Upper Darby’s Niymire Brown, right, in action against Ridley earlier this season, scored 15 of his 20 points in the second half to lead the Royals to a 71-68 victory over North Penn. (Pete Bannan – MediaNews Group)
By Kev Hunter
Niymire Brown’s towering presence grew more imposing as the game wore on, and his game-high 20 points led Upper Darby to a 71-68 victory over North Penn in a District 1 Class 6A playback game Tuesday night.
The win sends the 10th-seeded Royals to the fifth-place game, Friday night at No. 4 Central Bucks East. No. 6 North Penn hosts No. 8 Garnet Valley Friday night in the seventh-place game.
“He’s a tough matchup for anybody because he can score down low,” Upper Darby coach Bob Miller said of Brown, who poured in 15 second-half points. “It’s not just his 6-foot-4 frame. He’s built like a man. You get him the ball down there and most teams are going to have trouble.”
Upper Darby’s inside play sent the Royals into the lead for good in the third quarter. Drives by Yassir Joyner (16 points) and Nadir Myers (18 points) made it 47-43, and the visitors would lead 50-45 after three. Three buckets underneath by Brown helped pace the Royals.