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District 2/3 Boys Game Recap (Abington Heights vs. Berks Catholic)
 

District 2/3 Boys Game Recap (Abington Heights vs. Berks Catholic)

Written by: Jon K on January 8, 2023

 

 

January 7, 2023

 

Saints Outlast Comets

 

Berks Catholic 62, Abington Heights 52

 

By Phil T.

CLARKS SUMMIT – After witnessing an opening frame that featured six lead changes, fans knew that neither teams’ undefeated record was achieved by chance.  Both teams, Berks Catholic (10-0) and Abington Heights (9-0), entered the day riding high on early season success.

Heading into the final period, Berks Catholic held a 14-point advantage over Abington Heights and many fans already accepted that the Comets would be the one to walk away with a blemished record.  But accepting a loss was not in the cards for the Comets as they sprinted out on 11-2 spurt to start the final stanza.

Unfortunately, the hot-hand began to cool and Abington wasn’t able to draw any closer as Berks walked away with their undefeated record (11-0) intact with a 62-52 victory.

The Comets last walked off the court 16 hours prior to Saturday’s contest with a 66-51 victory over top rival Scranton Prep and although Abington led early and continued to threaten in the second half, fatigue began to set in as the Saints began to find their stride.

Robby Lucas got the game started with a post move, but the excitement was only beginning.  Jack Miller would respond with a triple to put the Saints in front.  Will Marion would reclaim the lead by picking off an errant Berks pass and taking it all the way for the finish.  Josiah Jordan would change the front-runner with a putback bucket, only to see it swapped with Mason Fedor getting a putback hoop on the ensuing possession.

After another Jordan bucket for the Saints, Abington Heights would hold the ball for the final shot of the quarter.  The Comets’ attempt would be swatted away with a block, but fortunately for them the ball would bounce out of play with a little more than a second left on the clock.  On the ensuing inbound pass, Ryan Nealon would find Marion cutting to the basket and the two would connect to give the Comets a 12-11 advantage.

Berks Catholic would begin to establish separation in the following stanza.  Kevin Lawlor would come off the bench and open the scoring in the frame, but the dagger would come from Ryan Koch’s lethal range from beyond the arc.

After missing both his attempts from the 3-point land in the opening period, Koch would connect on three consecutive buckets for the Saints, all from beyond the arc to cap BC’s 12-3 run to start the second period that put them ahead 23-15.  Beginning to see the game slip away just a bit for his team, AH head coach Ken Bianchi immediately called for a timeout to allow his team to reset.

The Comets broke down their mistakes and came out of the huddle refocused.  Playing with a renewed defensive focus, Abington was able to halt the Berks run and go on one of their own.  With contributions from Patrick Walsh, Marion, and Nealon, the Comets would go on a 10-0 run midway through the period to put them back on top of the scoreboard, 25-23.

A 6-point scoring spurt from Joshua Mckoy would prove to be the difference as the Saints took a 31-28 advantage into the break.

A layup from Jaxon Geddio and another triple from Koch would quickly spot the Saints an 8-point lead to start the second half.  AH would battle back and chip away the deficit to four points for most of the frame, but at the two-minute mark of the third period Berks Catholic would begin to seize momentum and full-control.

With scores from Miller, Jordan, Koch and Kingston Mckoy. the Saints ended the third quarter on a 12-0 run and gave them a commanding 51-35 lead heading into the final eight minutes.

Marion and K. Mckoy would trade buckets to start the final period, but Jordan Shaffer would bring life back to the Comets bench with three consecutive triples to pull them to within seven points.  Berks Catholic would respond with a timeout.

The timeout would prove to be well-timed as it allowed the Saints to settle down and slow the game down to their advantage.

Abington Heights would continue to play strong and Berks Catholic would keep giving them opportunities by not converting their chances at the charity stripe.  The missed foul shots ultimately wouldn’t cost Berks as they would complete a 62-52 victory and move to 11-0 on the season.

Ryan Koch led the Saints to victory with a 19-point, 8-rebound performance.  Josiah Jordan added 16 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists in the contest.

Mason Fedor led Abington with a double-double performance, scoring 14 points and bringing down 13 rebounds.  Will Marion scored 13 points and came up with 3 steals for the Comets.

Midway through the first quarter Abington Heights forward, Robby Lucas, went down with an apparent ankle injury after a scrum for a rebound.  Lucas would limp off the court under his own power, but he wouldn’t return to the game.

Although Abington’s win streak ends at nine games, a loss to Berks Catholic (the top-rated 4A team from District 3) is nothing to lament.  The Comets will return to Lackawanna League Division 1 action when they host Valley View on Tuesday night.  The Cougars come into the match with a 2-0 divisional record, which ties them with the Comets at the top of the standings.

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