District cream rising to the top
Tough Falcon defense stymies CB South
By Bill Kenny
For BucksLocalSports
HOLLAND — Pennsbury High School was an offensive juggernaut through the first two rounds of the District One Class AAAA tournament.
Last night, the Falcons let their defense do the talking.
Pennsbury held Central Bucks South to 12 second-half points, including just three in the fourth quarter, to turn a close game into 56-37 rout and earn a spot in Tuesday’s tournament semifinals at Temple University’s Liacouras Center opposite familiar foe Norristown.
For the first time in the tournament a team went toe-to-toe with the fourth-seeded Falcons for at least a half. Pennsbury (22-3) led by 19 points at intermission in each of its two previous district outings.
Last night, the Falcons held just a five-point edge over the fifth-seeded Titans (21-4), who then rallied for three early third-quarter buckets to cut Pennsbury’s lead to one point.
But Pennsbury answered with runs of 9-0 and 15-3 to take command.
Pennsbury’s all-state forward Dalton Pepper produced less than usual offensively, finishing with 16 points, as compared with his 26-point average in two previous playoff games. But others picked up the difference, including guard Eddie DiRugeris with 13, forward Tom Marcinkowski with eight and swingman Marcus Healey with seven.
Meanwhile, tall and lanky CB South forward Will Barrett entered the game with a 26.5-point playoff average, but got just 14 in the game and five in the second half.
“We were concentrating on Barrett, trying to get out on their shooters and being aggressive,” Healey said. “Some of the teams in their league weren’t aggressive and they intimidated them.”
CB South won the Suburban One League Continental Conference title, while Pennsbury won the SOL National Conference crown.
Though Pepper was relatively quiet for longer-than-usual stretches in the game, his two key plays late in the third quarter gave the Falcons the cushion they would exploit in the fourth.
With Pennsbury up by four, guard Jesse Krasna made a diving save of a loose rebound underneath the Titans’ basket and shoveled the ball to fellow guard Dante Devine. Devine then heaved a home run pass to Pepper, who had slipped into the frontcourt undetected by the defense.
The 6-foot-5 Pepper slammed it home with two hands.
Moments after a quick driving lay-up by DiRugeris, Pepper poked the ball from a CB South player at mid-court, beat him to the stray ball and converted a contested lay-up for a 41-31 Pennsbury lead.
DiRugeris knocked down seven-of-eight foul shots in the fourth quarter and Pennsbury spread the floor to chew up valuable time on the game clock.
Tuesday’s game will be the third all-time district semifinal meeting between the schools and the second in as many years. Norristown won, 50-45, last year at William Tennent. Pennsbury got revenge this regular season with a 61-54 win on Jan. 31.
Khalif Wyatt scored 31 last night for the ninth-seeded Eagles (20-5), who toppled top-seeded and seven-time defending district champion Chester, 61-59.
“We can beat them. We already have,” Healey said. “We have to play our type of game, maybe slow it down and keep Wyatt under control.”
The game will be part of a 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. double-header. Conestoga and Penn Wood will meet in the other game. The district has not announced the order of the games.
***
Central Bucks South 11 14 9 3 — 37
Pennsbury 18 12 13 13 — 56
C.B. SOUTH
Will Barrett 14; Ian Gordon 6; Greg Johnston 5; Mike Doty 4; Ryan Clark 3; Matt Kavalek 3; Mike Pincus 2.
PENNSBURY
Dalton Pepper 16; Eddie DiRugeris 13; Tom Marcinkowski 8; Marcus Healey 7; Jesse Krasna 5; Dante Devine 5; Zak Kumor 2.
***
PIAA DISTRICT 1
Class AAAA
Quarterfinals
Norristown 61, Chester 59
Pennsbury 56, Central Bucks South 37
Conestoga 43, Plymouth-Whitemarsh 34
Penn Wood 38, Lower Meriod 35
***
Consolation bracket
Central Bucks West 58, Bensalem 50
Glen Mills 78, Owen J. Roberts 65
Neshaminy 74, WCHenderson 56
West Chester Rustin 68, Souderton 52
By Bill Kenny
For BucksLocalSports
HOLLAND — Pennsbury High School was an offensive juggernaut through the first two rounds of the District One Class AAAA tournament.
Last night, the Falcons let their defense do the talking.
Pennsbury held Central Bucks South to 12 second-half points, including just three in the fourth quarter, to turn a close game into 56-37 rout and earn a spot in Tuesday’s tournament semifinals at Temple University’s Liacouras Center opposite familiar foe Norristown.
For the first time in the tournament a team went toe-to-toe with the fourth-seeded Falcons for at least a half. Pennsbury (22-3) led by 19 points at intermission in each of its two previous district outings.
Last night, the Falcons held just a five-point edge over the fifth-seeded Titans (21-4), who then rallied for three early third-quarter buckets to cut Pennsbury’s lead to one point.
But Pennsbury answered with runs of 9-0 and 15-3 to take command.
Pennsbury’s all-state forward Dalton Pepper produced less than usual offensively, finishing with 16 points, as compared with his 26-point average in two previous playoff games. But others picked up the difference, including guard Eddie DiRugeris with 13, forward Tom Marcinkowski with eight and swingman Marcus Healey with seven.
Meanwhile, tall and lanky CB South forward Will Barrett entered the game with a 26.5-point playoff average, but got just 14 in the game and five in the second half.
“We were concentrating on Barrett, trying to get out on their shooters and being aggressive,” Healey said. “Some of the teams in their league weren’t aggressive and they intimidated them.”
CB South won the Suburban One League Continental Conference title, while Pennsbury won the SOL National Conference crown.
Though Pepper was relatively quiet for longer-than-usual stretches in the game, his two key plays late in the third quarter gave the Falcons the cushion they would exploit in the fourth.
With Pennsbury up by four, guard Jesse Krasna made a diving save of a loose rebound underneath the Titans’ basket and shoveled the ball to fellow guard Dante Devine. Devine then heaved a home run pass to Pepper, who had slipped into the frontcourt undetected by the defense.
The 6-foot-5 Pepper slammed it home with two hands.
Moments after a quick driving lay-up by DiRugeris, Pepper poked the ball from a CB South player at mid-court, beat him to the stray ball and converted a contested lay-up for a 41-31 Pennsbury lead.
DiRugeris knocked down seven-of-eight foul shots in the fourth quarter and Pennsbury spread the floor to chew up valuable time on the game clock.
Tuesday’s game will be the third all-time district semifinal meeting between the schools and the second in as many years. Norristown won, 50-45, last year at William Tennent. Pennsbury got revenge this regular season with a 61-54 win on Jan. 31.
Khalif Wyatt scored 31 last night for the ninth-seeded Eagles (20-5), who toppled top-seeded and seven-time defending district champion Chester, 61-59.
“We can beat them. We already have,” Healey said. “We have to play our type of game, maybe slow it down and keep Wyatt under control.”
The game will be part of a 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. double-header. Conestoga and Penn Wood will meet in the other game. The district has not announced the order of the games.
***
Central Bucks South 11 14 9 3 — 37
Pennsbury 18 12 13 13 — 56
C.B. SOUTH
Will Barrett 14; Ian Gordon 6; Greg Johnston 5; Mike Doty 4; Ryan Clark 3; Matt Kavalek 3; Mike Pincus 2.
PENNSBURY
Dalton Pepper 16; Eddie DiRugeris 13; Tom Marcinkowski 8; Marcus Healey 7; Jesse Krasna 5; Dante Devine 5; Zak Kumor 2.
***
PIAA DISTRICT 1
Class AAAA
Quarterfinals
Norristown 61, Chester 59
Pennsbury 56, Central Bucks South 37
Conestoga 43, Plymouth-Whitemarsh 34
Penn Wood 38, Lower Meriod 35
***
Consolation bracket
Central Bucks West 58, Bensalem 50
Glen Mills 78, Owen J. Roberts 65
Neshaminy 74, WCHenderson 56
West Chester Rustin 68, Souderton 52
Labels: Pennsbury, Pennsbury boys basketball
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