In an SOL Featured Game sponsored by the CR North Booster Club, the Indians rallied from a double-digit deficit to earn the big win over the Ghosts.
NEWTOWN - This was exactly what coach Derek Wright wanted to see.
During the 10-game winning streak it carried into Tuesday’s game, the Council Rock North basketball team had not had to deal with a great deal of adversity.
In Tuesday’s National Conference matchup, Abington had the hosts’ backs against the proverbial wall. And the Indians rose to the challenge, overcoming a slow start and several double-digit deficits to pull out a thrilling 65-56 win over the Galloping Ghosts in a victory highlighted by senior Aaron Morgan’s 1,000th career point.
“We needed a game like this,” Wright said. “We needed to see how we’d respond to a little adversity, and against a team that knows it can beat us. So it came down to gut check and making plays for each other and believing in what we were doing.
“I liked how we responded to adversity. I loved how we defended from the middle of the third quarter in, and I loved how we finished the game.”
The Indians, who trailed 9-3 early and faced a 14-point deficit in the second quarter, were down 12 in the third when a 14-4 run made it a two-point game heading into the final period. North’s five field goals during the run were scored by four different players, highlighted by three-pointers from Rip Engel, Kyle McCloskey, Morgan and Matt McCloskey.
“We can all score,” Morgan said. “When you have five guys on the floor who can all do everything – our big guys are like guards, they can dribble, we can put them on the perimeter and they make good decisions. When they can score, it makes our jobs easier for me and Rip and Matt.
“We know if we’re down we can come back because we have the pieces to do it. We all know our roles, we know we can chip away at leads like that.”
The Indians, who cut into Abington’s lead time and again only to see the Ghosts pull away, finally took the lead on Matt McCloskey’s three-pointer with 4:50 left in the game, giving North a 53-52 lead. The trey came early in the Indians’ 20-4 run to close out the game, making for a deceptive nine-point spread at the final buzzer.
“This was a great game,” said Goodman, whose squad avenged a 54-51 loss to Abington on Dec. 20, the Indians’ last loss and only league defeat. “It was a lot of fun out there coming back against a great team.”
The Ghosts came out strong, roaring out to a 16-5 lead in the first quarter. Junior Jordan Simmons drained three three-pointers in the period, scoring eight of his 16 points in the first quarter. Anthony Durham, who led the Ghosts with 19, scored five in the opening frame.
“You’ve got to give a lot of credit to Abington – they’re very good,” Wright said. “They came in with the confidence. It’s a team that’s beaten us, and I don’t think it’s a very good matchup for us. They match up very well against us.
“We could have played better from the start, but you have to give them credit. They drive the ball really well in the middle of the floor. They have guys that can shoot it, you can’t just pack it in on them, and they’re athletic enough that they get to enough of the 50-50 balls.”
The Ghosts extended their lead to 27-13 midway through the second quarter on the strength of a 10-2 run, but a stellar period from Goodman helped pull the Indians back into the game. Goodman netted 11 consecutive points to trim the Indians’ deficit to seven points. Morgan closed out the half with the Indians’ final seven points, though a late trey from Durham gave the Ghosts a 35-37 lead at the half.
Morgan’s final bucket of the half, a jumper in the lane with 26.2 seconds remaining, marked the 1,000th point of his stellar career.
Morgan, who had been unaware of the impeding milestone until his coach mentioned it recently, admitted he was happy to reach the grand plateau during a key stretch of the game.
“I wanted to get it out of the way as fast as possible so we could focus on the win,” said Morgan, who finished with four three-pointers and 18 points in the game. “Once it left my hand, I knew I made it. I’m happy to get it over with, and I’m happy for my mom and dad to be here to see it.
“We started out slow, and I started forcing some shots because I just wanted to get it out of the way and get it done with. But once we settled in, we passed the ball, we played our way, and we responded.”
“I told him at the end, there’s nothing better than getting your 1,000th point in a big win,” Wright said. “I give him a lot of credit. In the second half, he defended and rebounded well for us.”
The Indians held Abington without a field goal for more than four-and-a-half minutes in the fourth quarter. Goodman finished the evening with 18 rebounds to add to his 18 points.
“We played good defense down the stretch,” Morgan said. “We kept them from making the shots they usually make, got rebounds, came out and scored. Through my four years, this is definitely one of our best comeback wins, and to get my 1,000th point in it is pretty special.”
With the victory, North improves to 8-1 in National Conference play (12-3 overall). The Indians hold a two-game lead over Bensalem and Pennsbury, which sport identical 6-3 league records. Abington falls to 5-4 (12-5).
“It’s in our control in terms of winning games, but we are far from being where we need to be,” Wright said. “We have a tough stretch ahead. Truman is playing great Allentown Central is a strong team, and then we’re at Pennsbury.”
Abington 17 15 10 11 – 56
Council Rock North 9 18 16 22 – 65
Abington: Anthony Durham 5 6-8 17; Matt Penecale 3 1-2 7; Jordan Simmons 6 1-1 16; Chris Ruhl 3 1-2 7; Jiere Morrisey 2 0-0 6; Michael Griffin 1 0-0 3; Thomas Kennedy 0 0-0 0. Totals: 21 9-13 56.
Council Rock North: Arron Goodman 7 4-5 18; Aaron Morgan 7 0-0 18; Alex Jordan 2 2-2 6; Kyle McCloskey 4 3-5 12; Rip Engel 1 0-0 3; Matt McCloskey 2 2-2 8; Alex Corry 0 0-0 0. Totals: 23 11-14 65.
Three-point goals:
Abington: Durham, Simmons 3, Morrisey 2.
Council Rock North: Morgan 4, K. McCloskey, Engel, M. McCloskey 2.
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