Central Dauphin Defeats Archbishop Ryan 78 to 64 to Remain Unbeaten: Kehler on Hoops

Central Dauphin defeated host Archbishop Ryan 78 to 64 in the feature game of the second day of the Scholastic Play-by-Play Network’s Kobe Bryant Classic on Sunday evening in Philadelphia.  The prestigious event was held at Archbishop Ryan for the first time ever.  It is rare for a PIAA District 3 team to play a regular season game on the floor of a Philadelphia Catholic League team, so this was a particularly special win for Central Dauphin.  It was the third game in three days for Central Dauphin and the second game in two days for host Ryan.

 

It was an uptempo game from the start.  Ryan drew first blood with a 3-pointer by 6′ 5″ senior Brandon Russell, but, shortly thereafter, CD took the lead at 4 to 3 on a reverse layup by 6′ 2″ sophomore Shakur Starling.  3-pointers by 6′ 4″ senior Wayne Fletcher II and Starling gave Central Dauphin a 10 to 5 lead.  Outstanding offensive play by Ryan’s Semaj Stone, a 6′ 3″ sophomore, and Seth Gaye, a 6′ sophomore, kept Ryan close in the first period.

 

Ryan opened the second quarter with a 9 to 2 run on a free throw by 6′ 6″ freshman Jaylin Avery, a 3-pointer by Gaye, a 3-pointer by Avery and a fast break layup by Avery to give the home side a 25 to 24 lead.  Central Dauphin then responded with a 9 to 2 run of their own on a jumper by Fletcher, a 3-pointer by 6′ 5″ junior Jelani Easter, two free throws by Easter, and a fast break layup by 6′ 3″ sophomore Khalil Roberts.  That made it 33 to 27, Central Dauphin.  

 

Trailing 37 to 33 at halftime, Archbishop Ryan dominated both boards for the first four minutes of the third quarter, during which time CD got no rebounds.  Fueled by outstanding rebounding, Ryan tied the game at 48 midway through the third frame on a free throw by 6′ 7″ junior Malik Hughes.  Seconds later, Ryan went up by one point on a free throw by Russell.  Trailing 49 to 48, and from that point doing a better job on the boards, Central Dauphin launched an 8 to 0 run to take command of the game.  The decisive run started with a couple of free throw by Fletcher, followed by a clutch 3-pointer from the left corner by 5′ 10″ junior Kyle Sucheski, and a 3-pointer by Fletcher.  Sucheski’s 3-pointer was the turning point of the game, breaking a strong Ryan surge and giving a visible lift to the visitors.  Fletcher was difficult for Ryan to contain throughout the contest.

 

Leading 56 to 50 late in the third quarter, Central Dauphin went on another run, this one 7 to 0 and extending into the final frame, on a hoop by Fletcher, a couple of free throws by Starling, and another 3-pointer by sharpshooter Sucheski.  That made it 63 to 50, Central Dauphin, and Ryan couldn’t recover.  CD slowed the game down in the fourth quarter, and Ryan committed some fouls in an unsuccessful attempt to get closer.

 

Superbly coached Archbishop Ryan has been one the most outstanding teams in recent years in the Philadelphia area.  This year’s squad starts just one senior, and the team is certain to do well as the season progresses.  This was a major win for talented and cohesive Central Dauphin, who will play two other non-league games in southeastern Pennsylvania this season, and should be a contender for the Mid Penn Conference title and for the PIAA District 3 Class 6A championship.

 

For the game, both teams had 28 rebounds and 11 turnovers.  Central Dauphin was 21 of 27 from the free throw line, and Archbishop Ryan was 15 of 19 from the stripe.  Central Dauphin made seven 3-pointers, while Ryan scored five times from beyond the arc.  There were two ties and five lead changes.

 

Central Dauphin scoring: Wayne Fletcher II 23, Shakur Starling 21, Khalil Roberts 10, Richard Chase 9, Jelani Easter 7, Kyle Sucheski 6, and Jaxson Davenport 2.

 

Archbishop Ryan scoring: Brandon Russell 15, Semaj Stone 14, Malik Hughes 13, Jaylin Avery 7, Seth Gaye 5, Jack McMullin 3, and Matt Johnson 3. 

 

Central Dauphin 22 15 23 18-78

Archbishop Ryan 16 17 17 14-64

 

Central Dauphin is now 3-0, while Archbishop Ryan is 2-2.

 

On X (formerly Twitter): @david_kehler