Cheltenham & Pennridge were winners in Saturday’s SOL Tournament. Cheltenham/CB West photos provided courtesy of Jesse Garber (https://jsgarber.zenfolio.com)
SOL TOURNAMENT
CHELTENHAM 52, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 43
Cheltenham can beat teams a whole lot of different ways.
While the Panthers much prefer an up tempo game, they’ve proven they can adapt when the game slows down. In Saturday’s SOL Tournament semifinal, they faced a West squad that wasn’t about to get in a track meet with the Panthers. The Bucks trailed by just two points after a Mika Munari bucket midway through the third quarter (34-32), and they had the ball with a chance to tie things up when the Panthers amped up their defensive pressure.
It began with a Justin Moore steal and layup, and seconds later, another turnover resulted in an easy bucket for Brandon Scott.
“I think our talking and communication on defense really helped us,” Scott said. “We got a couple of steals in the second half that really started the game back up for us.”
Jaelen McGlone put an exclamation point on an impressive defensive sequence with a ferocious dunk after a steal, and just like that, the Panthers led 40-32.
The Bucks trimmed that led to six when Munari connected on a pair at the foul line, but they would get no closer.
“I think defensively we didn’t give in because if there was a shot clock – they would be 40-45 seconds per possession, so that’s easy for a team to break down, especially when they have the continuity they have and as hard as they cut, so for us, we are pleased with the win,” Cheltenham coach Patrick Fleury said. “Obviously, we will look back at the tape, and there are things we can correct that could probably give us a better advantage moving forward.”
The Panthers – who fell to Pennridge in last year’s SOL Tournament semifinals – have earned their first ever spot in the tournament’s title game where they will have a rematch with the Rams.
“Going to the championship game is a good feeling because last year we were in the same position, but just didn’t get it done,” Scott said. “Just improving from last year and getting to the championship game – it feels great.
“It was kind of tough slowing us down because we like to play fast paced, but after talking about it, we slowed it down, we got the looks we wanted and we came out with a ‘W.’”
Early on, the two teams battled to a 12-12 tie after one quarter, and then came a second quarter that showcased the Panthers’ bright young talent. Back-to-back baskets – the second a 3 – by sophomore Saleem Payne, put the Panthers on top 17-12. Munari answered with a basket, but Moore, also a sophomore, scored on a drive. After a West miss, sophomore Rasheem Dearry buried a 3, and the Panthers led 22-14.
A three-point play by Jack Neri after coming up with a steal pulled the Bucks to within five, but Dearry connected on another 3-pointer.
“I said the other day – the sophomore class has a lot of budding stars,” Fleury said. “Dearry is a kid that we love, and we’re very confident putting him in any situation that we have.
“You have guys that are headlining the team, but what makes us what we are is that there are so many strong links. We have a lot of pieces that are hungry and that are good basketball players and good people.”
The Panthers took a 30-23 lead into halftime, and although the Bucks pulled to within two, the Panthers had an answer. They sealed the Bucks’ fate at the foul line. Justin Moore – who had nine points in the fourth quarter – was a perfect 7-for-7 down the stretch.
“It’s extreme confidence in Justin Moore,” Fleury said. “He’s beyond his years. The kid is a solid young man.”
Fleury was happy to see his team adjust to a style decidedly different than its own.
“When Zahree (Harrison) went down, we had to adjust to every style,” the Panthers’ coach said. “So we have a little bit of everything in our game right now or at least try to practice against every style.
“We have a great guard group led by the sophomores – Justin Moore and Saleem Payne, so we’re very confident in any style that we have to play. They’re a very good team.”
On the second line of Cheltenham’s scorebook, Zahree Harrison, #1, is listed each game even though he is sidelined for the season with an injury.
“He’s there every game with us, he’s giving us his wisdom for the game,” Scott said. “He’s always been pushing us practice and all. He’s always been there, so it’s not like he’s gone.”
Moore led a balanced Panther attack with 17 points. McGlone added nine, and Sean Emfinger had eight. Payne added seven – all in the second quarter, and Dearry had six.
“We have a lot of confidence in all our underclassmen because everybody on the team has a role, everybody knows their role, and everybody just plays to it,” Scott said. “It’s been an amazing season. We just keep pushing.”
Munari led the Bucks with 20 points – 13 in the first half.
“I thought Mika responded well,” West coach Adam Sherman said. “The way they play – you really need quality point guard play. I thought Mika did a nice job of keeping them honest.”
Neri finished with 12 points, and Dan Miller had seven.
“If we’re lucky enough to play Cheltenham again, playing them once definitely gives us a better feel for how to play them,” Sherman said. “We were there, we just need to be a little cleaner.
“We wanted to make them jump shooters. We felt we had to stop them from getting to the rim. Eleven (Payne) came off the bench and hit some big shots for them. We weathered the storm fairly well, and we got it to two in the second half. We just have to be better with the ball.”
Cheltenham (21-2, 14-0 SOL) will take on Pennridge in Monday’s SOL title game at Council Rock South (6:30 p.m.). Central Bucks West (15-8, 8-4 SOL) will return to action Friday in the opening round of the District One 6A Tournament.
Central Bucks West 12-11-9-11 43
Cheltenham 12-18-10-12 52
Central Bucks West (43) – Jack Slaymaker 1 0-0 2; Ted Spratt 0 0-1 0; Owen Haney 1 0-0 2; Jack Neri 5 1-1 12; Mika Munari 7 5-6 20; Dan Miller 2 3-6 7; Totals 16 9-14 43.
Cheltenham (52) – Rasheem Dearry 2 0-0 6; Brandon Scott 1 0-0 2; Justin Moore 5 7-9 17; Saleem Payne 3 0-2 7; Jaelen McGlone 3 3-4 9; Sean Emfinger 3 2-2 8; Travis Coleman 1 1-2 3; Totals 18 12-19 52.
3-point goals: CBW -Jack Slaymaker, Jack Neri, Mika Munari, Cheltenham – Rasheem Dearry 2, Saleem Payne. Jaelen McGlone.
PENNRIDGE 56, BENSALEM 39
In the opening seconds of Saturday’s SOL Tournament semifinal game, Trent Fisher put the Rams on the scoreboard with a basket in close. After a Bensalem miss, Fisher hit nothing but net on a 3-pointer from the top of the circle, spotting the Rams a 5-0 lead less than a minute into the game.
It turned out to be a preview of things to come.
“If Trent’s hitting shots from the perimeter, that obviously makes us that much better and more powerful offensively,” Pennridge coach Dean Behrens said. “When he gets the ball inside, they’re going to double team him, and it opens up the floor.
“Defensively, if we have some issues, if we get beat off the dribble, there’s Trent controlling the paint, blocking shots. He controls the game offensively and defensively for us because he rebounds so well, he blocks shots, and he actually slides his feet well. He can actually defend guards.”
Fisher – who buried three 3s – finished with a game-high 21 points to go along with nine rebounds, and Christian Guldin added an impressive double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
“Christian’s control – that was a tough game to control,” Behrens said. “As a point guard, he did a great job of not turning the ball over. He had one turnover. That’s pretty good with that kind of pressure.”
The duo proved to be double trouble for the Owls and propelled the Rams into Monday’s SOL Tournament title game for the second time in as many years. Last year, they fell to Abington in the championship game.
“No Pennridge team has ever won the whole SOL Challenge,” Fisher said. “Winning this tonight puts us in contention for a championship against Cheltenham on Monday.
“Our goal this year was winning the division, which we did, and then winning the SOL Challenge, which we have a chance to do Monday. That would be huge for us.”
After Fisher’s five straight points, Colin Post scored on a drive, Fisher buried a pair at the foul line, and Guldin connected on a pull-up, spotting the Rams an 11-0 lead just over three minutes into the game. Aaron Sander put the Owls on the scoreboard when he buried a 3, but Fisher answered with his second 3-pointer at the other end. A pair of Post foul shots put the Rams on top 16-3. They led 18-5 after Fisher – who had 12 points in the frame – slammed home a dunk late in the quarter.
The Owls came to life in the second quarter. It was a 20-13 game when Jeremiah Alexander – who had six points in the quarter – connected on both ends of a one-and-one. Sanders, who had five rebounds and a pair of steals in the frame, also sank both ends of a one-and-one to pull the Owls to within five. It was a 24-21 game at halftime.
“Tonight when I came out I felt like I was shooting pretty well in warm-ups,” said Fisher, who picked up his second foul three minutes into the second quarter and took a seat on the bench. “Bensalem is a fast team, and we knew if we broke the press and we were looking opposite, we would get layup after layup, which we were doing in the beginning. We were getting a lot of open shots, but then foul trouble hit us a little bit. Late in the first quarter and early in the second quarter, we were really struggling, and they came back and hit a lot of free throws, which was slowing the pace down.”
A bucket by Alexander on the opening possession of the second half pulled the Owls to within one. Connor Pleibel answered with a three for the Rams, and after a Bensalem miss, Fisher connected on a baseline 3-pointer that gave the Rams a 30-23 lead.
A basket by Ryan Benscoter sent the Rams into the final quarter with a 38-29 lead. Behind six points from Fisher, the Rams closed it out with an 18-10 tear.
“We knew they were a little tired knowing that we were pushing the ball more towards the fourth quarter, and they all seemed to look gassed,” Fisher said. “We had the upper hand. We kept pushing, and they weren’t getting back too well, and we were just playing great defense on them.
“Every team that we’ll be playing now is a really good team. It shows what kind of team we are and how far we came from the beginning of the year, proving the critics wrong, and we’re a team not to be messed with.”
Also for the Rams, Post had seven points.
“I thought a kid like Colin Post played well today,” Behrens said. “He jump stopped and got in there. He’s really stepped up.
“Six weeks ago, we were thinking about putting him on jayvee. Now he’s a main starter for us. Colin Post is really been a big reason why we’ve been so successful, and I’m really proud of him the way he stepped up. In the beginning of the year, he wasn’t getting a lot of minutes, and now it’s hard to get him out of the game.”
Ryan Benscoter added six points.
“Our bench did a nice job,” Behrens said. “Ryan Benscoter did a nice job coming off the bench and getting some big rebounds and Anthony Phillips.
“Paul Croyle was one of our starters who’s been hurt most of the year, and he hit a three tonight, so we kind of had a little welcome back party for Paul. This is his third game from trying to get back from his broken foot. It’s taken some time, but I think each game he plays he feels more comfortable. That was nice to see for Paul because he’s been out six weeks. He’s been a great teammate, but I think he wants to get back and get some minutes. It was great to see him score.”
For the Owls, Alexander’s 10 points led the way. Sanders and James Ashford both added seven.
Pennridge (17-6, 9-3 SOL) will take on Cheltenham in Monday’s SOL Tournament title game at Council Rock South (7:30 p.m.).
“Obviously, we were really excited to play in the Suburban One Challenge,” Behrens said. “It was an honor to play against competition like Bensalem, obviously, CB West and Cheltenham, so we felt like this was an honor to play. I thought our kids earned it this year for winning our conference.
“I know some people have different thoughts. We came to play to win – we’re going to try and win Monday night too, and so is Cheltenham. You’re playing a game – let’s go win. It’s not rocket science. Let’s not make it too complicated. If you’re playing a basketball game, you play to win.”
Bensalem is off until the second round of the District One 6A Tournament on Tuesday, Feb. 18.
Pennridge 18-6-14-18 56
Bensalem 6-15-8-10 39
Pennridge (56) – Connor Pleibel 1 0-0 3; Ryan Benscoter 3 0-0 6; Luke Yoder 1 0-0 2 Paul Croyle 1 0-2 3; Christian Guldin 5 2-2 14; Colin Post 2 3-4 7; Trent Fisher 8 2-2 21; Totals 21 7-10 56.
Bensalem (39) – Travis Robinson 0 5-8 5; Aaron Sanders 2 2-4 7; Rahul Koli 2 0-0 5; Jeremiah Alexander 3 4-6 10; James Ashford 2 3-4 7; Trey Maddela 1 0-0 2; Matt Ebner 1 0-0 3; Totals 11 14-22 39.
3-point goals: Pennridge – Trent Fisher 3, Christian Guldin 2, Paul Croyle Connor Pleibel, Bensalem – Matt Ebner, Rahul Koli, Aaron Sanders
Non-league
UPPER MORELAND 60, SUN VALLEY 43
The Golden Bears celebrated Senior Night with a no-doubt-about-it win over the visiting Vanguards.
“Seniors Ryan Rizzo, Jay Broderick, Tyler Ibbotson, Garrett Garofalo, Evan Gohl and Beau Woollens got this team off to a great start tonight with awesome energy and played great defense,” coach Sean Feeley said. “It was awesome to see Beau back in uniform. I really miss watching that kid play. It was a really special moment seeing him get in and score.
“It was a good win as we try and build momentum for the playoffs.”
The Golden Bears – behind five points from Jourdan Gregg – led 12-8 after one quarter. Ibbotson buried three 3-pointers in a 15-point second quarter, and UM lead 27-17 heading into halftime. Gregg’s eight points ignited a 17-point third quarter, and Justin Sanders had all five of his points in a 16-point fourth quarter.
Ibbotson and Gregg led the Golden Bears with 13 points each.
Upper Moreland (15-7, 7-7 SOL) is off until the opening round of the District One 5A Tournament on Wednesday, Feb. 19.
Sun Valley 8-9-13-13 43
Upper Moreland 12-15-17-16 60
Sun Valley (43) – B.Fisher 3 1-2 9; D.Valate 5 1-2 13; T.Harper 1 0-0 3; M.Gilja 2 1-1 5; K.Lazel 1 2-2 4; Glasgow 0 2-2 2; Madison 1 0-0 2; Kwaidah 1 2-2 5; McLaughlin 0 0-2 0; Totals 14 9-13 43.
Upper Moreland (60) – Justin Sanders 2 0-0 5; Byron Hopkins 1 0-0 2; Jourdon Gregg 3 5-6 13; Jay Broderick 1 0-0 3; McKie Walker 2 0-0 4; Jake Tiernan 2 0-0 5; Matt Tiernan 2 1-3 5; Chance Byrd 2 0-1 4; Tyler Ibbotson 4 2-4 13; Garrett Garofalo 2 0-0 4; Beau Woollens 1 0-0 2; Totals 22 8-14 60.
3-point goals: UM – Tyler Ibbotson 3, Jourdan Gregg 2, Justin Sanders, Jake Tiernan, Sun Valley – Fisher 2, Valate, Harper.
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