District 2 Boys 5A Quarter-Final (Crestwood vs. North Pocono)
Written by: Jon K on February 22, 2023
February 21, 2023
Trojans Make Advantage Last to Advance
Boys 5A Quarter-Final: North Pocono 53, Crestwood 41
By Phil T.
MOUNTAIN TOP – In a game that was tightly contested within five points for most of the night, the Trojans were led by Chris Walsh to secure the 53-41 victory and earn a trip against top seed Abington Heights on Friday night.
Midway through the second frame Walsh would give his team the decisive lead, but the Comets would refuse to fade away.
Neither team entered the game in prime shooting form as the scoreboard was blank until Drew Sechleer drilled a triple at the 4:26 mark for the Comets in the opening stanza. The bucket appeared to also provide the spark North Pocono needed as Keegan Litts would drive to the hoop on the ensuing possession, but their offensive drought would continue.
After another minute of no scoring led to Walsh making his first triple only to see Chaz Wright go down the court and score for the Comets.
Something must have been said on the benches because two different teams came out of the huddle to start the second quarter.
The low scoring opening frame quickly became a thing of the past as Mason Czapla broke the 5-5 tie with a mid-range jumper just 40 seconds into the period.
The teams would trade buckets several times, Walsh making two field-goals and Brandon Burbank securing the offensive board and putback, bringing the crowd to life.
Walsh would show his form by scoring seven consecutive game points, 12 straight points for the Trojans, as he opened up a 14-9 lead for North Pocono.
Derek Johnson would put an end to Trojans’ run with a trip to the foul line, only being able to convert one his two attempts though. Ty Lafave would pump North Pocono right back with a running layup.
As the two-minute mark arrived, both teams began to look to make a big play, but made a series of miscues. On three consecutive possessions, the ball would simply be handed over to the opponent without a shot being attempted.
Eventually both contestants would be able to regain their focus, but not their shooting form that was seen up to this point. In the last two minutes of the first half, Burbank would provide the only scoring with a layup and a successful “‘and 1” free throw.
Despites both team’s shortcomings and hot-streaks, North Pocono would only carry a one-possession advantage (16-13) into halftime.
Coming out of the break, the Trojans appeared in control, but Crestwood never stopped competing. Both teams would alternate scores on the first ten points until a Litts post move allowed NP to extend their lead to seven points.
We would soon go back to trading buckets with a layup from Matt Sklarosky, a post up from Lafave, and spin move from Burbank saw the deficit reduced to five points.
A late triple from AJ Nemitz would cause the NP bench to erupt, but Sechleer would answer back with a triple of his own that brought the Crestwood fans back to life. In the waning seconds, the ball was in Sechleer’s control again, but he was unable to put his shot on target forcing the Comets to overcome a five-point deficit heading into the final frame.
Sechleer would make good on his next attempt, hitting a mid-range jumper that cut the deficit back down to a single possession.
Another bucket from Nemitz would give NP breathing room again, but the Comets appeared reenergized and Burbank was ready to cut back into the Trojan lead after he earned a trip to the charity stripe. Burbank would convert his first attempt, that increased the excitement in the gym, but he would miss his ensuing attempt.
After scoring the 12 of the Trojans’ first 14 points in the game, Walsh had been held quiet.
Following the missed foul shot, Walsh would take the ball down the court and drive to the hoop. Then, after a scoreless Crestwood possession, Walsh took the ball again to give his team another score. He would proceed to score the game’s next bucket, six straight points, and give the Trojans their first double-digit lead.
Johnson would eventually halt the run with a floater, but Matt Serdita would add his name to the scoresheet to put NP back up by ten and force a Comet timeout.
Crestwood would use the timeout to get their defense reorganized and it worked. The Comets brought back the classic Atherton pressing defense causing havoc for North Pocono, but the issue was on the other side of the ball. While NP couldn’t figure out how to move the ball, Crestwood couldn’t figure out how get the fall into the basket. The Comets would miss two field-goals and four foul shots in the set.
The Comets had to resort to a run and gun offense and it did not succeed. A triple from Sklarosky cut the deficit to six points, but Walsh would respond with the next five points to regain a double-digit lead.
Crestwood would never threaten again as North Pocono would go on to win 53-41.
Chris Walsh’s timely scoring bursts would lead to a game high 25 points in his double-double effort, finishing with 10 rebounds. AJ Nemtiz would finish the contest with 11 points in his team’s victory. Although he didn’t record his two buckets until late in the game, Matt Serdita came off the bench and made a difference by forcing 5 steals, assisting on 3 other field-goals and bringing down 5 rebounds.
Drew Sechleer had a team-high 12 points in the win. Brandon Burbank recorded 10 points, before leaving the game with an injury.
With the win, North Pocono advances to the District 2 AAAAA Semifinals where they’ll face Abington Heights on Friday. The winner of that game will secure their spot in the upcoming PIAA State Tournament and play for the district title; both North Pocono and Abington Heights took the district runner-up spot in the previous two district playoffs. Both teams should be familiar with each other as they faced off less than a month when Abington Heights used a dominant second quarter, outscoring their opponent 26-7, en route to a 65-49 victory on their home court.
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