George Defeats Malvern Prep 73-63: Kehler on Hoops
Written by: Dell Jackson on February 22, 2023
George Defeats Malvern Prep 73-63
In a game that was closer than the final score suggests, George defeated visiting Malvern Prep 73 to 63 on Tuesday afternoon in a Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association state championship tournament quarterfinal. The PISAA tournament is the principal competition for Pennsylvania private schools that are not part of the PIAA. With this win, George advances to the semifinals on Friday vs. Phelps in a game to be played at George, in Newtown.
Today’s game was a rematch. On February 1, in a non-league game, George defeated visiting Malvern Prep 72 to 51.. This time around, the game was much closer. George and Malvern Prep are two of the best-coached teams in Pennsylvania. Malvern Prep is coached by Paul Romanczuk, who played college basketball at Penn, while George is coached by former Penn State point guard Ben Luber. The game was a tactical battle, with both teams switching defenses throughout the contest, and both squads emphasizing multiple offensive approaches at various junctures. It was an uptempo game with numerous lead changes and shifting fortunes.
Malvern Prep got off to a fast start. Ryan Williams, a 6’ 4” junior, had a strong first quarter, scoring nine points, and Malvern Prep did not commit a turnover in the first frame. A 3-pointer by 6’ 4” Malvern Prep senior Andrew Phillips gave his squad an 18 to 11 lead. At the end of the first quarter, a 3-pointer by 6’ 4” George junior Christian Bliss cut Malvern Prep’s lead to 22 to 18.
George outscored Malvern Prep in each of the final three quarters of the game. George’s Bliss got hot in the second quarter, sinking three 3-pointers and totaling 13 points in the second frame. The teams traded leads throughout the second quarter. Consecutive 3-pointers by Williams and Phillips gave Malvern Prep a 35 to 31 lead late in the second quarter, but George responded with a 3-pointer by Bliss and a hoop inside by 6’ 11” sophomore Luke Bevilacqua. George led 36 to 35 at intermission.
George made two strategic changes in the second half. They hit the offensive board hard, and they made a determined effort to get the ball inside to 6’ 10” senior Kachi Nzeh. George had a significant height advantage vs. Malvern Prep, and they exploited it by focusing their offense on Nzeh. However, the third quarter was a see-saw affair, as Malvern Prep got outstanding offensive production in the third frame from 6’ 4” junior Ryan Pegg. A good shooter, Ryan Pegg made two 3-pointers and a couple of free throws in the third quarter. His second three gave Malvern Prep their last lead of the game, 45 to 43, late in the third quarter. George responded with an 10 to 2 run that spanned the end of the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth period on a hoop inside by Nzeh, a basket inside by 6’ 3” senior Carson Mastin, and three more field goals inside by Nzeh. That gave George a 53 to 47 lead early in the fourth quarter.
A three point play by Malvern Prep’s Williams cut the George lead to 56 to 54. George responded with a 6 to 0 run on two free throws by Bliss, a hoop inside by Nzeh, and a slashing drive by 6’ senior Dante Weise to give them an insurmountable 62 to 54 lead.
For the game, George had a decisive 33 to 24 rebounding advantage, although Malvern Prep had a 12 to 11 rebounding edge in the first half of the contest. George committed eight turnovers to 10 by Malvern Prep. George was 13 of 18 from the free throw line, while Malvern Prep was nine of 11 from the stripe. Both teams made six 3-pointers. There were five ties and 11 lead changes in this high quality game.
George scoring: Christian Bliss 25, Kachi Nzeh 25, Carson Mastin 8, Luke Bevilacqua 7, Dante Weise 5, and Luke Melniczak 3.
Malvern Prep scoring: Ryan Williams 21, Andrew Phillips 20, Ryan Pegg 10, Tague Davis 6, Rowan Miller 4, and Hayden Pegg 2.
Malvern Prep 22 13 12 16-63
George 18 18 15 22-73
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