament.

Cheltenham 10-3-17-14 44

Upper Dublin 14-9-20-23 66

Cheltenham (44) – Chris Harmon 2 0-0 5; Kamal Mason 2 2-4 6; Xavier Willoughby 0 0-2 0; Osei Johnson 2 4-4 10; Salim Kelly 2 0-0 6; Kendall Jackson 2 1-3 6; Justin Ezeukwu 1 1-2 3; Tyree Martin 15 8-15 44

Upper Dublin (66) – Kobe Bazemore 5 3-6 13; Ryan Mulroy 6 2-4 15; Idris Rines 3 0-0 6; Justin Ragsdale 3 0-0 6; Reilly McLaughlin 2 0-0 4; James Castronuovo 2 1-2 6; Brandon Altman 0 2-2 2; Horace Jackson 4 0-0 8; Benji Ravitz 1 0-0 2; Kevin MacNeal 1 0-0 2; Kuke Caron 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 28 8-14 66.

3-point goals: C – Osei Johnson 2, Salim Kelly 2, Kendall Jackson, Chris Harmon; UD – Ryan Mulroy, James Castronuovo.

#2 UPPER MORELAND 80, #7 CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 73

In a high-scoring contest that was highlighted by several stellar individual efforts, it was the Golden Bears earning the win.

UM set the tone for a big night with a 22-point first quarter, opening up a seven-point lead. East answered with a 21-point second quarter and took a 36-35 lead into halftime. Nolan Behm’s 19 points – 13 in the second quarter – led the Patriots. Colson Campbell’s 11 points led the Bears.

UM took control of the game with a 24-9 third quarter that was highlighted by nine points from Campbell. The Bears took a 59-45 lead into the final quarter. The Patriots scored 28 points in the fourth, but the Bears scored 21 to fend off any comeback.

Key players: Colson Campbell’s glittering 29-point effort led the Bears. His 18-point second half included a 7-for-8 effort from the foul line in the fourth quarter. Larry Hughes added 15 points, and Jadon Cybok had 14. Nate Best also finished in double figures with 10.

Nolan Behm scored 30 points in a superb outing to lead the Patriots. Shane O’Hara-Jamison added 19 points (3 3-pointers), and AJ Molnar contributed 13.

Upper Moreland coach Dan Heiland: “Both teams came out and were going straight man-to-man defense. Both sides were able to execute offensively, both sides made shots when they were open and difficult shots as well, but the third quarter was the turning point from a scoring standpoint.”

–The third quarter: “The third quarter was definitely the key to the game. We were able to switch up our defense, and by switching up our defense, it made them have to slow down, adjust and try to figure out how best to beat it. We were able to take time off the clock. Defensively, we were able to get stops and cause some turnovers, limit them to one-and-dones. At the offensive end, we were able to execute in the halfcourt and get transition points. We really did a nice job being energized and executing the game plan out of halftime.”

–Campbell delivers: “Colson does a really good job. He’s able to score from all three levels – from 3, mid-range and then finishing at the basket. When he gets to the basket – he’s a strong, physical kid, he gets fouled, and then he also gives himself a lot of opportunities to get to the free throw line. He got to the free throw line 12 times tonight and made 9 of 12, which is huge, taking advantage of that opportunity. He was hitting tough shots, through contact at the rim, and then making free throws was big while still playing tough defense, rebounding the ball and still creating for his teammates as well. He just played a terrific, all-around 32-minute basketball game.”

–A big day at the foul line: “With our guard play in the front court, we were able to create and make it challenging for East at times to defend, and in those sequences, we were picking up on-ball fouls, not shooting fouls, which eventually put us in the bonus, and that’s what allowed us to get to the free throw line so many times.”

–Props: “Nate Best did a great job. He scored 10 points, and he did a tremendous job playing tough defense, controlling the pace of play in the second half from an offensive standpoint, getting guys the ball, getting himself opportunities to score – just playing like a true point guard.

“Larry Hughes had 15 points, and he had a ton of rebounds as well. Jadon Cybok played really well for us in the first half – he had (eight) in the first half. He did a really good job early in the lane to allow us to stay around, taking shots, driving to the basket and finishing and then finding his teammates as well. Those three or four guys are pretty consistent players, and our bench comes in, and it’s almost as if we don’t skip a beat, which is great. I don’t take that for granted because we have some depth. We have guys that will step up and make plays when they need to make plays, which is easy to coach and great to have out of your bench.”

Up next: Upper Moreland (19-4, 9-1 SOL) will host Central Bucks South in a semifinal game Saturday (2 pm). Central Bucks East (14-9, 5-5) will await its seed in the upcoming District 1 6A Tournament.

Central Bucks East 15-21-9-28 73

Upper Moreland 22-13-24-21 80

Central Bucks East (73) – Shane O’Hara Jamison 7 2-2 19; Henry Bartchak 1 0-0 2; Jackson Lutz 1 0-0 3; Nolan Behm 12 4-5 30; AJ Molnar 6 1-4 13; Alex Lemaire 2 2-2 6; TOTLAS 29 9-13 73.

Upper Moreland (80) – Nate Best 3 3-3 10; Colson Campbell 9 9-12 29; Anthony Carson 3 0-0 7; Larry Hughes 4 7-17 15; Luke Roussel 1 1-1 3; Jadon Cybok 6 2-3 14; Cannon Campbell 1 0-2 2; TOTALS 27 22-38 80.

3-point goals: CBE – Shane O’Hara-Jamison 3, Nolan Behm 2, Jackson Lutz; UM – Colson Campbell 2, Nate Best, Anthony Carson.

#6 CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 50, #3 SOUDERTON 40

Four days after battling for the SOL Colonial Division title, Souderton – the division champion – and CB South squared off in Friday’s opening round of the SOL Tournament. This time it was the Titans earning the win, putting a damper on the Indians’ Senior Night celebration.

The two teams battled to a 12-12 tie after one quarter, but the Titans – sparked by a pair of Brett Barrett 3s – edged the Indians in the second quarter to go into halftime with a 24-20 lead.

It was still either team’s game heading into the final quarter with the Titans holding a tenuous 33-31 advantage. South put the game away with a 17-point fourth quarter that included an 11-for-14 effort at the foul line. Ben Harrison’s 5-for-6 effort led the Titans, who also received big 3-pointers from Cole DiEmidio and Connor Thompson in the frame.

Key players: Ben Harrison led a balanced attack with 14 points – nine in the second half. Cole DiEmidio, Brett Barrett and Leo Medwid each had eight points.

For the Indians, Nolan Watkins led the way with 13 points – 11 in the first half. Trey Bui added 11.

Central Bucks South Louie Ditri: “Our kids played well – it was a good game. Brett Barrett has been a little bit under the weather. He was under the weather Tuesday, he’s under the weather today. He’s battling it. It’s been a little bit of a battle this week with him going through that because he’s one of our better players, but our kids played well. We did well defensively. – we only let up 40 points, but it was a battle.

“They’re well coached, and that’s a tough place to play. It was nice to get back in the win column after Tuesday’s tough loss.”

–Prop: “Ben Harrison attacked the basket well. He was our leading scorer with 14, and I thought our point guard Cole DiEmidio got everybody where they’re supposed to be and attacked well. Cole and Danny Gies did well defensively. They have a couple of shooters. Number 5 on their team (Nolan Watkins) had three 3s in the first, and he only scored two points in the second half..”

Up next: Central Bucks South (18-5, 8-2 SOL) will travel to Upper Moreland for Saturday’s semifinal (2 pm). Souderton (17-6, 9-1) is off until the District 1 6A Tournament.

Central Bucks South 12-12-9-17 50

Souderton 12-8-11-9 40

Central Bucks South (50) – Cole DiEmidio 1 3-8 8; Alex Shahin 1 0-0 2; Brett Barrett 2 2-4 8; Dan Gies 0 5-6 5; Connor Thompson 1 0-0 3; Ben Harrison 4 6-8 14; Kayode Adebayo 1 0-0 2; Leo Medwid 4 0-0 8; TOTALS 14 18-26 50.

Souderton (40) – Will Lockwood 1 0-0 2; Chanse Salone 2 1-2 5; Trey Bui 3 4-4 11; Nolan Watkins 3 4-4 13; Thaddeus Harter 2 0-0 5; Grady Kovach 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 13 9-10 40.

3-point goals: CBS – Brett Barrett 2, Cole DiEmidio, Connor Thompson; S – Nolan Watkins 3, Trey Bui, Thaddeus Harter.

#5 PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 74, #4 BENSALEM 42

The Colonials led by just two points after one quarter but put some distance between themselves and the host Owls with a 22-12 second quarter to go into halftime with a 40-28 lead.

Mani Sajid ignited the Colonials, torching the Owls for 16 second-quarter points. The junior sharpshooter led PW with 20 first-half points. Michael Periera added 12 points in the half.

PW put the game completely out of reach in the third quarter, outscoring the Owls 19-5 on their way to the big win.

Key players: Mani Sajid’s 26 points led the Colonials and included four 3-pointers. Michael Periera had 16 points, and Micah Thompson also finished in double figures with 10.

Amir Drummond’s eight points led the Owls.

Plymouth Whitemarsh coach Jim Donofrio: “We blinked at Abington (a 66-64 loss) – we’re young, we needed to go to Abington and play with great energy. We didn’t, and you compound that with – it was two tough days of practice. I was not in a good mood for two days. Upper Dublin at the end of the game (a 73-55 loss) – I think the kids thought I would be more critical, and I was really, really energized because Upper Dublin has improved and improved, and they’re just playing at a really high level. I never get overly upset when you go against a team that is an extremely highly talented team doing great stuff. You actually worry more about the games that on paper you’re supposed to win. Tuesday night at our place (against Upper Dublin) was a great environment. We had a bad start, they got a great jump because they’re very experienced and confident right now. So, it’s 16-2, and the rest of the way we just fought and competed.

“More importantly, after the majority of the season, we finally understood how we’re supposed to move on offense and move the ball. Mani (Sajid) was moving and getting great looks, and everyone was involved but at the same time – they understand the focusis where it’s supposed to be, so there were so many positives to take out of Tuesday night despite the score.

–Staying the course: “The fact that that continued tonight – that’s big success, and that’s what I was happiest about. I’ve said all along – young teams can be young a whole season because every time you figure some things out, you have to remember – none of them have deep playoff experience, so that becomes new. Teams you beat the first time around can actually improve, and no one is ever going to give up. You can’t take anyone lightly, and they have to go through that phase. Great teams, championship level teams are able to turn it on for 22 games plus playoffs. That’s where Upper Dublin is right now.

“(Our players) really evolved, and they really are playing at a level of confidence that experienced teams play at. We have to get something even out of Tuesday night, and I think we have. That’s what’s fun for me. We’ve gone through a lot of private conversations, a lot of team conversations, and we’re not only still together, we’ve kind of re-invented ourselves, and that’s what it means to be a young team.

“Tonight was a really good example of that. Michael (Periera) and Micah Thompson combined for 26 points while Mani (Sajid) still got 26 points. That’s what it has to be. I think the kids fight the idea how it has to go through him. Mani had to learn that going through him didn’t mean he had to hold the ball forever and try to take hard shots. That’s taken the season to understand. Now I’m happy because if they understand this – you actually become more of a true team, and Mani’s going to realize his potential and then some, and then we’ll actually score more points. I hope we just continue it.”

–The SOL Tournament: “It feels like we’re in an NBA thing, which is fine, You’re not playing (in districts) until next Tuesday, and you have to get games in. It’s a nice thing to win it if you can win it, but I think just as important is – you don’t want 12 days off. Great respect for Bensalem. They had another really strong year. While we were up 20, I was never comfortable because I know how hard those kids play. We moved the ball better, and we maintained the lead. Whatever happens tomorrow – I’m not sure how we react from Tuesday night until tomorrow, but I’m glad we’re in the situation to try it out.”

Bensalem coach Ron Morris: “We knew we were in for a tough matchup tonight. Mikey Kramer is out as well as Trevor Morris, two of our top six guys, and we aren’t the biggest team to start. PW is huge. The kid (Michael) Periera is really tough inside with rebounds and finishing around the rim. We battled, and it was close in first quarter. Mani (Sajid) is a good player and really got it going off multiple screens in the second quarter. We were down 12 at halftime, and unfortunately, Amir (Drummond) went down in the third quarter. He rolled his ankle, and we didn’t want to chance it at that point. We learn from this game and get ready for the district playoffs.”

Up next: Plymouth Whitemarsh (17-6, 7-3 SOL) will travel to Upper Dublin for Saturday’s semifinal game (1 pm). Bensalem (14-9, 8-2 SOL) will await its final seeding in the District 1 6A Tournament.

Plymouth Whitemarsh 18-22-19-15 74

Bensalem 16-12-5-9 42

Plymouth Whitemarsh (74) – Jack Hayes 1 0-0 2; Terron Davis 2 1-1 6; Eric Conicello 1 0-0 2; Mani Sajid 11 0-0 26; Michael Pereira 7 2-2 16; Buddy Denard 2 0-0 4; Caleb Bridgeman 0 2-2 2; Micah Thompson 4 2-4 10; Austin Edwards 2 0-1 4; Luca Taormina 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 31 7-10 74.

Bensalem (42) – Jahmir Chatman 2 1-2 5; Aidan Mayfield 5 0-0 11; Christian Lee 2 0-0 6; Amir Drummond 2 2-2 8; Dymaire Johnson 2 1-2 5; Aidan Corbett 1 0-0 3; Jacob Eberhardt 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 16 4-6 42.

3-point goals: PW – Mani Sajid 4, Terron Davis; B – Christian Lee 2, Amir Drummond 2, Aidan Mayfield, Aidan Corbett.