Bensalem Defeats Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter 61-40: Kehler on Hoops

Written by: Dell Jackson on December 23, 2023

Bensalem Defeats Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter 61-40: Kehler on Hoops
Article by David Kehler

Bensalem led all of the way on Friday night against visiting Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter in a game played in the second day of the Diane Mosco Foundation Shootout, which is in honor of the late wife of Archbishop Wood coach John Mosco.

Bensalem scored the first seven points of the game, and Sankofa was unable mount a serious threat from that point. Sankofa played zone defenses early in the game, and 5’ 8” Bensalem senior Noah Morris was very effective in shooting over the zone from the left side of the court. Morris made four 3-pointers in the first quarter and was five for six from beyond the arc in the first half.

Eventually, Sankofa switched to a man-to-man defense, and did much better in the3 second quarter. Sankofa closed the first half with a spurt on a drive by 6’ 3” sophomore Nafese Dubose, another hoop by Dubose, a jumper by 6’ 1” junior Nasir Williams, and a 3-pointer by 6’ 2” freshman Jasir Henderson, during which time Bensalem scored once on a hoop inside by 6’ 1” senior Micah White. That made the score 29-24, Bensalem, at halftime, but, even though Sankofa had drawn closer, the game seemed securely in Bensalem’s hands.

Bensalem came out blasting in the second half, spurred by outstanding play by 6’ 2” junior Jaidyn Moffitt and by 5’ 11” senior Antonio Morris. Moffitt was strong inside, while Antonio Morris hit a 3-pointer then scored on three drives in the third quarter. In an oddity, Sankofa was out-rebounded 10 to zero in the third frame. After three quarters Bensalem led 47-33, and the outcome was clearly decided.

Sankofa would have been more competitive in this game if they had not played any zone defense. They might also have had some success in testing Bensalem’s ball handlers with full court pressure. Well-coached Bensalem has a nicely balanced inside and outside attack and a strong bent to rebound on both boards. Sankofa is a member of the Philadelphia Public League, while Bensalem is a member of the Suburban One loop.

For the game, Bensalem had a 36-21 rebounding advantage. Bensalem committed 13 turnovers, while Sankofa had a dozen miscues. Bensalem was three of five from the free throw line, and Sankofa was five of 10. Bensalem made seven three pointers, while Sankofa scored three times from beyond the arc. Henderson made all three of Sankofa’s 3-pointers.

Bensalem scoring: Jaidyn Moffitt 16, Noah Morris 15, Antonio Morris 11, Micah White 8, Amir Drummond 6, and Nate Cooper 4.

Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter scoring: Nasir Williams 11, Nafese Dubose 10, Jasir Henderson 9, Jameel Brown 4, Asim Hardy 3, Nasir Brown 2, and one other player not in the program 1.

Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter 8 16 9 7-40
Bensalem 19 10 17 14-61

On Twitter: @david_kehler

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