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George Defeats ANC 75-52: Kehler on Hoops
 

George Defeats ANC 75-52: Kehler on Hoops

Written by: Dell Jackson on January 24, 2023

 

George Defeats ANC 75-52

George topped visiting Academy of the New Church 75 to 52 on Tuesday afternoon in a battle between two of the top squads in the non-PIAA Friends Schools League. For those unfamiliar with ANC, it is a private school with a Swedenborgian Christian religious orientation located in Bryn Athyn in Montgomery County, and it is a longtime member of the Friends Schools League. George is a Quaker school located in Bucks County. Both schools have fielded strong basketball squads in recent years.

This was a close game until late in the second quarter. George had an enormous height advantage in this contest, with 6’ 11” sophomore Luke Bevilacqua and 6’ 10” senior Kachi Nzeh. ANC ferociously crashed both boards in the first quarter, in which there were three ties and three lead changes in the uptempo contest.

Early in the second quarter, George forged modest leads, driven by the inside play of the rapidly improving Bevilacqua. Late in the second stanza, ANC switched to a 1-3-1 zone defense, and George quickly took advantage. George closed the first half with an 8 to 1 run on a 3-pointer from the right baseline corner by 6’ sophomore Luke Melniczak, a three point play by Bevilacqua on a putback, and a fast break dunk by Bevilacqua following a nifty steal and assist by his teammate 6’ 4” junior Christian Bliss. The halftime score was 40 to 30, George.

George buried ANC in the third quarter, out-rebounding them nine to three in the frame and out-scoring the visitors 21 to nine in the third period. ANC was still in their 1-3-1 zone, and Bliss and Nzeh attacked it relentlessly. Nzeh scored on two ally-oop dunks in consecutive possessions, then he slammed another dunk, followed by a pull up jumper by Bliss. That 8 to 0 run gave George an insurmountable 57 to 36 lead late in the third quarter. Although ANC kept trying, George was just too tall, at least on this occasion.

For the game, the much taller George had a decisive 35 to 24 rebounding advantage. George committed 22 turnovers (nine of them in the fourth quarter, when the game became more of a playground affair), and ANC had 16 miscues. Neither squad shot well from the free throw line: George was seven of 12, and ANC was 12 of 26. George made seven 3-pointers, and their outside shooting doomed ANC in this contest. Melniczak was three for three from outside the arc in the first half, and those hoops were a major factor in George building an insurmountable lead. ANC made two shots from beyond the arc in this game.

George scoring: Luke Bevilacqua 17, Christian Bliss 16, Kachi Nzeh 16, Luke Melniczak 12, Dante Weise 7, and Carson Mastin 7.

Academy of the New Church scoring: Deywilk Tavarez 17, Jarell Keel 16, Nolan Waldon 10, Dior Carter 5, and Bahsil Laster 4.

Academy of the New Church 14 16 9 13-52
George 15 25 21 14-75

Postscript: a couple of hours before this game tipped off, the 2023 McDonald’s high school All-American selections were announced. One of the guys selected was Elmarko Jackson, of South Kent (South Kent, CT). Jackson formerly played at Academy of the New Church before transferring to South Kent for this season’s campaign.

On Twitter: @david_kehler

 

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