Westtown defeats George 59-51: Kehler on Hoops
Written by: Dell Jackson on January 8, 2023
Westtown defeats George 59-51
Westtown defeated host George 59 to 51 on Friday night in a showdown between the top two teams in the non-PIAA Friends Schools League. Westtown and George are Quaker boarding schools and are ancient athletic rivals. In recent years, Westtown basketball has dominated both the Friends Schools League and the Pennsylvania independent schools state championship tournament. This season, an outstanding George squad is the main threat to Westtown’s hegemony. In Friday’s game, Westtown’s depth and versatility prevailed.
The game was played at a high level of skill, with few turnovers, few fouls, and a host of outstanding plays. It was also an absorbing tactical battle between top flight coaches: Ben Luber of George and Seth Berger of Westtown, who were jointly selected Pennsylvania non-PIAA Coaches of the Year last season by Pennsylvania sportswriters. On Friday night, both teams used multiple defenses, including a couple rarely seen in high school games these days: Westtown opened in a diamond-and-one combination defense and George played some 1-3-1 zone, which is hard for high school kids to master.
George had a strong first quarter, paced by nine points by 6’ 11” sophomore Luke Bevilacqua. Both Bevilacqua and teammate 6’ 10” senior Kachi Nzeh made 3-pointers in the first frame, and Westtown’s defense had to stretch to accommodate their marksmanship. George led 18 to 11 after eight minutes of play.
With some defensive adjustment and quickness to the boards going for rebounds, Westtown made the game more even in the second quarter. Westtown’s interior defense was outstanding in the second quarter, holding George to three 3-pointers and a free throw in the second frame. George led 28-26 at halftime.
Westtown’s defense was outstanding in the third quarter, holding George to six points and making it difficult for Nzeh, who will play basketball at Xavier next season, to get the ball. Matt Mayock, a 6’ 7” senior, spurred Westtown’s offense in the third period. Mayock has a much quicker shooting release than is typical for a high school player, and he made two 3-pointers in the third quarter. When George’s defense closed on him, he was able to drive past and get to the hoop. Mayock scored 10 points in the third quarter. He totaled 20 points in the game, and was a major challenge to George’s defense. Westtown led by eight points after three quarters.
There was no quit in George. In the final quarter, they were more effective in getting the ball to Nzeh, including on a spectacular ally-oop dunk on an inbounds play. A 3-pointer by Nzeh cut Westtown’s lead to 52-49 with 1:55 left to play. Following a free throw by 6’ 6” Westtown sophomore Jayden Kelsey, George’s Bevilacqua scored inside, and Westtown’s lead was cut to 53-51. George didn’t get closer. Westtown responded with a driving scoop shot by Mayock. George’s next possession was thwarted by 6’ 11” Westtown junior Matt Gilhool, who blocked a shot with 35 seconds left in the game, then rebounded the ball after George missed their next shot. Gilhool played in the Lancaster-Lebanon League at Elizabethtown last season, and he had a terrific game vs. George on Friday, scoring 12 points and grabbing six rebounds.
Westtown out-rebounded George 33 to 26. Westtown had nine turnovers, and George had four. Westtown was 12 of 15 from the free throw line. George’s poor free throw shooting was a factor in the outcome of the game; they were five of 14 from the stripe. Westtown made seven 3-pointers, and George made eight. There were five ties and nine lead changes in the very competitive contest.
Westtown scoring: Matt Mayock 20, Malik Rasul 19, Matt Gilhool 12, Se’phon Triplett 4, Jayden Forsythe 3, and Jayden Kelsey 1.
George scoring: Luke Bevilacqua 17, Kachi Nzeh 13, Ivan Ryabov 9, Christian Bliss 5, Carson Mastin 4, and Dante Weise 3.
Westtown 11 15 16 17-59
George 18 10 6 17-51
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