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Penncrest’s Tyler Norwood doesn’t have many off nights.

One of Delaware County’s most prolific scorers was held in check Friday night. With Norwood struggling to bank shots, the Lions needed their ancillary players to step up.

Manny Ruffin and Mike Mallon answered the call and helped Penncrest claim a 49-39 decision over Garnet Valley. Ruffin posted a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, while Mallon added 14 points and eight boards.

Norwood still managed to reach double figures with 12 points thanks in part to a 6-for-8 effort from the foul line.

Brandon Starr led Garnet Valley with 13 points.

Elsewhere in the Central League:

(click on this link for more game stories and scores)

 

By Dennis C. Way

Bonner and Prendergast head basketball coach Jack Concannon said he wants his program to be as successful as La Salle’s.

After Friday night’s 56-52 win over the Explorers, the Friars might be there already.

The Friars overcame a halftme deficit, got great guard play from the tandem of Christian Lane and Tymir Cooper and caught La Salle shortly after halftme, then refused to yield the lead.

“I told Joe, before the game, we want our program to be where his is,” Concannon said after Lane’s 15 points and Cooper’s 13 fueled the comeback. “I admire his program, I think he’s the best coach in the Catholic League and I was happy with the way we competed.”

La Salle grabbed a 12-6 lead after one quarter, with all of the scoring coming via the 3-point shot.

The Explorers tried a different tact in the second period, with eight of their 13 points coming from the free-throw line and forged a 25-21 lead at the break.

The Friars, meanwhile, stayed close behind six second-period points from Tymir Cooper and seven from Dovan Rodriguez.

But the second half proved the Explorers’  undoing.

Lane had eight points and Cooper had five as the Friars not only took the lead, they dominated the game.

“I think what you saw was seven seniors (Bonner and Prendie) versus two seniors,” Dempsey said. “The ball stopped moving a little bit, and that’s my fault.”

(click on this link for the full article)

 

Nick Simmons broke out in a big way for Academy Park.

Simmons scored 15 of his game-high 29 points in overtime to lead the Knights past Bishop Shanahan, 72-69, in a nonleague game.

Simmons added eight assists and went 6-for-8 from the foul line in the fourth quarter and overtime.

Mark Greenwood (17 points) and Nasein Harley (12) also scored in double figures for the Knights (4-2).

In the Catholic League:

Archbishop Carroll 86, Cardinal O’Hara 47 >> Jaye’Lyn Peebles tallied 30 points and went 8-for-11 from the foul line, but the Lions had no chance against the Patriots (10-2).

Thirteen Carroll players scored at least one basket. Luke House netted a team-high 16 points while Keon Butler chipped in 10 for the Patriots, who led at halftime, 47-21. Khari Williams had a solid floor game with eight points, six steals and four assists. Justin Anderson added nine points for the winners.

(click on this link for more game stories and scores)

 

DaQuan Granberry was his usual high-scoring self with 23 points, and Adam Sayed added a career-high 12 points to go with 10 rebounds as Chichester topped Friere Charter, 67-57, in nonleague action.

Granberry added 10 rebounds. Epifanio Williams drained three 3-pointers to finish with 15 points for the Eagles (3-6).

By Matthew De George

When the ball found Justin Ross on the right wing with a minute and a half to play Tuesday night, the Penncrest senior guard knew two things.

He set his mind on the shot he wanted to create. And he knew that the Springfield defenders he was about to attack would have one eye trained away from Ross’s dribble.

Ross feathered home a jumper from the elbow to give Penncrest its first lead since the first quarter, surmounting a 16-point halftime deficit in a 50-45 Central League victory over Springfield.

Ross dribbled twice to his left after receiving a swing pass from Tyler Norwood, then pulled up near the foul line, as is his preference. His aim was true, surging the Lions ahead, 44-43, toward an eighth consecutive victory.

“I practice that shot every day in practice,” said Ross, who scored eight points. “That’s my shot. The midrange, that’s my bread and butter.

“When I got the ball, it was a scramble situation. So when I got the ball, I pump-faked, dribbled to my left, and just pulled up. And as soon as it left my hand, I knew it was good.”

(click on this link for the full article)

(Webmaster’s note: The Penncrest vs Springfield game was our Game-of-the-Week and can be heard on our Archives link on the left hand side of the page.)

By Steve Moore

High school basketball programs with a winning pedigree, like Chester, understand that they are going to have to absorb the best shot from opponents looking to make a statement against a high-profile opponent. And on Tuesday, at West Chester Rustin, that’s exactly what happened to the visiting Clippers.

Early in the fourth quarter, Chester found itself down by eight points. But with an assist from its high-intensity, full-court pressure, the Clippers reeled off 13 straight points and went on to survive, 72-68, in an intriguing boys’ non-conference clash against the upset-minded Golden Knights.

“We are everybody’s championship,” said Chester forward Jamar Sudan, who led all scorers with 22 points.

“That’s just the way it is — we’re from Chester,” added head coach Larry Yarbray. “Some people think we are down, but we are still have that same tradition, and the same type of winning team.”

The Clippers, who improved to 6-2 overall, wound up outscoring Rustin 27-19 in the final eight minutes, and senior point guard Ahrod Carter led the way, pouring in 12 of his 19 points in the final period. Center Jordan Camper chipped in with 10 points in five dunks.

(click on this link for the full article)

 

By Will Slover

For the Neumann-Goretti Saints, who are led by five-star point guard and University of Kentucky signee Quade Green, the jury was still out on how they would perform when the 6-foot floor general had an off night.

That “off night,” at least by Green’s standards, came for Green on Tuesday at the hands of Archbishop Carroll, when he was held to just 11 points on 3-of-7 shooting, but still managed to dish out 10 assists.

On a night where Green was constantly bugged by double and triple teams as soon as the ball reached his hands, his supporting cast came through big time to propel the Saints to an 83-71 win in front of a packed home gymnasium in their Philadelphia Catholic League opener.

On Wednesday, Neumann-Goretti’s supporting cast consisted of senior forward and Villanova signee Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree, junior guards Noah Warren and Dhymir Montague, and sophomore guard Christian Ings.

The 6-foot-8 Cosby-Roundtree took advantage of Archbishop Carroll’s lack of size underneath as he turned in a monster performance of 19 points on 9-of-11 shooting, 18 rebounds, and six blocks while Warren and Montague scored 16 and 10, respectively.

(click on this link for the full article)

 

By Matthew De George

Glen Mills had a lot of time to stew on a three-game losing streak. Kenyon Cooper and company did something about it Tuesday.

Cooper scored 18 points, and Myron Sanders added 15 as Glen Mills topped Unionville, 63-49, in its first game in 15 days.

James Timmons added 11 points, and Wanya Smith provided a spark off the bench with nine points and 10 rebounds for the Bulls (3-3).

In other nonleague action:

Haverford School 60, Girard College 49 >> Kharon Randolph scored 16 points, and Jameer Nelson Jr. and Christian Ray added 15 apiece as the Fords wrapped up their nonleague slate with a 10-1 mark.

Ray added 10 rebounds, and Gavin Burke scored 10 points.

(click on this link for scores and stories)

 

By Matthew De George

(Based on games reported to the Daily Times through Friday, Dec. 30; for questions or corrections, email mdegeorge@21st-centurymedia.com.)

Scoring average
(Minimum half of team games played)

DaQuan Granberry, Chichester 26.0
Tyler Norwood, Penncrest 24.6
Brandon Starr, Garnet Valley 22.7
Kenyon Cooper, Glen Mills 21.3
John Harrar, Strath Haven 21.3
Austin Laughlin, Garnet Valley 21.9
Jaye’Lyn Peebles, Cardinal O’Hara 18.8
Christian Ray, Haverford School 18.4
Conner Delaney, Episcopal Academy 18.2
Jamar Sudan, Chester 18.1

(click on this link for the complete list of stat leaders)