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By Josh Verlin

The 11th Annual Scholastic Play-By-Play Pete & Jameer Nelson Classic returns to Widener University and Chestnut Hill College early next week for two days jam-packed with great basketball games.

Several state championship contenders from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware will be coming to the courts at the two area colleges for a total of 17 games that feature some top Division I prospects from the tri-state region.

Here’s the some can’t-miss games from the event followed by the full schedule; all teams from Pennsylvania unless otherwise indicated:

Chester vs. Downingtown West — Dec. 30, 7 PM, Widener
Two of the top teams in District 1 AAAA go head-to-head in what could very well be a preview of the district championship in February. The Clippers are still getting on track but have a deep and talented frontcourt led by seniors Jamar Sudan and Marquis Collins as well as wing Stanley Davis, but point guard Kahleeq Campbell is the engine that makes it all go. Downingtown West doesn’t have the raw athleticism of Chester but has its own experienced senior group led by Penn commit Ryan Betley, a 6-5 shooting guard, and 6-9 big man Josh Warren, committed to Cornell.

Webmaster’s note:  We will be audio broadcasting this game, LIVE, from Widener University. Broadcast begins at 6:45 (time subject to change).  Simply click on the Game-of-the-Week logo on the left side of this page to go to the game. Listening is free as all costs are supported by our Sponsors.  If you miss the live broadcast you can listen anytime on our Archive!

(click on this link for more game previews and the tournament’s complete schedule)

By Matthew De George

The first words out of Will Powers’ mouth Monday evening spoke volumes.

“I’m definitely tired,” the Malvern Prep guard said. “We fought long. Double overtime, it’s hard.”

The final score didn’t conceal the details of a scintillating affair — a 98-92 win for the Friars over Academy Park in double overtime in the opener of the Steve Juenger Classic at Haverford High School. But that eye-popping scoreboard declaration somehow undervalues the excitement that helped assemble this classic. The pace of the game was what you’d expect if the managers filled the Gatorade buckets with rocket fuel. And between two teams that like to push the tempo like few in the region, the craziness of the game seemed to be in the offing as soon as both teams showed up for warmups in nearly-matching blue jerseys.

(click on this link for the full article)

By Matthew De George

Higgins hits for 21 as Bonner-Prendie makes final>>For a second time in as many weeks, Dylan Higgins led the way for Bonner-Prendergast Monday night. This time, the Friars needed all 21 of his points.

Higgins tied a career-high for scoring, set just eight days ago, and added six rebounds to help Bonner outlast Phoenixville, 72-69, in overtime at the Marple Newtown Holiday Tournament.

Christian Lane and Keith Washington each added 15 points, and John Hargraves posted a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds as the Friars (6-2) booked passage to Tuesday’s final against Bishop Shanahan at 5 p.m.

(click on this link for more stories and results)

Springfield sinks game-winner for Strath Haven>>Jahmeir Springfield and John Harrar were the heroes in Strath Haven’s 55-54 win over Conestoga in Central League boys basketball Wednesday night.

Springfield made a driving layup with seven seconds to play in the fourth quarter, and Harrar blocked a 16-foot jump shot as time expired.

Harrar posted game highs in points (17) and rebounds (10) for the Panthers (7-2, 3-2). Alex Ischiropoulos added 16 points.

In nonleague action:

Archbishop Carroll 76, Malvern Prep 56 >> The visiting Friars couldn’t solve John Rigsby and the streaking Patriots (7-0).

Rigsby scored a game-high 27 points and grabbed eight rebounds and Josh Sharkey flirted with a triple-double (15 points, nine rebounds, seven assists). Ryan Daly had 11 of his 25 points in the first quarter.

(click on this link for more scores)

By Matthew De George

 After a first half in which Friends’ Central’s DeAndre Hunter blistered his team for 19 points, Haverford School coach Bernie Rogers reasoned that the best strategy for defending the star swingman involved keeping him on the bench for as long as possible.

That tactic worked … at least for a little while.

Hunter shook off a quick bout of foul trouble after halftime to finish with 35 points, keying the Phoenix’s 68-57 nonleague win Monday afternoon.

Rogers’ halftime message reinforced what he tried to impress upon his charges pre-game, that making Hunter work on the defensive end and goad him into foul trouble would be the best way to slow down the University of Virginia-bound small forward. By redoubling efforts to feed the post, the Fords saddled Hunter with three quick fouls in as many minutes in the third quarter. He was whistled for his fourth in questionable fashion on a loose ball in the first minute of the fourth.

(click on this link for the full article)

By Pete Schnatz

Episcopal Academy’s Nick Alikakos is on some kind of scoring spree.
The 6-7 junior forward followed up Friday night’s 35-point performance with a 37-point, 10-rebound effort to lead the Churchmen to a 70-52 romp over Episcopal High School from Alexandria, Virginia in the consolation round of The Hill School Tournament Saturday.
Episcopal Academy plays Kiski Prep in the fifth-place game Sunday at 11:30 a.m.
Alikakos has scored 105 points in his last three games. He poured in 33 points Tuesday night in a 65-64 triumph over Phelps, Tuesday night, before he erupted for 72 points in the first two rounds of the Hill School Tournament. With Alikakos leading the way, EA jumped out to a 23-8 lead after one period and never looked back.
Matt Woods drilled four 3-pointers and finished with 14 points. Connor Delaney had four points and eight assists.
In other nonleague action:

(click on this link for more game scores)

By Matthew De George

When Vinnie Kelly convened the Radnor huddle after the third quarter Friday night, he didn’t mince words.

Down five points at Marple Newtown, the senior guard put the directive, to himself and his teammates, in no uncertain terms.

“I told myself, ‘we’re not losing this game and I’ll do anything not to lose this game,’” Kelly said.

He backed up that talk on the court.

Kelly scored eight of his game-high 18 points in the fourth, including the game-winning 3-pointer with 1:31 to play in a 42-39 win.

(click on this link for the full article and more Central League scores)

By Matt De George

As statistics from the first night of the basketball season flooded in a week and a half ago, one number stood out, as much for its prodigiousness as its somewhat unlikely source.

In Cardinal O’Hara’s opener against Pope John Paul II at the Devon Prep Tournament, Jaye’Lyn Peebles went off for 33 points in a 54-51 loss.

In absolute terms, that’s a stellar night, not just since he accounted for 65 percent of the Lions’ output. When you consider that the junior guard scored just 45 points last year despite being a regular rotation cog, the outburst is even more glaring.

Plotting it against his Delco peers adds another dimension of impressiveness: Of the 17 schools launching their seasons that night, only three scorers collected more than 20 points. Peebles was the only member of that trio to top 21.

It hasn’t been a one-off. Through Tuesday, Peebles is among the county leaders in scoring average at 21 points per game for the 2-1 Lions.

(click on this link for the full article)