Check out all of Friday’s SOL boys basketball results. To view photos of the Abington/Bensalem and CR North/CR South games, please visit the Photo Gallery.
CONTINENTAL CONFERENCE
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 59, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 58
The Patriots not only stunned the Titans on Friday afternoon, they also knocked them out of a share of the Continental Conference title. Brendan Stauffer (13 points) was the driving force for the Patriots early on, shooting 3-for-3 from the field in the crucial first quarter and staking East to an early 17-10 lead.
“We came out really strong,” said East Coach Erik Henrysen. “Stauffer got us going early. He just controlled the whole game. They tried to pressure us and pick the tempo up, but he just handled it.”
In the second quarter, the Patriots maintained their momentum and took a 28-22 lead into intermission.
“East had control pretty much the whole game,” South coach Jason Campbell said. “They did a good job of being more focused. We didn’t do what we needed to do. They just outplayed us.”
The Titans’ play improved in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to dig themselves out of their first half deficit, and they still trailed 39-33 heading into the final frame.
“We were really in control of the game and even stretched it to double digits at times,” said Henrysen. “But they made a big push at the end.”
The Titans were able to tie it 58-58 late in the quarter but never managed to take the lead. With under a minute remaining, Danny Reilly made one of two free throws to put East on top. The Patriots had a chance to add to their lead but misfired on a pair of foul shots with four seconds remaining.
At that point, neither team had a timeout, and the Titans inbounded the ball and fed it to Chase Vonder Schmalz (18 points) who attempted a running desperation halfcourt shot that fell short.
“There was a letdown from losing against Souderton,” said Campbell. “I tried to tell them to move past that. You have got to play every quarter, every second of the game.”
Henrysen credited the play of Brendan McLaughlin, who all scorers with 19 points and added 5 assists. The Patriots also received important contributions from Bennett Kardane (11 points), who connected on three three’s, and Danny Reilly who added three points and eight rebounds in the victory.
Matt Scamuffo and Kevin Raymond each scored 10 for the Titans, whose record fell to 10-4 as they finish in second place in the conference.
Riding the high of winning four of their last five games, the Patriots are hoping this one puts them into the playoff hunt as they evened their overall record to 11-11 (6-8 SOL).
“We feel like we did enough to make the playoffs,” said Henrysen. “We are playing our best basketball right now and hopefully we can continue our recent streak playing well as a team.”
HATBORO-HORSHAM 38, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 31
The fans rushed the court after the Hatters dramatic come-from-behind win over the Bucks.
“It was an entertaining celebration at the end,” said Steinly, whose team secured at least a share of the Continental Conference title. “It was a great atmosphere.”
The Hatters got off to a slow start, and the Bucks opened up a 14-11 lead. Zach Quattro accounted for nine of the Hatters’ points in the frame on his way to a game-high 14 for the day. Neither team did a whole lot of scoring in the second quarter, and the Bucks took an 18-17 lead into halftime.
“They came out and hit some shots, but we cut into (the lead) in the second,” said Steinly. “In the third quarter we played really well.”
The third quarter proved pivotal for the Hatters, who outscored the Bucks 13-3 to go on top 30-21. Ryan Kelly (11 points) opened up the quarter with a three-pointer that put the Hatters on top for the first time. Cal Reichwein (six points) quickly responded with a trey for the Bucks, but it was their only bucket in the quarter. Mike Brown (11 points) buried two three-pointers in a 10-0 Hatter scoring run that saw the Bucks go scoreless for over six minutes.
“Defensively, we really shut them down in third quarter,” said Steinly. “We really locked in and rebounded better.”
The Hatters held onto their lead in the fourth quarter to clinch the win.
“We were patient,” said Steinly. “They were daring us to shoot and we didn’t take any rushed shots, especially in the fourth quarter.
Jared Kelly led the Bucks (8-14, 6-8 SOL) with 12 points. The Hatters closed out their regular season with an 11-3 SOL record (17-5 overall), and they will share the conference title with Souderton if the Indians beat Quakertown on Monday.
NORTH PENN 72, PENNRIDGE 56 (Thursday, Feb. 7)
The Knights rolled past the Rams and clinched fourth place in the conference standings after closing their regular season on a seven-game winning streak. The Knights started off the game playing like the well-oiled machine they have become and cruised to a 19-5 lead after the first quarter. The Rams rallied in the second quarter, matching North Penn point for point, but the Knights took a 35-21 lead into the intermission. The Knights increased their lead to 50-31 heading into the fourth quarter on their way to the decisive win.
The Knights were sparked by their successful long-range shooting (eight total three-pointers on the day) as well as their high-scorer, Brian Coleman, who posted 15 points. Two other Knights chipped in double figures - Stephan Brown (14 points) and Noah Melchior who led the team with three treys on his way to 12 points. Despite the return of standout Zach Muredda (10 points) and Alex Krivda’s game-high 21 points, the Rams (9-13, 4-10 SOL) couldn’t keep up with the Knights. The Knights evened up their SOL mark at 7-7 (11-9 overall).
QUAKERTOWN at SOUDERTON - Postponed to Monday, Feb. 11
(Varsity 7 p.m., JV 5:30 p.m.)
NATIONAL CONFERENCE
ABINGTON 64, BENSALEM 62 (OT)
The National Conference champion Ghosts found themselves in trouble facing an Owls team who came prepared for a battle.
“Bensalem came out on fire,” said coach Charles Grasty. “Leo Vincent had 17 at halftime. They played well, they played together, and they made open shots. We had a hard time stopping their offense.”
The Owls led through much of the game and took a seemingly comfortable 48-38 lead into the fourth quarter. The Ghosts, who outscored the Owls 18-8 in the final quarter, tied it up after Anthony Durham hit back-to-back three pointers - the first one cut the lead to three and the second one knotted the game 56-56. The Owls had possession of the ball with a few seconds remaining in regulation, but they couldn’t connect and the game went into overtime.
The Ghosts maintained their momentum in overtime and opened up with a basket by Matt Penecale and another three from Durham to take a 61-56 lead. The Owls weren’t ready to give up though, answering with a 6-0 run of their own. They held a narrow 62-61 lead as time was winding down, but Penecale connected on a layup and was sent to the foul line where he buried the foul shot to give his team a 
64-62 advantage with 3.5 seconds left. The Owls’ shot for the tie fell short, and the Ghosts had eked out the thrilling win.
According to Grasty, Friday’s win was a team effort against a very tough Owls’ squad.
“Bensalem’s going to be in the playoffs,” he said. “It was a fun atmosphere at home.”
The Ghosts (18-4, 13-1 SOL) were able to celebrate by ceremoniously cutting down the net to symbolize their championship and the end to their successful regular season. The Owls closed the regular season in third place in the conference with an 8-6 record (12-9 overall).
PENNSBURY 52, NESHAMINY 21
Cameron Jones and Shawn Pepper exploded in the first quarter, combining to score 15 of the Falcons’ points in their 23-5 opening frame. The Falcons improved their commanding lead to 30-7 by the half, and upped that advantage to 43-16 by the end of the third quarter. Ten Falcons got on the scoreboard but Jones (14 points) and Nigel Johnson (11 points) were the only players to crack double figures. The Falcons ensured that the ‘Skins would stay winless for the season with an 0-14 league record (0-20 overall). Pennsbury upped their record to 8-6 SOL (15-7 overall) and finished tied with Truman in fourth place.
WILLIAM TENNENT at HARRY S TRUMAN – Postponed to Monday, Feb. 11
AMERICAN CONFERENCE
NORRISTOWN 59, CHELTENHAM 38
The American Conference champion Eagles cruised to another win to close out their regular season with a near perfect 13-1 league record (19-3 overall). The Eagles seized early control, dominating the first quarter and opening up a 19-5 lead. By halftime, they upped that lead to 30-11 and took a 49-17 lead into the final frame.
Norristown’s Josh Johnson led all scorers with 20 points. Jahbri Hargrove also had a big game for the Eagles, scoring 9 points and adding 11 rebounds, while Luke Kelley also scored nine and handed out eight assists. The Panthers were led by Sabor Edmunds (10 points) and Guy Henderson (seven points). The Panthers closed league play with a 10-4 record (12-8 overall) and share second place with Wissahickon.
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 66, SPRINGFIELD 51
Anthony McKie turned in a glittering 27-point effort to lead the Colonials. Andre Mitchell added 14 and Michael Reddick, 11 points. For the Spartans, Billy Dahm had 18 points while Malik Ball added 12 points. The Colonials closed out league play with an 8-6 mark while the Spartans are 1-13 (6-16 overall).
UPPER MERION at UPPER DUBLIN – Postponed to Monday, Feb. 11
UPPER MORELAND at WISSAHICKON – Postponed to Monday, Feb. 11
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