Check out all of Friday’s SOL boys basketball action. To view photos of the Cheltenham/Upper Merion and Council Rock South/William Tennent games, please visit the Photo Gallery.
American Conference
Cheltenham 51, Upper Merion 41
The Panthers opened up with an 11-7 lead over the Vikings at the end of one quarter and upped that lead to 27-20 heading into intermission. The Vikings had a strong third quarter and cut that lead to 39-35 going into the final frame. The Panthers, who were led offensively by Aaron McGlawn with a game-high 19 points along with 4 rebounds and 3 assists, outscored the Vikings 12-6 in the fourth to put the game out of reach. Guy Henderson also cracked double digits for the Panthers in the victory with 12 points, followed by Kevin Graham who scored nine and Aaron Burton who chipped in eight points. Connor McGrath led the Vikings with 11 points and Riece Jenerette added nine points. Cheltenham now has sole possession of the top spot in the American Conference with a 6-0 league record (8-5 overall)while the Vikings saw their record drop to 1-5 SOL (5-7 overall).
Wissahickon 55, Norristown 54
The Trojans handed the Eagles their first league loss of the season after battling back and forth the entire game. The Trojans led 11-10 at the end of the first quarter, but the Eagles quickly rebounded to outscore them 15-11 in the second quarter to take a 25-22 lead into halftime.
“We felt pretty good at the half, and we said ‘Let’s hang in there,’” said Wissahickon head coach Kyle Wilson. “We know Norristown is the favorite to win our league.”
The Trojans outscored the Eagles 14-13 in the third quarter but still trailed by two heading into the fourth quarter (38-36). Chase Wilson, who scored 21 points in a torrid second half, hit three three’s in the fourth to give his team the lead and the momentum to pull off an upset of the conference’s top team.
“That was just huge,” said Wilson. “Chase has had his ups and down, and he was coming off 30-point game at Upper Merion, so it was good to see him perform well again.”
With 1:05 remaining, Wilson hit his third trey to give the Trojans the lead, but it was short-lived as the Eagles answered with a basket. The Trojans called a timeout to set up a play, and down by one with seven seconds remaining, Wilson pump faked a defender and scored the game winner on the follow of his own miss.
The Eagles had one last chance, but time expired as they launched a desperation shot that fell short and ended Norristown’s five-game winning streak in the league.
Wilson also credited Chris Vila (13 points) with an outstanding effort.
“He played really well,” the Trojans’ coach said. “He had eight rebounds, and the majority of his points were in the first half when we needed key buckets. Also, he hit a couple of good three’s. It’s a nice balance between our two scorers.”
Wilson admits this is a different type of season as the Trojans have had to adjust their lineup due to a lack of height.
“I’m really pleased with where we are with as small as we are,” he said. “We did some things that showed we can really hang with some teams, and it was quite impressive.”
Norristown was led offensively by Josh Johnson with 12 points, Luke Kelley added eight and Marquis Bryant, Curt Lever and Bernard Gordon each chipped in seven. The Trojans improve their record to 5-1 in the league (7-5 overall) while the Eagles fell to 5-1 (8-3 overall).
Upper Dublin 59, Plymouth Whitemarsh 58 (OT)
The returning Flying Cardinals haven’t forgotten a tough loss to PW in the 2011-2012 season when the visiting Colonials tied the game in the final seconds and then won in overtime.
On Friday night, when the Cardinals visited the Colonials, they couldn’t believe a similar scenario was playing itself out again. The two teams battled back and forth with the Colonials taking a narrow 34-32 lead going into halftime. The Colonials took a 47-42 lead into the final quarter.
In the fourth quarter, the Flying Cards found their stride and took the lead with about seven seconds remaining. Upper Dublin knew all they had to do for the win was keep the ball out of the hands of Colonials’ top-scorer Anthony McKie. “In the timeout we told them, ‘Don’t let McKie touch the ball,’” said coach Josh Adelman. “But he got through and he got the shot off quick - it had nice arc and great rotation, and you just kind of knew it was going in.”
The shot went in, setting the stage for overtime. Down 58-57 with nine seconds remaining, the Cards forced a turnover.
“We pressured them in corner, we got the ball and called time out to set up out an of bounds play,” said Adelman. “Simeon (Fryer) got it with 6 seconds left and hit the shot.”
With the Cards on top 59-58, the Colonials had one last chance. They called a timeout, and as they tried to bring the ball into their offensive zone, the ball hit off the leg of one of the Colonials for a turnover that sealed the Upper Dublin win.
“The guys were really focused, the most focused they’ve been all year,” said Adelman. “I think the effort has been there, but this team had to learn how to win. (Tonight) they really believed in themselves.”
The Cardinals had four players in double digits. Andrew Carber scored 16, Morey Hershgordon had 13 points (four three-pointers) and Kurt Goff added 10 points. But Adelman credited the efforts of Fryer in particular who scored six of Upper Dublin’s seven points in overtime on his way to 14 points for the day.
“He played the game of his life,” said Adelman of his freshman guard who also had five steals. “We’re so excited because we’ve been so close with the other teams. For a young team to get a win like this - now they can start enjoying themselves.”
The Colonials were led by McKie, who scored a team-high 16 points, along with Manuel Herezi (10 points) and Chase Rodgers (9 points)
The Cardinals upped their record to 2-4 in the league (4-8 overall) while the Colonials fell to 2-4 SOL (4-7 overall).
Upper Moreland 53, Springfield 45
Continental Conference
Hatboro-Horsham 66, Quakertown 46
The Hatters dominated the first half, taking a commanding 37-12 lead on their way to a convincing win over the Panthers. Mike Brown scored 19 in the first half on his way to 27 for the day, while Zach Quattro added 19 points and nine rebounds. Griffin Schmidt, Justin Klee and Lucas Schan each added eight for the Panthers who fell to 1-5 in the league (4-6 overall). The Hatters remain unbeaten in the league at 6-0 (10-2 overall).
North Penn 43, Central Bucks West 41
The Knights sprinted to a 21-11 lead at the end of the opening quarter but saw that lead erased as the Bucks outscored them 14-5 in the second to cut their lead to one point at the intermission (26-25).
“We made everything in first quarter,” said North Penn Coach John Conrad, “We came back down to earth in the second and both teams settled in and played better defense for the rest of the game.”
The Knights hit a last-second basket before the half, and Conrad thought it would give his team momentum coming out in the third quarter. But it was the Bucks who came out with the momentum and went on an early scoring run to go up by five. The Knights closed the gap before the end of the quarter, knotting the score 34-34.
With 1:12 left, the Knights were up by one when Noah Melchoir hit a jumper to put them up by three.
“They ran a nice play for (Tyler) Schechter, and he scored but missed the free throw,” said Conrad “So we were still up by one.”
The Knights regained possession and went to the foul line but came up empty, and it didn’t look promising for them as the Bucks held onto the ball for one last shot to win the game.
“Luckily, it rimmed out,” said Conrad, whose team picked up its second league win. “We had a rough start to the new year, with two straight losses to Quakertown and Hatboro.”
Conrad credited the leadership of senior captain Stephan Brown as being instrumental in their crucial win, especially in the absence of co-captain Michael Swanson who is out with an ankle injury.
“He did a great job of getting us going and carrying the load,” Conrad said of Brown. “He scored 10 of his points in the first half and really settled us in.”
Melchoir and Brown each scored 12 in the victory for the Knights while the Bucks were led by Schechter (14 points) and Cal Reichwein (10 points).
The Knights upped their record to 2-4 SOL (5-6 overall).
“Hopefully we can right the ship and get us going in the right direction,” Conrad said.
The Bucks fell to 3-3 in the league (5-7 overall).
Pennridge 40, Central Bucks East 39
Pennridge Coach Dean Behrens summed up team’s dramatic victory in just three words.
“We stole one,” the Rams’ coach said.
The Rams trailed 19-12 at the half, and it seemed as if it might be another tough league loss until Shane Schmidt literally came out of nowhere to breathe life into the Rams’ struggling offense.
Schmidt made his 2012-2013 season debut on Friday after being cleared just this past Wednesday after undergoing ACL surgery in July.
“He played in the first quarter and a little in second,” said Behrens “And then at halftime he came off the bench and finished the game.”
With their top scorer, Zach Muredda, watching from the sidelines in a cast (ligament damage), the Rams were trying to be optimistic.
“We thought (Schmidt) could hit one or two shots and give an injection of offense,” said Behrens. “We didn’t think he would have the conditioning and he would be nervous.”
When the Patriots went up 12 in the third quarter, it didn’t look promising for the Rams. That’s when Schmidt became the unlikely hero. Schmidt scored all of his 14 points in the second half and helped close the gap to give the Rams a chance.
“We were lucky - it was a big lift,” said Behrens. “We were having trouble scoring - they zoned us and had a couple steals.”
In the fourth quarter Schmidt, who was 4-for-4 on the foul line for the night, hit a pair of foul shots that put the Rams on top with about 30 seconds left. The Patriots had two opportunities before time expired but couldn’t find the basket.
Along with Schmidt, Behrens credited Alex Krivda for his performance in the come-from-behind victory.
“He played his best defensive game all year,” the Rams’ coach said. “He covered (Matt) Stauffer and did a great job containing him.”
It was Krivda who was given the task of face guarding the Patriots’ top scorer for the final 25 seconds to prevent him from shooting, and he did just that.
“We played well defensively, and that kept us in a game,” said Behrens. “This was a huge game for a kid that has been sitting all year. Our kids fed off his energy.”
Jeff Garner and Pat McClatchy each scored eight for the Rams, who upped their record to 2-4 in the league (7-6 overall). Stauffer led the Patriots, now 2-4 SOL and 5-6 on the season, with 12 points followed by Tommy Strasburger and Kevin Phelps with eight points each.
Central Bucks South 39, Souderton 37
The Indians and Titans were tied 6-6 after the opening quarter, but the Indians led 16-13 at halftime. The Indians still led 27-24 after three quarters, setting the stage for a final frame that saw the Titans outscore the Indians 15-10 to clinch the victory. The Titans had eight players contribute scoring to a balanced attack with TJ Ohntrup leading the pack with 11 points followed Dan Giaquinto with ten points. John Kanas had a game-high 18 points to lead the Big Red. The Titans and Indians are now tied for second in the Continental Conference with identical 4-2 records.
National Conference
Abington 65, Pennsbury 63 (OT)
The Ghosts won a thriller on Friday night, overcoming a seven-point halftime deficit to eke out the overtime win. Anthony Lee connected on a driving layup to give the Ghosts a lead they would not lose in overtime.
“Pennsbury is tough,” Abington coach Charles Grasty said. “We watched them on film. They play hard.
“He (coach Bill Coleman) does a good job with those guys. It’s 32 minutes of hard basketball when you play them.”
The Ghosts led 12-10 at the end of one quarter, but the Falcons responded with a 28-19 second quarter burst to go into halftime with a 38-31 lead. The Ghosts, who trailed by as many as nine, outscored the Falcons 16-9 in the third quarter to knot the score.
“They played well in the second quarter, but they shot 8-for-18 from the foul line in the first half, which gave us a chance,” Grasty said of the Falcons. “We kept it close, and in the third quarter, we came out and played well.
“We told them at halftime, ‘You have to protect your home.’ I thought they came out and played extremely well and as a team passed the ball.”
Anthony Durham led the Ghosts with 20 points, and Jordan Simmons added 16. Jiere Morrissey (11 points) Lee (eight points) and Matt Penecale (five points) also made important contributions.
The Falcons were led by the 21-point effort of Cameron Jones and the 18-point performance of Mekhi Bryant (18 points). Shawn Pepper (nine points) and Steve Ciotti (seven points) also contributed.
While the Falcons fell to 3-3 in league play (8-3 overall), the Ghosts improved to 6-0 in the league (10-2 overall).
To read Kevin Cooney’s complete game story, please click on the following PhillyBurbs.com link: http://www.phillyburbs.com/sports/high_school/courier/veteran-ghosts-hold-on-for-ot-win/article_e8fc5c3f-6923-56d6-86c0-5dd9ea167d90.html
Council Rock South 55, William Tennent 43
The Panthers led the Golden Hawks 18-17 at the half, but a third quarter scoring explosion by the Hawks put them in the lead 36-27 heading into the final frame. The Hawks were led by Christian Crane who scored a game-high 26 points and also had five rebounds and three assists and Tom Townsend who picked up a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Will Faccenda added eight points and five assists. Matt Alden led the Panthers with 20 points, followed by Horace Spencer who added 14 points. The Hawks move ahead of the Panthers (1-5 SOL, 3-8) in the conference standings after upping their record to 2-4 SOL (4-7 overall).
Truman 46, Bensalem 44
The Tigers struggled in the first quarter as the Owls outscored them 18-13, but they recovered in the second quarter, trimming the Owls’ lead to four (27-23) at the half. In the third quarter, the Owls increased their lead to 40-32 heading into the final frame.
“We had a really bad first quarter,” said Truman coach Alan Munford. “But in the
third quarter, our kids really responded, and they played well after that.”
By responding well, Munford was referring to his team’s defensive improvements that occurred in the second half.
“Our defensive mentality in second half was phenomenal, and our guys did a good job of rebounding the ball,” Munford said.
Thanks to the Tigers’ defensive corrections, they were able to limit the Owls to only four points in the final frame and come away with the close victory.
“On defense, we were able to get a lot of stops which helped us win,” said Munford. “Defensively we did a really good job.”
Lucas Waters helped mount the offensive charge that sparked his team in the fourth quarter when he connected on a three-pointer with about three minutes remaining to tie the game. Merdic Green’s offense helped as well as he made a layup with 52 seconds remaining to put the Tigers on top 46-44.
“It was a good game,” said Munford. “Defensively we locked in, and (Ja’er) Brown and Green had awesome defensive games, and Green had a huge fourth quarter.”
Green scored 23 for the night, while Waters added nine points in the victory.
Munford says the lesson in this hard-fought win is that all they have worked on in practice paid off.
“We have been working on man-to-man all year long, and I thought our kids played good man-to-man, especially down the stretch in the fourth quarter,” the Tigers’ coach said.“Also, now they can see how conditioning benefits them. It made a big difference in us winning or going into overtime.”
The Tigers hope beating a solid team like Bensalem will pay off down the road when it comes time for playoff selections.
“It was a good win,” said Munford. “The kids will celebrate a little bit, and we’ll be back to work tomorrow preparing for Tennent on Tuesday.”
Bensalem was led by Leo Vincent with 18 points, followed by Stephen Johnson who scored nine and Austin Nyekan who added eight points. The Tigers evened their league record to 3-3 (7-6 overall) while the Owls fall to 4-2 SOL (6-4 overall).
To read Bill McFarland’s complete game story, please click on the following PhillyBurbs.com link: http://www.phillyburbs.com/my_town/bristol/truman-wins-thriller-over-bensalem/article_cee10a53-e769-5494-8b38-6062370bcf83.html
Council Rock North 56, Neshaminy 45
The Indians held a 29-21 advantage going into the second half and upped that lead to 44-33 heading into the final quarter. Kyle McCloskey had a standout performance with 17 points and eight rebounds while Rip Engel added 13 points. The Redskins were led by Jaylen Picket who scored 16 and Marvin Carr who contributed 12 points. The Indians improve to 5-1 SOL (10-1 overall) while the Redskins fell to 0-6 (0-11 overall).
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