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By Scott Huff
ABINGTON – Both Abington coach Tony Hall and Cheltenham coach Brian Johnson had seen this script before.Last year, Cheltenham overcame a Ghost fourth period lead to force overtime. Three grueling overtimes later, the Panthers roared to a 59-47 victory.
“I got an eerie feeling about this game,” said Hall. “Last year we blew a lead, and I didn’t want that to happen again this year.”
This time Abington (3-3) rebounded from its blown lead to defeat the Panthers (5-3) by a 56-51 score – again, in three exhausting overtimes.
“I’m sure it was hard for them to lose like that last year,” said Johnson. “Now I know how they feel this year.
“This is such a big game, regardless of the records,” added Johnson. “The players on both teams seem to play up and beyond their ability.”
What the game lacked in execution was made up for in excitement. And the frenzied Abington fans poured on the floor moments after the Ghosts claimed victory.
“This rivalry speaks for itself,” said Hall. “We really hadn’t beaten a quality team so far this year, but that ended tonight.”
The victory appeared to be safely tucked in Abington’s pocket midway through the fourth period. Jaymes Miller – who scored a team-high 17 points – helped the Ghosts secure a 44-31 lead with 4:04 remaining in the fourth period.
“It seemed like we were on 44 for quite a while,” said Hall.
The Ghosts remained on 44 for a shocking 12:04 – through the final 4:04 or regulation and both four-minute overtime periods.
Cheltenham, which scored only four points in the third period, scored 17 points in a frantic fourth quarter to force the game into overtime.
“We played with a lot of energy on defense in the fourth period,” said Johnson. “And that defense helped us gain some rhythm on offense.”
Panther junior Robert Mansell fueled the comeback. Mansell – who scored most of his points on slashing drives to the basket - paced the Cheltenham attack with 25 points.
“We didn’t do a real good job against their pressure,” said Hall. “But other than that, I thought we did a good job defensively. They have some weapons.”
The first two overtimes will not be shown on ESPN Classic any time soon.
The first overtime featured three turnovers by the Panthers and a pair of missed free throws. Abington countered with a pair of turnovers, a missed front end of a one-and-one, and a shot that was blocked at the buzzer.
The second overtime saw three missed field goal attempts by the Ghosts, and a pair of missed field goal attempts by the Panthers to go along with a turnover.
It was the third overtime that decided the outcome.
After a Cheltenham turnover, Ghost junior Ken Johnson drained a three-point field goal to give Abington a 47-44 lead and end the 12-plus minute Abington scoring drought.
“That was the biggest shot of my life,” said Johnson. “This game is such a great rivalry and I think that this win could turn the season around for us.
“See me smiling now?” added Johnson. “I might never stop smiling.”
Once Abington secured the lead, Cheltenham was forced to foul to get the ball back. All in all, the Ghosts sank nine of thirteen free throws in the third OT to seal the win.
“Just another triple overtime thriller with Cheltenham,” said Hall. “But I like this outcome a whole lot better.”
Cheltenham 12 11 4 17 0 0 7 - 51
Abington 15 9 12 8 0 0 12 - 56
Cheltenham (51): Christian Santos 1 2-8 5; Robert Mansell 8 6-10 25; Keith Coleman 2 0-0 4; Naseer Khalid 5 1-1 11; Wali Morris 1 0-0 2; Ben Jacob 0 1-4 1; Kenny Garnett 1 0-0 3. Totals 18 10-23 51.
3-point goals: Mansell (3), Santos, Garnett.
Abington (56): Jaymes Miller 7 3-4 17; Wesley Rines 4 1-4 11; Dion Durham 1 2-4 4; Ken Johnson 4 5-7 15; Jeff Rowley 1 1-3 3; Joe Renzi 0 6-9 6. Totals 17 18-31 56.
3-point goals: Rines (2), Johnson (2).
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