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Pennsbury Defeats Council Rock North 44-33: Kehler on Hoops
 

Pennsbury Defeats Council Rock North 44-33: Kehler on Hoops

Written by: Dell Jackson on February 9, 2023

 

Pennsbury Defeats Council Rock North 44-33

Pennsbury came from behind to defeat Council Rock North 44 to 33 in the final regular season game for these Suburban One League Patriot Division rivals, both of which are in the PIAA Class 6A classification. The Pennsbury and Council Rock districts are contiguous in central Bucks County.

This was a tactical game, with both teams playing deliberately on offense, working for good shots. Rock North had a height advantage in this matchup, and they exploited it the first quarter, building a 12 to 3 lead in the early stages of the game. Rock North played a 1-3-1 zone throughout the contest, and it took some time for Pennsbury to devise a response. Three field goals in the latter part of the first quarter by Pennsbury senior Ty Kocak got them back into the game. Rock North led 14 to 9 after eight minutes of play.

The 1-3-1 zone defense is vulnerable to shots from the baseline corners, from attacks on the baseline, and from shots behind the elbows, and Pennsbury began to find the range in the second quarter. However, Council Rock North continued to have success against Pennsbury’s man-to-man defense, with five different Rock North players scoring from the field in the second quarter. Rock North led 25 to 18 at halftime, but it was a tenuous lead, as it seemed only a matter of time until Pennsbury’s 3-pointer attempts would hit paydirt.

Rock North’s offense sputtered in the second half, scoring only three two point field goals and a couple of free throws in the final 16 minutes of the game. Pennsbury, on the other hand, came out blasting in the third quarter, notching 15 points in the frame, with three different players scoring from beyond the arc. With 2:06 left in the third quarter, Pennsbury tied the game at 28 on a baseline drive by junior Connor Taddei. With 1:10 left in the third frame, Pennsbury took their first lead of the game, 30 to 28, on a jumper by Kocak. Rock North tied the game at 30 on a hoop by senior Jack Blum, but Pennsbury then took the lead for good on a 3-pointer by Kocak.

Rock North had no offensive flow in the second half of the game, and, when they fell behind late in the third quarter, they had no effective answer. Rock North stayed in their 1-3-1 zone, and, with 3:55 left in the game, Pennsbury went to a four corners offensive set. That paid immediate dividends, as Ryan Zimmerman scored on a dunk to give Pennsbury a 36-31 lead. On their next possession, still using the four corners set, Pennsbury scored on a hoop inside by junior Sam Callahan, then Pennsbury scored on a couple of free throws by Taddei to make it 40 to 31 in favor of Pennsbury. Rock North then started fouling, but that never works, and Pennsbury made all of their free throw attempts down the stretch.

For the game, Pennsbury had a slight rebounding edge, 25 to 23. Pennsbury committed nine turnovers to eight by Council Rock North. Pennsbury was eight of 14 from the free throw line, while Rock North was two of five. Pennsbury made five 3-pointers, and Rock North made three, all of which were scored in the first half. There were two ties and one lead change.

Pennsbury scoring: Ty Kocak 22, Connor Taddei 10, Dan Cohen 5, Mike Roccograndi 3, Ryan Zuckerman 2, and Sam Callahan 2.

Council Rock North scoring: Micah Oxley 8, Adam Mahtat 7, Jack Blum 7, Tyler Rodowicz 4, Oliver Schaefer 3, Cole McCarthy 2, and Luke Blum 2.

Pennsbury has now won six consecutive games, and they captured the championship of the Suburban One League Patriot Division. They concluded their regular season with a 16-6 record, and their next game is on Friday at home against North Penn in the Suburban One League playoffs. Pennsbury has qualified for the PIAA District 1 Class 6A tournament which begins later this month. Council Rock North finishes with a 12-10 record.

Pennsbury 9 9 15 11-44
Council Rock North 14 11 5 3-33

On Twitter: @david_kehler

 

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