SOL Boys' BB Wrap (1-17-12)

Check out all of Tuesday’s SOL boys’ basketball results. To view action photos of the CB West/CB South and Norristown/PW games, please visit the Photo Gallery.

By Scott Huff

Good basketball teams win games by playing good fourth periods, and Central Bucks West (12-1, 7-0) was able to do just that as the Bucks clung to first place in the Suburban One League Continental Conference with a 44-35 victory over Central Bucks South (7-6, 5-2).

“We played with confidence in the fourth period, and the kids defended well the entire game,” said Central Bucks West head coach Adam Sherman.  “The kids hung in there – we didn’t execute real well on offense until late in the game.”

Derek Dyer led the charge for the Bucks in the fourth period as he scored all eight of his points in the final period.  Tyler Schechter led CB West with a game-high 17 points.

“Derek has some really nice drives at the end of the game when we needed them,” said Sherman.  “And Tyler rebounded well, defended well, and played well offensively.  He had a really nice game.

“The referees really called the game close for both sides,” added Sherman.  “It didn’t seem that either team could really get into a rhythm.”

Central Bucks South did not have a single player in double figures and was led in scoring by junior Kevin Raymond with seven points.

“We go to Souderton on Thursday and it should be one heck of a game,” said Sherman as the Bucks and Big Red will meet with first place on the line.  “Ryan Connolly is back for them, and they have a very good basketball team.”
Central Bucks West Bucks        12     2   11   19   -      44
Central Bucks South Titans        4   10     9   12   -      35
Central Bucks West:  Tyler Schechter 17; Shane Kellar 9; Derek Dyer 8; Sherrod Higginbotham 5; Sam Lis 4; Jack Rogers 2.  Total – 44.
Central Bucks South:  Kevin Raymond 7; Dave Knox 6; Matt Scamuffo 5; TJ Ohntrup 5; John Flaherty 4; Kevin Doyle 4; Chase Vonder Schmalz 2; Brennan Rudnick.  Total – 44.

The Rest of the Story in the SOL Continental Conference
Souderton (10-3, 6-1) prepped for its Thursday night first place conference showdown with CB West as the Big Red edged Central Bucks East (6-7, 4-3) – 42-38.  The Big Red placed three players in double figures as Luke Moyer (11), Ryan Connolly (10), and Mark Wonderling (10) all scored in twin digits.  The Patriots had two players score in double figures as Mark Kiersnowski led CBE with 11 points and Steve Topley added 10 points.
Central Bucks East Patriots     10     8   12     8   -      38
Souderton Big Red                    10   12   11     9   -      42

Hatboro-Horsham (4-9, 3-4) jumped out to a 12-point first period lead as the Hatters topped visiting North Penn (3-8, 2-5) – 65-57.  Hatboro-Horsham was led in scoring by Michael Brown with a team-high 19 points, while Zach Quattro tallied 18 points for the winners.  Bobby Bruno scored in twin digits for HH with 12 points.  Wes Brooks scored a game-high 23 points for the Knights, while Chris Dawson scored in double figures with 11 points.
North Penn Knights                    7     7   15   28   -      57
Hatboro-Horsham Hatters       19   10   14   22   -      65

Pennridge (6-7, 1-6) snapped a five-game losing streak as the Rams kept Quakertown (1-12, 0-7) winless in the conference with a 74-59 victory.  Tim Abruzzo torched the Panthers for 31 points to lead the Rams, while Jeff Garner (18), Andrew Lyons (12), and Zach Muredda (11) also scored in twin digits for the winners.  Jon Landis led Q-town in scoring with 16 points, while Corey Jorgensen (15) and Mike Ciccarone (12) also scored in double figures for the Black Cats.
Pennridge Rams                 19   14   12   29   -      74
Quakertown Panthers14   15   12   18   -      59

Reed Leads Trojans to Win

Jordan Reed proved he was more than just a scorer as the senior led Wissahickon (14-1, 6-0) to its 14th straight win as the Trojans needed to work overtime to defeat visiting Cheltenham (9-6, 3-3) – 64-63.

“Jordan played with the heart of a warrior tonight,” said Wissahickon head coach Kyle Wilson.  “He hurt his hip in the fourth quarter, and we really didn’t think he was going to be able to continue.  But he came back into the game, and he made the plays we needed to win the game.”

Reed is known for his scoring ability, and the talented guard did not disappoint, contributing a 36-point scoring performance.  However, Reed came up with a blocked shot in the overtime to preserve the win, collected 15 rebounds and scored all six of the Wissahickon points in the overtime.

Cheltenham was led in scoring by Nafis Walker with a team-high 21 points.  Jarrell Haywood added 18 points for the Panthers, while Toyon Wynder scored in twin digits with 10 points.

“This was a real character building win for this team,” said Wilson.  “We would make a mistake on the offensive end, but then we would correct that mistake by making a good defensive play on the other end.

“We go into the Plymouth Whitemarsh game playing for first place,” added Wilson.  “This is our first Friday night home game, and it should be a wild one.”
Cheltenham Panthers        11   20   10   17   5     -      63
Wissahickon Trojans         16   17   13   12   6     -      64
Cheltenham:  Nafis Walker 21; Jarrell Haywood 18; Toyon Wynder 10; Nile Lyons 5; Guy Henderson 4; Dillon Tolliver 3; Aaron McGlawn 2.  Total – 63.
Wissahickon:  Jordan Reed 36; Tanoh Kpassagnon 8; Chase Wilson 8; Kyle Garrett 7; Gordon Bentley 5.  Total - 64

The Rest of the Story in the SOL American Conference
Plymouth Whitemarsh (8-5, 5-1) shut down rival Norristown (8-5, 4-2) as the Colonials prepped for their showdown with Wissahickon with a 56-36 victory.  Jake Silvers finished with a game-high 16 points to pace PW, while Anthony McKie (12) and Morgan Jackson (11) also scored in twin digits for the Colonials.  The lone scorer in double figures for the Eagles was Jahbri Hargrove with a team-high 10 points, while Samir Bey added nine points for the Birds.
Norristown Eagles               6   13     6   11   -      36
Plymouth Whitemarsh       13   11   14   18   -      56

Upper Merion (5-8, 1-5) rallied back from a seven-point first half deficit to win its first conference game of the season with a 74-71 victory over host Upper Moreland (4-9, 0-6).  The Vikings sailed to the win behind a 23-point scoring effort by Patrick Stringfield.  Upper Merion also received double digit scoring from both James Mobley (18) and Javon Nicholson (10).  Upper Moreland had four players scoring in twin digits led by Kevin McFall with 19 points.  Josh Villanueva (15), Tommy Robinson (13), and Matt Kohn (12) also scored in double figures for the Golden Bears.
Upper Merion Vikings              12   18   20   24   -      74
Upper Moreland Bears             14   23   10   24   -      71

Owls Soar to Second Place

Bensalem (5-6, 5-2) took over sole possession of second place in the Suburban One League National Conference as the Owls captured a 57-52 victory over host Council Rock South (4-9, 1-6).

“It sure wasn’t pretty,” said Bensalem head coach John Mullin.  “Any time you can get a win in this league on the road, you just want to take and get out of town.  We still have hopes of winning the league, but we can’t focus on (first place Council Rock) North.  The teams in this league won’t let you look ahead.”

Bensalem was led in scoring by Julian Hyden with a team-high 22 points, while Dovonte Newkirk added 11 points and Leo Vincent scored 10 points for the Owls.  Christian Crane scored a game-high 23 points for CR South, while PJ Gallo scored in twin digits for the Golden Hawks with 14 points.

“Julian played very aggressive offensively in the first half,” said Mullin as Hyden scored 16 points before intermission.  “And he made some clutch free throws at the end of the game to close out the game.

“I thought that Dovonte played a nice floor game and really came up big of the defensive end against Gallo,” added Mullin.  “We wore them out a little late in the game.”
Bensalem Owls                  15   13     6   23   -      57
Rock South Hawks             13     8     7   24   -      52
Bensalem:  Julian Hyden 22; Dovonte Newkirk 11; Leo Vincent 10; Austin Nyekan 7; Stephen Johnson 5; Donnie Reed 2.  Total – 57
CR South:  Christian Crane 23; PJ Gallo 14; Zac Fitzgerald 9; Tom Townsend 3; Will Facenda 2; Eric Gallo 1.  Total – 52.

The Rest of the Story in the SOL National Conference
Council Rock North (10-3) closed out the first half of the conference schedule in first place as the Indians defeated visiting Neshaminy (3-11, 2-5) – 66-41.  Rock North showcased a balanced scoring attack with four players in double figures.  Kyle McCloskey (13), Rip Engel (12), Arron Goodman (12), and Alex Jordan (10) all scored in twin digits for the Indians.  Neshaminy was led in scoring by Tyler Katz with a game-high 20 points.
Neshaminy Redskins                   8   11     7   15   -      41
Council Rock North Indians     13   11   18   24   -      66

Truman (7-6, 4-3) completed a furious comeback as the Tigers came back from a 21-6 first period deficit to shock visiting Abington (10-4, 4-3) – 68-65.  Truman outscored the Ghosts 23-9 in the second period to close to within a point and closed out the win in the second half.  The Tigers were led in scoring by Merdic Green with a game-high 23 points, while Daiquan Ashley (14) and Lamont Waters (10) also scored in twin digits.  Jordan Simmons led Abington with a team-high 20 points, while Anthony Durham (17) and Matt Penecale also scored in double digits for the Ghosts.
Abington Ghosts         21     9   12   23   -      65
Truman Tigers              6   23   19   20   -      68

Pennsbury (7-5, 4-3) moved into a three-way tie for third place in the conference as the Falcons flew to a 58-46 victory over host William Tennent (4-10, 2-5).  Pennsbury was led in scoring by Jerrel Burke with a 15-point scoring effort, while Kieran Bolger added 12 points for the Falcons.  The Panthers had a trio of players score in twin digits led by Matt Alden with 18 points.  Jack Rauchut (12) and Horace Spencer also scored in double figures for the Black Cats.

Pennsbury Falcons                   15   15   11   17   -      58
William Tennent Panthers        12   10     9   15   -      46


In the Rear View Mirror
On Monday,
William Tennent (4-9) came up with a Martin Luther King victory
as the Panthers clawed host Cape Henlopen (Delaware) – 52-44.  Ryan Smith led WT with 11 points, while Matt Alden also scored in twin digits with 10 points.  Michael Wasserleben dished out five assists for the Panthers, while Horace Spencer had six blocked shots.
William Tennent Panthers        8     13   16   15   -      52
Cape Henlopen (Delaware)      9     10   10   15   -      44

**Thursday ‘Nite’ Lights**January 19, 2012
American Conference: 
Upper Dublin Flying Cardinals @ Cheltenham Panthers
Continental Conference:
North Penn Knights @ Central Bucks East Patriots
Central Bucks West Bucks @ Souderton Big Red
National Conference:
Neshaminy Redskins @ Abington Ghosts
*Friday Nite Lights * January 20, 2012*
American Conference:
 Norristown Eagles @ Upper Merion Vikings
Plymouth Whitemarsh Colonials @ Wissahickon Trojans
Continental Conference:
 Central Bucks South @ Pennridge Rams
Hatboro-Horsham Hatters @ Quakertown Panthers
National Conference

Council Rock North Indians @ William Tennent Panthers
Bensalem Owls @ Pennsbury Falcons
Council Rock South Golden Hawks @ Truman Tigers

****Suburban One League Challenge****
**Saturday**January 21, 2012
@ Cheltenham High School

William Tennent Panthers vs. Upper Moreland Golden Bears – 3 pm
Cheltenham Panthers vs. Central Bucks East Patriots – 7 pm

@ Wissahickon High School
Council Rock North Indians vs. Norristown Eagles – 2 pm
Wissahickon Trojans vs. Pennridge Rams – 5 pm

@ Bensalem High School
Truman Tigers vs. Central Bucks West Bucks – 2 pm
Bensalem Owls vs. Central Bucks South Titans – 6:30 pm

@ Pennsbury High School
Hatboro-Horsham Hatters vs. Council Rock South Golden Hawks – 2 pm
Pennsbury Falcons vs. Souderton Big Red – 5 pm

@ North Penn High School
North Penn Knights vs. Abington Ghosts – 3:30 pm

@ Upper Dublin High School
Upper Dublin Flying Cardinals vs. Quakertown Panthers – 5 p.m.

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