Check out all of Friday night's SOL boys' BB action.
By Scott Huff
There is no question that Wissahickon (15-1, 7-0) has bought into the adage that ‘defense wins championships’ as the Trojans took firm control of first place in the Suburban One League American Conference with a 50-43 victory over defending conference champion Plymouth Whitemarsh (8-6, 5-2).
But Wissahickon was anything but lackluster in the style of defense on display before its frenzied crowd under the jam-packed Trojan Dome. The Trojans blocked an astonishing 15 Colonial shots – seven each by Jordan Reed and Tanoh Kpassagnon and one by Chase Wilson – with most swats coming in a vicious fashion.
“Sometimes what gets lost in us winning games is the way that we love to defend,” said Wissahickon head coach Kyle Wilson as the Trojans captured their 15th straight win. “It was great to have the crowd here that we had tonight, but the other night we beat Cheltenham in overtime – nobody was here – and Jordan won the game for us with an incredible block in the overtime.”
“The wall that Wissahickon can put up inside has to be one of the best in the state,” complimented Plymouth Whitemarsh head coach Jim Donofrio. “I lived with a couple of great shot blockers the last couple of years with CJ (Aiken – St. Joseph University) and Jaylen (Bond – University of Texas), and I know the difficulty that can be presented. We have struggled with size in the middle, and if we can’t make perimeter shots you can be in a lot of trouble.
“Tonight was a great high school atmosphere with the size and noise of the crowd,” added Donofrio. “Reed is a high level player, and we had problems with him early in the game.”
Reed – who scored 10 of the 12 points scored by the Trojans in the first period to present Wissahickon with a 12-6 lead – finished with a game-high 24 points.
“This is the most pumped up that I have ever been for a game,” said Reed. “The fans were great tonight, and we really wanted to play well for them.
“I got to the basket early in the game and scored some points,” added Reed. “But once they keyed on me, we were able to get some of my team mates some open shots.”
Chase Wilson – sophomore son of head coach Kyle Wilson – was impressive in his performance. The confident point guard directed the Trojan offense and also nailed a pair of critical 3-point field goals in the fourth period after PW mounted a comeback. Wilson finished with 14 points and five assists.
“I had the open shots, and my team mates encouraged me to take them,” said Wilson. “This was a big win for us.”
“This is a big step in the right direction,” said Coach Wilson in reference to the Trojans quest for a conference title. “But we still have a long, long way to go. We need to continue to play hard and play with confidence.”
“We learned some things tonight,” said Donofrio of his Colonials. “We learned that we can’t be tentative at the beginning of the game, and we have to figure out a way to compete and still be a little reckless. We have to continue to play hard, but at the same time we have to learn to relax.”
Plymouth Whitemarsh was led in scoring by junior Anthony McKie with 13 points. McKie played his freshman and sophomore season at Wissahickon before his transfer to PW this season.
“I wish him well,” said Wilson. “I saw his family here in the stands – just like before – and it was strange knowing that they weren’t here rooting for Wissahickon.”
The McKie family may not have been rooting for the Trojans – but a vocal student body more than made up for them. And the loudest cheers may have come on those 15 blocked shots.
Defense may indeed win championships – and last night defense won a key game against the defending conference champions.
Plymouth Whitemarsh Colonials 6 8 17 12 - 43
Wissahickon Trojans 12 15 12 11 - 50
Plymouth Whitemarsh: Anthony McKie 13; Jake Silvers 12; Morgan Jackson 8; Kenny Williams 4; Russhon Phillips 2; Brandon Johnson 2; Dee Bennett 2. Total – 43.
Wissahickon: Jordan Reed 24; Chase Wilson 14; Tanoh Kpassagnon 7; Kyle Garrett 3; Gordon Bentley 2. Total – 50.
The Rest of the Story in the SOL American Conference
Norristown (9-5, 5-2) had to hold off Upper Merion (5-10, 1-6) in the fourth period as the Eagles captured a 46-42 victory over the Vikings. Upper Merion senior James Mobley drilled home six 3-pointers and finished with a game-high 18 points, while Pat Stringfield also scored in twin digits with 12 points. Norristown had nine players score points as Luke Kelly and Richard Bouknight shared scoring honors with eight points each.
Norristown Eagles 16 15 6 9 - 46
Upper Merion Vikings 6 11 10 15 - 42
The Rest of the Story in the SOL National Conference
Pennsbury (8-5, 5-3) had sensational scoring performances from both Jerrell Burke and Kieran Bolger as the Falcons flew to a 74-67 victory over Bensalem (5-7, 5-3). Burke scored a game-high 31 points for the Falcons, while Bolger torched the Owls for a 25-point scoring night. Bensalem junior Leo Vincent connected on three 3-point field goals and scored a team-high 22 points. Austin Nyekan (13), Dovante Newkirk (12), and Julian Hyden (10) also scored in double digits for the Owls.
Bensalem Owls 7 22 14 24 - 67
Pennsbury Falcons 9 21 18 26 - 74
Truman (8-6, 5-3) earned its share of second place in the conference as the Tigers clawed visiting Council Rock South (4-10, 1-7) – 79-64. Merdic Green had a superlative outing for Truman with a game-high 30 points, while Daiquan Ashley (15) and Kenny Osborne (14) also scored in twin digits for the Tigers. Christian Crane scored a team-high 24 points for the Golden Hawks, while Nick Cocco chipped in with 11 markers.
Council Rock South Hawks 11 18 14 21 - 64
Truman Tigers 11 21 18 29 - 79
Council Rock North (10-3, 7-1) kept a firm hold on first place in the SOL National Conference as the Indians captured a 59-46 victory over host William Tennent (4-11, 2-6). The victory was the tenth straight win for Rock North after a 1-3 start at the beginning of the season. The Indians hold a two-game conference lead over Abington (5-3), Benaslem (5-3), Pennsbury (5-3), and Truman (5-3).
The Rest of the Story in the SOL Continental Conference
Central Bucks South (8-6, 6-2) ruined the 1000-point celebration of Pennridge senior Tim Abruzzo as the Titans earned an 85-79 double overtime victory over the host Rams (6-8, 1-7). Abruzzo – who drilled home nine 3-point bombs - torched CB South for 39 points and now has a career mark of 1004 points. Andrew Lyons (14) and Zac Muredda (10) also scored in double figures for Pennridge. CB South was led is scoring by Dave Knox with a team-high 28 points. John Flaherty (15), Chase Vonder Schmalz (13), and Kevin Raymond (10) also scored in twin digits for the Titans.
Central Bucks South Titans 16 18 8 20 9 14 - 85
Pennridge Rams 13 12 24 14 9 8 - 79
Hatboro-Horsham (5-9, 4-4) kept Quakertown (1-13, 0-8) winless in the conference as the Hatters topped the Panthers – 59-34. Hatboro-Horsham led 33-17 at intermission and coasted to the victory. Michael Brown led the Hatters in scoring with a game-high 16 points, while Ryan Kelly added 10 points for the winners. The lone scorer in double figures for the Black Cats was Corey Jorgensen with 10 points.
Hatboro-Horsham Hatters 11 22 8 18 - 59
Quakertown Panthers 9 9 9 8 - 34
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