Perkiomen Defeats George 79-77 in OT for PISAA State Championship: Kehler on Hoops

Written by: Dell Jackson on February 27, 2023

Perkiomen Defeats George 79-77 in OT for PISAA State Championship

Perkiomen defeated George 79 to 77 in overtime on Sunday afternoon in the Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association (PISAA) state championship game at St. Joseph’s U. in a contest with more twists and turns than a Ross Thomas spy novel. The deciding points were two free throws scored with 1 second left in overtime after a technical foul was called on George. This was a very close game from the opening whistle: there were 11 ties and 22 lead changes. The biggest lead of the afternoon was just six points. For those unfamiliar, the PISAA competition is for private schools that are not members of the PIAA. Perkiomen is located in Pennsburg, in Montgomery County, while George is in Bucks County, in Newtown. This was a game of great quality, with very talented, well-coached squads.

George is one of the tallest teams in Pennsylvania, with a squad that includes 6’ 11” sophomore Luke Bevilacqua, 6’ 10” senior Kachi Nzeh, and 6’ 4” junior Christian Bliss. However, George did not have a height advantage in this game, as five Perkiomen players are between 6’ 6” and 6’ 9” tall. It was clear from the early going that Perkiomen’s height caused problem’s for George’s offense. But, Perkiomen defenders were not just tall; they were smart, aggressive, and quick. Perkiomen defenders keyed on George’s Bliss, repeatedly double teaming him when he had the ball. On offense, Perkiomen was able to score both from close to the hoop and from long range. Six different Perkiomen players scored from beyond the arc, including several of their taller guys. Perkiomen’s offensive versatility was a challenge to George defenders. George, as in previous games this season, played various defenses against Perkiomen. Both teams ran a lot, and the game was mostly uptempo.

As the game progressed, neither side was ever in control of the contest. Neither squad made much of an attempt to spread the court to widen significantly defensive gaps. However, the game did not have much flow to it, due to the officiating. There were 64 free throws taken in the contest, far more than ideal in a state championship game. The frequent whistles resulted in a choppy game, impeding, at various times, the momentum of both teams. It was not so much that the whistles harmed the chances of one side more than the other, but that it would have been a better game if the refs had been a lesser part of it.

If there was a turning point in the game, it was George’s Luke Bevilacqua’s foul trouble. Even with their outstanding 6’ 11” junior on the bench, George kept in the game, and they occasionally got small leads. But, George didn’t rebound as well without Bevilacqua on the court, and, lacking much squad depth, they missed Bevilacqua’s ability to score both in close and from long range.

This game had clutch play after clutch play. When one team forged ahead by a few points, the other would quickly respond. Guys on both teams were repeatedly willing to take shots in crucial situations; no one was afraid to step up in this game. Perkiomen had five guys capable of scoring on the court for every minute of this game. Every Perkiomen player had to be defended. From the fourth quarter on, George’s offense was largely focused on Bliss.

Early in the fourth quarter, a couple of Bliss free throws put George up 60 to 57. Perkiomen responded with the biggest scoring run of the game—seven points—on a drive by sophomore Gabriel Tanner, a 3-pointer by 6’ 8” junior Brant Byers, and a hoop inside by 6’ 9” senior Thomas Haugh. That made it 64 to 60, Perkiomen. Then, George’s Bliss made two free throws, and Perkiomen countered with two free throws by Haugh. With 1:57 left in the fourth quarter, a drive by Bliss cut Perkiomen’s lead to 66 to 64. Then, George rebounded a Perkiomen miss, leading to a hoop by Bliss to tie the score at 66. Following a Perkiomen turnover, two free throws by Bliss put George up 68 to 66 with 56 seconds left in the fourth quarter. A clutch jumper by 6’ 6” Perkiomen junior Robert Rosenberg, who was clutch all afternoon, sent the game into overtime with the score tied at 68.

Perkiomen scored the first five points in overtime on two free throws by Tanner and a 3-pointer by 6’ 8” junior Malcolm Emory. George responded with two free throws by Bliss, then Perkiomen scored on a drive by junior point guard DeMajh Salisbery. That made it 75 to 70 in favor of Perkiomen. Then, George recaptured the lead 76 to 75 on a six point run on a 3-pointer by 6’ sophomore Luke Melniczak, a free throw by Kachi Nzeh, and two free throws by Bliss. Perkiomen retook the lead, 77 to 76, on two free throws by Salisbery. On George’s next possession, their shot was blocked, and Perkiomen got the rebound but committed a turnover. In the waning seconds of overtime, George tied the score at 77 on a free throw by 6’ senior Dante Weise. With a second left in the game, a George player mistakenly called a time out when the team was out of time outs, a technical foul. Perkiomen’s Rosenberg made both free throws for a 79 to 77 victory. It was an odd ending to a fiercely competitive state championship game.

Perkiomen out-rebounded George 39 to 29. Perkiomen committed 16 turnovers, and George had nine miscues. Perkiomen was 16 of 19 from the free throw line, and George was 33 of 45. Perkiomen made nine 3-pointers, and George made six shots from beyond the arc.

Perkiomen scoring: Robert Rosenberg 20, Gabriel Tanner 19, DeMajh Salisbery 13, Thomas Haugh 9, Brant Byers 8, Priest Ryan 5, and Malcolm Emory 5.

George scoring: Christian Bliss 29, Kachi Nzeh 21, Carson Mastin 12, Luke Melniczak 9, Dante Weise 4, and Luke Bevilacqua 2.

George 16 16 19 17 9-77
Perkiomen 17 19 16 16 11-79

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