Huck's Corner Return to TedSilary.com Home Page     Ed "Huck" Palmer is one of our trusty statisticians/observers. He is not to be confused with Tom "Puck" McKenna. (Huck is normal. Puck is not even close. Huck owns Puck when it comes to making picks during FB season -- smile). He will make occasional reports on games he sees. You may contact him at TEDDYCAT10@aol.com.

FEB. 22
CL SOUTH
Neumann 68, West Catholic 45
     Did somebody get the number of that bus? The Burrs (17-8, 8-6) were utterly flattened by the Pirates (18-7, 9-5) who head into the playoffs playing their best ball of the year. Neumann’s offense resembled a lay-up drill throughout. Leading the charge was sr. PG Richard “Tabby” Cunningham (LaSalle signee) who just had his way with the Burrs. He tallied 15 points, 4 assists, and made 5 steals. He got into the lane at will and numerous times made acrobatic shots from in close. Cunningham struggled mightily in the teams’ first contest. He did more than atone for that performance. Sr. 6-4 F Adon El showed why he is one of the more versatile players in the league with his outing today. He notched 10 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, swatted 6 shots (altered many others), and added 4 assists. He just ruled the lane and rarely did the Burrs get a clean or uncontested look in the lane. He put an exclamation point on the win when he took a pass from Cunningham and sent home slam off an alley-oop just before leaving the game. Jr. 6-4 F David Burton scored 17 points (7-for-13 FG’s). He was very prevalent in the lay-up line. He added 8 rebounds and made 4 steals. Sr. 6-5 F Keith Herron, soph 6-4 WG Earl Pettis, sr. WG Michael Haynes and soph CG Derrick “D.J.” Rivera (3 rebounds) combined to shoot 10-for-16 from the field. Pettis chipped in with 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals. Herron showed a nice touch on a couple baseline jumpers. The Pirate defensive intensity was outstanding all afternoon. It seemed like everything West did was contested and pressured. When they are playing defense like this they can be very tough to beat. Neumann enters the playoffs on a roll and will look to avenge two earlier defeats to Roman. Check this out! With 3:05 left in the first quarter I had attempted as many shots as the West team did. ZERO!!! In fact, they ended the quarter with more turnovers, eight, than field goal attempts, seven. Part of the problem was the suffocating Neumann defense, but another factor was internal. Four West starters were benched to start the game for being late for Saturday’s practice for one reason or another. Neumann posted an early touchdown on the scoreboard and they could never recover. The only bright light for the Burrs, like on so many other occasions this season, was the play of sr. 6-4 WG Marshall Taylor. Taylor competed hard, but was a one-man show today. He shot 8-for-15 (1 trey) for a game-high 18 points. He also collected 7 rebounds and made 5 steals. Taylor finished the regular season as the league’s scoring champion (305 points, 21.8 avg.). He became the first Burr to become a scoring champion since Monroe Blakes did it in the ’88 season. Sr. WG Rob Latimer (1-for-10 FG’s, 8 points) was frustrated all afternoon. His frustration showed midway in the fourth quarter when he received a tech for jawing with Cunningham. The rest of the Burrs contributed not much of anything. Though there were spring-like temperatures outside the West offense demonstrated below freezing-like shooting inside. They were a dismal 12-for-49 (24.5%) from the floor. Furthermore, this next stat will blow your mind, make sure you’re sitting down? Take away Taylor’s shooting and the rest of the team hit just 4-of-34 (11.8%). BRRRRRRR!!!!!! Compounding matters was that the Burrs committed 20 turnovers. This West squad enters the playoffs with a considerable limp. They have lost four of five and had a very disappointing final weekend. They will face CL South regular season champs SJ Prep Saturday night. The Burrs lost to the Hawklets twice during the regular season, at home by eleven and then by two at Kelly Fieldhouse.

FEB. 20
CL SOUTH
Carroll 67, West Catholic 58 (OT)
     The Burrs (17-7, 8-5) sr. 6-4 WG Marshall Taylor canned two free throws for a 54-49 lead with :27 seconds left, seemingly putting his team in good position for a victory. However, the Patriots (8-16, 5-8) somehow willed their way to overtime and then seized control for the improbable win. The sequence after Taylor’s free throws went like this. Jr. 6-4 F Darrell Floyd scored in close after the Burrs nearly stole the ball numerous times with :08 seconds remaining. After a Carroll timeout, West sr. WG Rob Latimer was unable to find someone and was forced to call a timeout. Next, Taylor was asked to inbound. With the Burrs still having a TO left he panicked and forced a pass that was stolen by jr. CG Anthony Watson, who calmly stepped back and nailed a game-tying three. With plenty of time left on the clock, Taylor raced down court got into the lane, but had his shot swatted from behind by sr. 6-4 WG Mike Springman. The ball went out of bounds with just under a second left. The Burrs final attempt was a long two that was missed by Latimer. Behind three buckets by Floyd and timely foul shooting from Watson the Patriots seized control and went on to the win. Yes, it was the little-used Floyd and Watson leading the offensive charge for the Pats. Both players hit CL season-highs in points with 15. First, I’ll mention Floyd. This kid played roughly two minutes entering the fourth quarter and was statless. All he did in the next twelve minutes was shoot 7-for-8 FG’s and 1-for-2 FT’s. On three occasions he made acrobatic, up-and-under or reverse moves around the basket. Did I mention that each basket was clutcher than the previous?  He ended up scoring 15 points in just 14 minutes of playing time. Truly remarkable! I don’t know what his story has been all year, but this was the second time I witnessed him do some nice things in a game. Watson was equally as impressive, both on the offensive and defensive ends of the court. He shot 5-for-8 from the field. He also hustled for 6 rebounds, made 5 steals, and dropped 3 dimes. He did a fabulous job in being a pest all night guarding Latimer, the Burrs slashing scorer. Many times he played defensive back, stepping in front of passes for steals. The Pat’s headliner Springman had a rough night offensively. He scored just 9 points on 3-for-15 shooting. However, he did plenty of other things to help his team win. He cleaned the glass for 17 rebounds (8 offensive), had 4 assists, and 4 blocks. No one plays harder than this kid does. Carroll got a nice contribution from sr. 6-3 F Mike Keogh (3 rebs, 2 asst, 2 steals) who shot 4-for-6 (1 trey) for 10 points. Long-range sniper sr. WG Mike Welsh bombed for four treys and 12 points. He shot 4-for-7 from distance, while making three straight in the first quarter. This was a nice win for Carroll and they are actually ending the season playing sound and competitive basketball. This group just has to be kicking themselves for two earlier setbacks, both at home to O’Hara and Bonner (without Carlos Monroe). The Burrs let another one slip away in unconventional style. This was their third overtime defeat of the season. Jr. 6-4 F Derrell Hand (7 pts, 4 rebs) hit a three-pointer midway through the third quarter and the Burrs had a comfortable 35-24 lead. Instead of building upon the lead they got very sloppy with the ball and took some ill-advised shots during a span that saw Carroll score ten straight points. For the Burrs, Taylor did everything but sing the national anthem. He finished with 29 points (9-for-21 FG’s, 9-for-10 FT’s, 2 Treys), 10 rebounds, 5 steals, 3 assists, and 2 blocks. Twice, he calmly shook a defender at the top of the key and nailed treys off the dribble. He scored twelve of his teams’ fourteen fourth quarter points. Latimer (6-for-12 FG’s) did contribute 14 points and 4 rebounds, but committed far too many turnovers with six. Many of the TO’s came when he got himself in trouble trying to make moves in traffic. Sr. WG Hakeem Townsend added 8 points (2 treys) and three apiece of steals and rebounds. As the playoffs approach the Burrs need to get more production out of their role players. These guys need to realize that you don’t have to score to contribute to the cause, but that just playing hard and doing the little things can go a long way. The Burrs will travel to Neumann Sunday afternoon with the winner getting third place in the CL South.

FEB. 19
INTER-AC SHOWCASE TOURNEY (SEMIFINALS)
Penn Charter 51, Episcopal 42
     Wow!!! What a sequence!!! Early in the fourth quarter with the Quakers (20-7) star sr. PG Sean Singletary (Virginia signee) on the bench with four fouls the Churchmen (21-6) unleashed two of the more explosive plays you’ll see at this level just seconds apart. First, soph 6-5 F Gerald Henderson sent home a magnificent one-handed slam off a missed shot. The explosiveness this kid showed coming out of nowhere and then jumping over a couple of defenders was truly amazing. Then, as the Quakers in-bounded the ball, jr. PG Dylan Brown stole the pass, and found soph 6-4 WG Wayne Ellington streaking down the lane with a pass. The highly athletic Ellington rose, rose, and rose some more for a crowd pleasing two-handed slam. This gave the Churchmen a 40-39 lead with 6:26 remaining in the game. This sequence really got the Episcopal faithful into the game, but PC Head coach Jim Phillips did what all good coaches should do and called for a timeout. Thus, giving him a chance to settle his troops down, but more importantly an opportunity to get his star Singletary back into the game. With Singletary back at the helm all the Quakers did was go on a 12-0 run with Singletary being VERY instrumental. On PC’s first possession the Churchmen actually dug-in and played solid defense for over a minute, but then Singletary nailed a tough, fade-away jumper from the foul line to regain the lead. On their next possession frosh. WG Sammy Zeglinski hit a deep trey for a 44-40 lead. After another great defensive stand from PC, Singletary grabbed a rebound then hit sr. 6-9 F Rob Kurz (Notre Dame signee) on a beautiful bounce pass for a lay-up while drawing a foul. Kurz converted and that increased the score to 47-40. Singletary was not finished as he made another lovely pass to soph WG Joe Rauchut for yet another lay-up and a commanding 49-40 lead. The sensational PG then added two freebies before leaving with :22 seconds left. While Singletary was on the court in the fourth quarter Episcopal DID NOT SCOE.  For the game Singletary played just 22 minutes, but to see how dominant and controlling he was check out this stat. When Singletary was on the court the Quakers outscored the Churchman 39-20. A great sign of what a dominant player this kid is. For the game his stats were very modest. He finished with 16 points (7-for-10 FG’s), 6 rebounds, and 3 assists. I just wonder how fortunate the University of Virginia knows they are for landing a player of his caliber. The Quakers other headliner Kurz was just ordinary at best. He totaled 11 points (4-for-12 FG’s), 5 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Tonight, he just never really got in the flow, but there is much to like about his game. He is long and possesses a smooth shooting touch. Rauchut (10 pts, 5-for-6 FG’s) played garbage man all-night and found himself in the right place at the right time quite often. The younger Zeglinski scored all nine of his points on threes. Yes, he did hit a big trey in the late going, but his biggest probably came just before halftime. Episcopal had just netted two foul shots with :03 seconds left, giving them a four-point advantage. Then, after the made free throw Zeglinski took the outlet pass made two dribbles as headed towards the center of the court and launched a desperation half-court shot that found nothing but the twine. What a momentum boost going into the locker room! His brother jr. WG Zack Zeglinski did little on offense but was pest on defense has he held Churchmen sniper sr. WG Brian Shanahan in check. Holding him to 1-for-6 shooting with few clean looks. The dynamic sophomore combination of Henderson and Ellington evenly split 28 points, but had a rather rough shooting night. Henderson went just 6-for-18, while Ellington hit on just 6-of-20. Before the consecutive slam sequence in the fourth quarter it was Henderson who got the crowd out of their seats earlier. He took an alley-oop pass from Shanahan (3 assists) and threw down a vicious slam. It appeared that he just caught the ball a foot or so over the basket and wickedly sent it through the hoop, but his hands barely grabbed the rim. It had a video game look to it. Henderson did collect 9 rebounds and dealt a couple of assist. Ellington added 11 boards and 2 dimes. You just got to love the will, heart, and tenacity that jr. F Joe Rosati shows. Joe’s basketball skills aren’t the greatest, and I’m sure he would admit to this, but his work ethic and competitive drive are unparalleled. Tonight he plugged away for 8 rebounds (6 offensive) which drew raves from the crowd with chants of Joe Rosati, Joe Rosati, Joe Rosati, etc. I said it before, but every team needs a player like this, good job kid! Brown was steady with 4 points, 3 assists, and 2 steals. The Churchmen scored just 14 second half points and shot 6-for-26 (23.1%) in the second half, including a 3-for-17 showing in the fourth. Just like in the first game these teams took care of the ball and combined for just 13 turnovers (EA(6) & PC(7)). This Episcopal squad is probably a year away from making a serious push at an Inter-Ac title. With Henderson and Ellington they might just have the best one-two sophomore combination in the state. At this time next year it could be down right scary in how good this tandem might be. The Quakers have been on an incredible roll during the last month and a half. Saturday afternoon they will try to complete a season that started with some rough edges but has since been very impressive. For those of you who have not seen Sean Singletary this might be your last time to see him locally for some time. I suggest you get out and check this kid out in what should be a great high school game. Besides, all proceeds and donations go to The Philly Six Coaches versus Cancer Foundation. So, get out and support the cause while watching some quality high school basketball.

FEB. 19
INTER-AC SHOWCASE TOURNAMENT (SEMIFINALS)
Germantown Academy 54, Malvern 40
    This was the opener of what I hoped would be an exciting doubleheader between four of the elite teams in our city. In the end, I wouldn’t call either game tremendously exciting, but nonetheless I got a chance to witness some quality hoops that featured some of the best scholastic players in our great city. After a lackluster first half by both squads, it was the Patriots (24-7) who made the proper adjustments and then seized control of the contest in the third quarter. They outscored the Friars (16-12) 19-9 in this stanza and never looked back. I left very impressed with quite a few Patriots. None more so than soph 6-9 C Andrew Ott, who just torched the undersized Friars for 25 points. He shot 12-for-14 from the field with most of his baskets coming from in tight. However, I don’t want to give you the impression that all of his points were scored on put-backs because they weren’t. This kid showed a soft pair of mitts, good footwork, and a move or two that put him in position to get even closer looks at the basket. The Friars had absolutely no answer for him. He also added 8 rebounds and 3 blocks. He will be worth watching in the next two seasons. Jr. 6-6 F Ryan Ayers did not attempt a shot or do much of anything in the first quarter, but slowly came on and showed why he is a D-1 prospect. Ayers finished with 15 points (6-for-10 FG’s, 1 trey), 10 rebounds, and 6 assists. A few times he nicely rose above would-be defenders and calmly knocked down mid-range jumpers. He handled the ball very well and showed a good court sense. I would have liked to see him be a bit more assertive. A player of his caliber shouldn’t let 10 minutes of game time run off the clock before attempting his first shot. I like the fact he showed an unselfish side, but he is just too talented to not get into the action sooner. This kid has nothing short of a bright future in front of him at one level or another. Sr. 6-3 WG Doug Depte (8 points) showed a scorer’s edge coming off the bench and had a couple of key baskets. Sr. PG Larry Sharp certainly won’t dazzle you with spectacular play after spectacular play, but he does get the job done quite efficiently. After a so-so first half it was Sharp’s steadiness at the point that got GA going. He finished with 5 assists and 2 steals. Sr. 6-6 WG Joe Gill (4 pts, 2 rebs. 2 steals, & 2 blocks) did a lot of the little things to contribute. Jr. 6-4 WG Kirk Jones (4 assists) unleashed a couple of beautiful feeds. Once, from the wing he hurled an over-the-head pass on a rope to a teammate for a lay-up. The pass actually whizzed by multiple Friar heads. However, it was his defense that will draw raves after tonight’s game. He did an excellent job in making Malvern’s sr. 6-4 WG Brian Grandieri’s last game a forgettable one. The long and athletic Jones for good parts of the game followed Grandieri all over the court. The Friar star finished his brilliant career with a 4-for-12 showing from the field. He actually hit his first three shots of the game, but was hardly noticeable thereafter. He finished with just 8 points, 3 assists, and a couple of boards. For his career he scored 1,635 points, second in school history and sixth in Inter-Ac career totals. This kid is fundamentally a sound player as you’ll find and he will undoubtedly help a college program next year. Sr. 6-3 F Dan Plunkett led the Friars with 10 points and added 5 rebounds. Sr. PG Sean Dougherty had a steady game with 9 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists. I really appreciate the way the coaches coach and the players play in the Inter-Ac. In my opinion it is as sound and competitive a league you’ll find. However, I do have one small complaint and this was especially the case in the first half of this game tonight. To me it seems that teams play offense sometimes like they're looking for the ultimate possession. The types of possession that run a minute or more off the clock and eight, nine, ten, etc. passes are made. To me it just seems to take away from the athleticism and individuality of some of the league’s better players. Though, this style of play usually does allow for a shot attempt each time down the floor and keeping turnovers to a minimum. Tonight, GA turned it over just eight times and Malvern only seven. With the win GA will now have a third shot of unseating league champ Penn Charter. A win in this game would be great way to end the season and begin looking ahead to next year, where GA should be one of the better teams in the city. This team will return a wealth of talent, including jr. 6-6 F Brian Grimes, who has been out the last weeks with a broken left hand/arm.

FEB. 16
CATHOLIC SOUTH
Neumann 65, Carroll 52
     Fighting for their playoff lives the Patriots (7-16, 4-8) threw all they had at the more talented Pirates (16-7, 7-5), and for three-plus quarters were right there. They actually had a 43-40 lead late in the third quarter, but it was at this moment that Neumann just decided to turn it up a notch and seize control of the game. The Buccos scored the last six points of the third quarter and then the first six of the fourth quarter in a 12-0 run that put them up, 52-43. Carroll had a chance to disrupt this outburst, but failed to capitalize on a golden opportunity. Trailing 48-43, Neumann’s sr. WG Michael Payne was slapped with a tech for arguing a call. Carroll’s sr. 6-4 WG Mike Springman, who is usually reliable at the line, clanked both freebies. Then, the Buccos’ sr. PG Richard “Tabby” Cunningham (La Salle signee) stole the in-bounds pass and found jr. 6-4 F David Burton for an easy lay-up. This sequence went a long way in taking the wind out of the sails of Carroll’s comeback bid. If that wasn’t enough the play that occurred on Neumann’s next possession was the final nail in the coffin. Again it was Cunningham playing a big role. This time he found soph 6-2 CG Derrick “D.J.” Rivera with a lovely pass for a spectacular alley-oop slam. Rivera came out of nowhere to receive the perfect pass and slammed it home with two hands. This sent the Neumann faithful (especially the members of the “Cove”) into a frenzy. Cunningham was extremely solid today. He scored 13 points (3-for-3 on treys), dropped 7 dimes, and made 5 steals. More importantly he committed just a single turnover. He and Rivera were very prominent during their game seizing run. They just turned the defensive pressure up another notch and the Patriots had no answer. Rivera (10 points) hit his last four shots from the floor. Six of these points came in the fourth quarter. What impresses me most about Rivera is his defensive mindset. He is long and ultra-quick, both good attributes to become a menace on the defensive end. Burton scored 8 of his team-high 16 points in the final stanza. He also collected 9 rebounds, had 2 assists, and a couple of swipes. This kid thrives in the open court and is a very capable finisher. Steady sr. F 6-4 Adon El was again is workmanlike self. He went 6-for-10 from the floor for 13 points. He added 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and registered 5 blocks. El routinely blocks shots by using great timing and positioning, rather than supreme athleticism. Plus, he has very long arms. Today, he even knocked down a trey when he trailed the play up court and then hit the triple from straight on. Soph 6-4 WG Earl Pettis (7 pts, 6 rebs) shook off a bad start and contributed in the late going. Carroll was white hot from the arc in the first quarter as four different Pats hit a total of 6-for-9 from distance. However, in the long run they could not keep up such a torrid pace and eventually fell to a more talented Neumann club. Carroll’s leader yet again was Springman. He shot 6-for-13 from the field, including a 4-for-5 showing from distance. Springman’s marksmanship from three-point land hasn’t always been a strong point for him, but that was not the case this afternoon. He finished with 21 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals. Yes, he was his typical gritty self and on more than a few occasions he was hitting the floor or sending an opponent to the floor. Sr. WG Mike Welsh (12 points) knocked down 4-of-10 treys. A few of his misses could be categorized as just misses. Sr. PG Matt Chambers (8 points) hustled and battled for 6 assists, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals. You’ll never hear this kid say that hitting the floor isn’t part of my game. Jr. PG Anthony Watson added 8 points (2 treys) and 3 assists. Carroll took 49 shots from the field. Amazingly 31 were threes! They finished 12-for-31 (38.7%) from distance. A sore spot for the Patriots were the 20 turnovers they committed. Some would say that games involving Carroll this season have had an extremely physical feel to them. For three quarters today that was not the case, but that’s why we play four. There were about fifteen fouls and two techs whistled in the last quarter. The Pirates clinched a playoff spot with the win. This team can and should be very dangerous come playoff time.

FEB. 13
CATHOLIC SOUTH
SJ Prep 53, West Catholic 51
     Early in the second quarter Prep sr. WG John Griffin (Bucknell signee) nailed a long-range trey while being fouled. He converted on the free throw and the Hawklets (19-3, 10-1) had a very comfortable 20-4 lead. The Burrs (16-6, 7-4) seem to be just going through the motions and mostly looked disinterested. The Prep kept the Burrs off-balanced up into the early stages of the fourth quarter. By this point their lead had swelled to 17 points, and the rout was on at 44-27. Suddenly, and out of nowhere West woke up and in ultra-quick fashion scored 13 unanswered points, drawing to within 44-40 with 2:17 to play. The Burrs talented sr. 6-4 WG Marshall Taylor scored on a put-back, drawing a foul. He converted the freebie and West drew even closer at 51-48 with :28 seconds left. Single free throws by Griffin and sr. PG Chris Clark gave the Hawklets some breathing room before Taylor tossed in a highly contested 25-foot banker with 1.9 seconds left. Even with so little time left things did get somewhat hairy for the Prep. Promising soph 6-3 F Reggie Redding, from underneath his own basket sent the in-bounds pass down court, but over the head of his intended teammate. The Burrs soph F 6-4 John Maddox could of easily grabbed the ball, but did the right thing in letting it go, hoping it would go out of bounds. The Prep’s sr. WG Jared Black made a nice, but dangerous play and got his hand on the ball, knocking it off of Maddox. It appeared that Black went through Maddox, slightly pushing him in doing so. All of this took place roughly three or four feet from the baseline. It was Redding, courtesy of some nice feeds from Clark that got the Prep going early. Redding, hit three-straight lay-ups and knocked down a trey on his first four field goal attempts. He scored 11 of his 14 points in the first half. He also hauled-in 11 rebounds, dealt 4 assists, and made 3 steals. Griffin (4 rebs) was a steady force throughout, scoring a team-high 20 points in the game. He shot 7-for-17 (3-for-7 on treys) from the field. This kid is a just a wonderful student of the game and shows a tireless work ethic. At this level you be hard-pressed to find a player who uses and comes off screens as well as he does. He literally needs only inches and a split-second to get his shot off. Clark had a so-so outing, but did shine in the second quarter when he scored 7 of his 10 points. He ended the half when he calmly sunk a trey at the buzzer. He also dropped five dimes in the game. Sr. 6-4 F Mike Kearney was his usual bullying self and did much of the dirty work before fouling out. He scored just 8 points (4-for-6 FG’s), but two of these baskets came in the late going and each extended a four-point Prep lead to six. He battled for 8 rebounds and blocked 2 shots. The Prep really struggled with their shooting in the second half going just 7-for-25 (28.0%). Also, they were only able to knock down 5-of-22 (22.7%) three-point attempts in the game. Rarely, do you see a Prep team struggle this much from the arc. Their free throw shooting was a little suspect in the final stanza as they hit just 6-of-12 attempts. With the win the Hawklets remained in a first place tie with Roman Catholic. The top seed in the Southern Division should be settled on the final day of the regular season when the Cahillites visit Kelly Fieldhouse. Leading the way for the Burrs was Taylor who shot 12-for-24 (3-for-7 on 3’s) from the field on his way to a career-high 31 points. He also snared 13 rebounds (6 offensive), had 2 assists, 2 steals, and blocked 3 shots. For the first 27 minutes it appeared that he was the only Burr on the floor as he scored 22 of his teams first 27 points. Today, he was scoring in an assortment of ways. He hit some treys, pull-up mid-range jumpers, drives along the baseline, and attacked the glass for some put-backs, furthermore proving his all-around versatility. His usual partner in crime, sr. WG Rob Latimer had a day he soon forget. Coming in averaging over 17 points per game, he was held scoreless for the first 28 minutes. He missed his first ten shots before scoring his first points with 3:59 left in the game. To his credit he continued to plug along and scored a total of 9 points in the late Burr run. Overall, he shot 3-for-15 from the floor (0-for-4 on treys). No other Burr did much of anything. Soph WG Chris Mayo did add 5 points and 5 rebounds. West outscored the Prep 26-12 in the final quarter to make a game of it. The Burrs suffered two tough defeats this week, also an overtime heartbreaker to Roman on Monday night. Despite these setbacks the Burrs remain very much in the hunt to make some considerable noise in the CL playoffs. They can clinch a playoff spot at home Monday night on senior night at the Burrdome against Kennedy-Kenrick.

FEB. 12
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Central 55, University City 54
     The Jaguars (13-9, 7-6) just have to be kicking themselves after this one. After trailing early, they seized control in the second quarter behind a 17-4 run and staked claim to a 26-18 lead at intermission. They increased their lead with yet another impressive quarter in the third, and led by thirteen, 45-32 entering the fourth. They were loose, playing with confidence, and aggressive to this point. For some reason they became complacent and slowly watched their lead wilt away. The action and mayhem all started with the Lancers (16-5, 9-4) trailing 51-48 and roughly 2:20 left. Jr. PG Lamar Williams made a nifty steal at halfcourt. Then, he hit Lancer headliner jr. 6-3 WG Scott Rodgers who went in and threw home a dazzling two-handed slam drawing his team to within one, at 51-50. In my opinion, the slam may have deserved a tech. Rodgers, with no Jaguar in the vicinity, hung, tugged, and then swung on the rim. Personally, if I were a ref I would never make this call, but I have seen on more than one-occasion players hit with a tech for doing far less. Immediately after this Williams made yet another steal, but a few seconds later the ball was jarred loose and a swarm of players went to the floor fighting for it. During the skirmish UC’s soph PG Aaron Stephens was nailed for a technical for kicking at a Central player. Through the mass of people I was unable to see the infraction, but the referee was emphatic with his call. What made things even worse for the Jaguars was that the arrow was in favor of them, but Central kept possession because of the tech. Thus, the Jaguars lost out on a possession. Rodgers converted on one-of-two freebies tying the game at 51-51 with 2:05 to play. The Lancers then held the ball before calling timeout with :47 seconds left. They would take the lead, 53-51 when jr. 6-3 F Andre Woodlin put home a follow with :34 seconds remaining. The Jaguars wasted no time and raced down court. Sr. WG Antoine Coaxum hit a leaner from the line while being fouled and then knocked down the foul shot for a 54-53 Jaguar lead with just :24 seconds left. Next, Central came down and had the ball stolen by sr. F Leo Tilghman, who fell to the floor and smartly called a time out before being tied-up. On the subsequent in-bounds Coaxum tried to split a pair of defenders, but was stripped by Williams. The ball fell to the floor and this time a jump ball was whistled, possession to Central, magnifying Stephens’ outburst even more. After a timeout, with :10.9 seconds on the clock, the Lancers found soph 6-3 WG Kenny St. George at the right of the lane. After a slight hesitation he drove hard to the right and easily got high enough to lay the ball off the glass for the lead, 55-54. For some odd reason the Lancers did the Jags a favor and called timeout. Trust me, there was no way UC was going to get up court for a game winning shot. They just had that look of confusion and uncertainty about them. It wouldn’t matter anyhow. With 05:1 seconds remaining Coaxum took the in-bounds pass, dribbled hard up the right side, and found sr. WG Terrence Cutner at the top of the key. He appeared to have a straight-on look, but Woodlin bounced out and got a piece of the shot ending the game. With Drexel Head Coach James “Bruiser” Flint in attendance, Rodgers had a so-so outing. However, he did score 7 of his game-high 16 points during the Lancers' fourth quarter comeback. He shot just 5-for-16 from the field, but added 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Today, he seemed his best when moving forward towards the basket. He completed a couple of hoops while powering into the lane. He has very strong body and is possessed with good athleticism. We’ll be keeping tabs on him, as he is sure to be one of the Pub’s better players next season. I’ve heard some good things about St. George (7 pts, 3 rebs), but today he was invisible for long stretches. Except, of course, his game winning shot. This showed me a lot and is definitely a sign of a clutch and good player. Jr. F 6-3 Malcolm Ingram, who is the brother of former Carroll star Jordan Ingram, showed a nice mid-range touch. He hit 5-of-7 shots for 10 points. I would have liked to seen him get more opportunities, but when you’re not the first or second option, it can be difficult in Central’s deliberate system. Williams was active throughout and contributed 8 points, 6 assists, 5 steals, and 4 rebounds. A pretty impressive line! A couple of times he made nice up-and-under shots in the lane. Woodlin played briefly in the first half, but was a huge factor in the second half, especially late in the game. He scored 4 of his 6 points, grabbed 5 of his 7 rebounds, and made the last second block all in the final stanza. This kid might need some more minutes. Sr. PG Reginald Strickland (2 assists, 2 steals) also contributed off the bench. He scored 8 points (4 in the fourth) in the contest. Much of the Lancers early struggles came because of poor shooting from the arc. They were an icy 0-for-8 in the opening half and finished just 2-for-14 (14.3%) for the game. This group of Lancers is probably a year away from making some serious noise (six of top eight underclassmen), but they may be able to make a rumble in this year’s go-around. For three quarters the Jaguars were a tenacious bunch that just wanted it more than Central. It really caught me by surprise when they started to squander their lead. That’s how hard and well they were playing. They out-rebounded the Lancers 38-29 in the game and not one player that saw time was over 6-2, and that might be stretch. Sr. F Jeffrey Andrepoint (6 pts, 3 assists, 3 steals) was an absolute warrior on the glass. He swept 12 rebounds and just seemed to want it more than anyone else. This kid is just 6-1, but played like he is 6-5. Coaxum, who sat in foul trouble for much of the first half, finished with 15 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 steals. This kid plays with a lot of brass and is very active. Jr. 6-2 F Anthony Morrison was the leader early on for the Jaguars. He scored 12 points, but shot just 4-for-15 from the field. He already possesses a strong body and looks to get to good spots on the floor. He also added 7 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. The 5-10 Cutner caught my attention in pre-game warm-ups. I saw him easily get to the rim on a reverse dunk. He came off the bench to score 15 points and snare 9 rebounds (6 offensive). Let me tell you, these weren’t all floor boards either. One time, he went rose straight up and plucked an offensive board over two taller Central players. Very Impressive! I said sort of out loud, wow that kid can really jump. The UC scorekeeper said, “yeah, he does great dunks, and has mad bunnies.” I concur! I kept waiting for him to get in the open court, but it never happened. Prior to Stephens’ disqualification he did a nice job of running the team. He didn’t have any gaudy stats to back it up, but I got a sense that his future could be bright. Just learn to keep those emotions in check young man. Fortunately, the loss didn’t hurt the Jaguars' playoff chances. They have secured one of the two wildcard spots from Division A/B. However, their seed might not be as good as it could have been if they had not of lost. Their success will greatly depend on their draw, but considerable advancement could be a long shot. They’ll play hard, but they are just so small to compete with some the Pub frontrunners.

FEB. 9
CL SOUTH
Roman 71, West Catholic 69 (OT)
     Hold on a second as I catch my breath! What a wild and entertaining affair we had at the Burrdome tonight. For the second time this season these teams found themselves in an overtime clash and for the second time the Burrs (16-5, 7-3) found themselves on the short end of the score. The Cahilltes (18-3, 9-1) came out victorious in a most unusual and wacky an ending that you’ll ever see. Let's start with the end of regulation. West had a 58-54 lead and the ball with around a minute to play. A steal led to a sr. 6-4 F Charron Fisher (Niagra signee) lay-up, pulling Roman to within 58-56. Then, moments later another steal gave Roman the ball back and with :26 seconds left, sr. 6-4 Scott Mascio tied the game with a drive to the hoop of his own. The Burrs raced down court and sr. WG Rob Latimer drove along the baseline missing a contested shot that was partially blocked by Fisher. Roman rebounded and called a timeout with :12 seconds remaining. They set up a play for their franchise Fisher, who spun and took a short, but difficult bank-shot that did everything but fall through net. Thus, the game went into overtime. The Cahillites seized control early in this session, they eventually led 66-62 with just over a minute to play. The Burrs tied the game on a free throw and a deep trey by sr. WG Hakeem Townsend at 66-66. To say things got nuts at this point would be an understatement. After Townsend’s three, Roman held the ball and then called a timeout with :21 seconds left. The Cahilltes in-bounded the ball to jr. PG Bobby Jordan, who was immediately double-teamed. Not having a teammate to pass to and afraid of a five-second count he called for a timeout. One problem, the Cahillites were out of timeouts. They were assessed a technical and subsequently West was awarded possession of the ball. I know what you’re thinking -- game, set, match, right? No, not even close. Yes, Latimer sank both freebies and then, sr. 6-4 WG Marshall Taylor was fouled with :18 seconds left. However, he missed the first shot before hitting the second. With no timeouts left Jordan took the ball, raced baseline-to-baseline, threw up an improbable scoop shot that somehow found the basket, but here’s the kicker, he was fouled. Wow, talk about going from goat-to-hero in a matter of seconds. He calmly sunk the foul shot to complete the three-point play and we were again knotted at 69-69 with :11 seconds remaining. The Burrs then made an errant in-bounds pass that was stolen by sr. 6-5 F Brent Johnson, he drove hard to the hole drawing the foul with :08 seconds left. He hit the first, and then missed on the second. West called timeout to set up a last ditch effort. Taylor took the pass and dribbled up court, but as he entered the frontcourt multiple Roman defenders surrounded him. This caused him to lose control of the ball and create a held-ball situation with :02 seconds left. Possession arrow, Roman! Fisher hit a free throw and a desperation halfcourt heave by Taylor did what most shots from this distance do at the Burrdome. It ricocheted off the low ceiling and dropped sprinkles of plaster to the court. In a game where Fisher was very, very ordinary his teammates did more than pick-up the slack.  Jordan was rock solid in playing all 36 minutes. He was very steady with the ball and committed just 2 TO’s, while dropping five assists. He shot 6-for-12 FG’s, 3-for-4 FT’s for 15 points. All of his baskets came on brassy drives to the hoop. Sr. WG Andre Sloan-El (QB, Minnesota signee) was very impressive shooting 7-for-13 (2-of-3 3’s) from the floor and a team-high 18 points. Sloan-El (6 rebs) was always a capable shooter from the arc, but tonight he did some slashing along the baseline for a few impressive hoops. Improving jr. 6-4 F Malik Perry (3 assists) toughed-out 13 points on 4-for-6 FG’s and 5-for-7 FT’s. Most of his damage came along the baseline as well. Johnson added 7 points and pulled a game-high 11 rebounds. He was very active on the glass during the first half, where he got 8 of his rebounds. Mascio (2 blocks) had some quality and contributing minutes off the bench, scoring 5 points and grabbing 6 rebounds. Soph. PG Raymond “Doodles” Sims played sparingly in the first 31 minutes of the game. However, after entering the game in the final minute he was very instrumental in disrupting the Burrs. He made three key steals (2 in OT) and a nice driving hoop after returning. I mentioned that Fisher (3 blocks) was just ordinary and that might be putting it mildly compared to his standards. He managed just 11 points, on just 2-for-9 shooting. He was 7-for-9 at the line and claimed 8 rebounds. Much of the credit for his struggles will have to go to West soph 6-4 F John Maddox who fought Fisher tooth and nail throughout the contest. Using his athleticism and long arms he made it extremely difficult for the Cahillite guards to make an entry pass. Maddox, who gives away roughly 75-to-80 pounds to Fisher also took two charges. He was a warrior throughout! Roman shot 15-for-22 (68.2%) in the second half and overtime. Ironically, the two Roman baskets in the final minute of regulation that tied the game was their first, second, and only two hoops of that quarter. Amazing!! The Burrs were once again led by their dynamic-duo of Latimer and Taylor. They combined to score 54 of the Burrs total points on 19-of-39 shooting from the field. The rest of the team went just 6-for-25 (24.0%). Latimer finished with 30 points on 19-for-22 FG’s and 9-for-10 FT’s. He also added 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals. A few times he got right up to the cup and had people wondering how did he do that. What a knack he has to be able to slice and dice through defenders. He actually slows up the closer he gets to the basket, allowing opponents to jump or run pass him. Taylor was equally as impressive scoring 24 points on 9-for-17 FG’s and 5-for-7 FT’s. He added 9 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals. With D-1 assistant coaches in the stands from Temple, Siena, East Carolina, and possibly some others, he did some very nice things. He had a few impressive drives and finishes to the goal and a few more that spilled-out or it would have been a really impressive showing. Townsend (8 pts, 3 steals, 4 rebs) hit two late and clutch threes, but struggled the rest of the way. He clanged on his first five three-point attempts. He seemed to rush his first few attempts and this got him off on the wrong foot, both offensively and then on the defensive end as well. Soph 6-3 F Chris Mayo hustled for 7 rebounds. It wouldn’t surprise me to see these two teams meet again, possibly in the first round of the playoffs. Quite frankly, I would love to see it!!! So far this season they have played two exciting and competitive games, and a third would be far from out of the question.

FEB. 6
CL SOUTH
West Catholic 75, O'Hara 48
     The Burrs (16-4, 7-2) were running on all cylinders early in this one and sprinted out to a 25-6 first quarter advantage. Every starter scored in the first stanza, as the Burrs played unselfishly and did a great job of making the extra pass. They shot 11-for-14 from the field and had eight assists on their baskets. The young Lions (6-13, 3-6) came out in a gimmick defense and put soph. PG Chris Meyers on West star sr. 6-4 WG Marshall Taylor in a box-and-one. Taylor’s teammates did their part and made the Lions pay as they knocked down plenty of open shots. Sr. 6-2 WG Hakeem Townsend (4 rebs, 2 blocks) knocked down three treys in that opening quarter. He shot 6-for-11 (4-for-9 on 3’s) in the game and had a game-high 16 points. Townsend has such a calm and smooth release on his jumpers and is nice third option in the Burrs offense. The Burrs had a balanced scoring attack as seven players contributed at least six points. Sr. 6-2 WG Rob Latimer (6-for-11 FG’s) had 12 points, 5 assists, and 2 steals while playing a nice floor game. A couple of times he nicely broke down defenders before pulling up for short jumpers in the lane. Taylor (11 points, 5-for-8 FG’s) did a great job of staying in the flow of the game despite not getting his usual looks. The Lions abandon the box-and-one after the first quarter. When many kids would look to start shooting, Taylor instead made a concerted effort to find his teammates. He dropped 7 dimes on the night. He also added 4 rebounds and 2 blocks. This kid is really putting together a tremendous senior campaign. He is on pace to accumulate over 400 points, 200 rebounds, 100 assists, 50 steals, and 50 blocks. I bet you be hard-pressed to find more than a handful of players in the area with numbers like this. I believe he should and will get considerable consideration for MVP of the CL South. Complimentary players jr. 6-4 F Derrell Hand (8 pts) and soph 6-3 Chris Mayo (6 pts) were perfect from the field going 7-for-7. Sr. WG Mark Anthony added 9 points on 4-for-6 shooting night. Included in this was a beautiful, driving pull-up along the baseline that found nothing but the bottom of the net. Sr. PG Coty “Buckets” Duckett (his teammates actually call him this) chipped in with 6 points. Deep reserve sr. F Danny Johnston only managed one point, but hustled for 4 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks, and an assist in just 10 minutes of playing time. I just love to see some of the lesser knowns have success. The Burrs welcomed back soph 6-4 F John Maddox (ankle sprain) to the rotation. He shook off some of the rust with some active minutes. The Burrs shot a blistering 33-for-56 (58.9%) from the field and had 21 assists in the game. The Lions actually fought back to within nine at one point in the second quarter, but would draw no closer. They did outscore the Burrs 25-to-11 in that second quarter. Physically and athletically the Lions just could not keep up with West. However, as I stated in an earlier report this team is very young and this experience should benefit them immensely in the next year or two. The Lions top eight players feature just one senior, 3 juniors, and 4 sophomores. Sr. 6-4 WG Matt Campbell nailed both of his trey attempts, but only took three shots in the game. He had 11 points on the night. I like the determination and athleticism that soph CG Anthony Walters (11 pts) showed. He did struggle with his shot, going just 5-for-17. I know it is hard to imagine this kid actually unleashing 17 attempts, but he did. However, he did give constant energy all evening and finished with 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals. Soph 6-3 F Pat Kirby (8 pts) pulled in 8 rebounds and swatted 6 shots during the first half. His skill level is pretty good and I think he can be a solid player in the league over the next two seasons. He will need to get stronger, especially if intends on playing in the post. The scrappy Meyers was his pest-like self with 6 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists. The constant West pressure and the smallish confines of the Burrdome was just too much to ask from such a young player. The Lions shot just 18-for-50 (36.0%) from the field and committed 16 turnovers. The Burrs will now face Roman Catholic with second place in the CL South on the line Monday night at 6:00. If this game is anything like the teams' first meeting, an exciting 75-71 Roman victory in overtime, then you’ll want to make plans to get out to the Burrdome.

FEB. 5
CL NORTH
Dougherty 67, North Catholic 61
     The “Pit” had a buzz tonight that’s been missing for quite some time. Thanks to do DJ booth set-up in the far right corner of the gym and a strong crowd the electricity was circulating throughout the gym. The Falcons (12-8, 6-3) were game much of the time, but the Cardinals (16-3, 9-0) and their three D-1 players were just too much in the end. Dougherty found themselves up by as many as eight, ten, and even fifteen points only to see this scrappy group of Falcons claw their way back into the game. Before you could blink the Cardinals raced-out to an 11-3 lead, but North, a short time later knotted the game at 11. Dougherty behind sr. 6-7 PF DeSean White (Providence signee) 10 first half points kept North at bay and led 29-23 at the intermission. This is when things got interesting. Dougherty expanded their lead to 42-29 midway through the third stanza only to see North draw within 42-37 on some long-range bombing by jr. 6-2 WG John Adamski. Thus, the Cardinals were forced to use a timeout to stop the bleeding. Key moment #1: After the timeout, and before North had their players on the court the referees gave the ball to Dougherty and whistled for play to start. The Cardinals quickly in-bounded and eventually hit White along the baseline, he scored while being fouled by a Falcon who was scrambling to get back into the play. The momentum that North had melted away like a snowball in grandma’s oven.  Shortly thereafter, key moment #2 occurred: The Cardinals sr. PG Kyle Lowry (Nova signee) swooped in and grabbed an offensive rebound and then scored on a reverse lay-up while being fouled by soph PG Nate Edwards (7 pts, 7 rebs). After the call, Edwards slammed the ball on the court drawing a tech, and then had words with the official and was slapped with yet another tech, disqualifying him from the game and more importantly putting his team in a deeper hole. Jr. 6-7 F Shane Clark (Nova signee) deposited three of four fouls shots, Lowry completed the three-point play and the Cardinals had a commanding 52-37 lead in the latter stages of the third quarter. However, there was no quit in these Falcons and they used a 15-3 run to draw within 55-52 with 3:25 left in the game. This though, would be as close as they would get, and behind sr. PG Timmy Smith’s(9 pts, 4 asst, 3 steals, 3 rebs) 6-for-6 from the line in the last minute Dougherty held on and stayed unbeaten in the CL North. White was a tower of strength for much of the game, he shot 10-for-18 from the field and 3-for-3 at the line for a game-high 23 points. He also claimed 10 rebounds, 7 coming on the offensive end. Early on White showed his soft touch in his mid-range game. He demonstrated excellent hands on some tough catches off passes. I really like how he has developed his perimeter game. I even envision him extending it further at the next level. Lowry (6-12 FG’s, 5-7 FT’s) was next with 17 points. He also added 7 assists, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals. This wasn’t Kyle’s best performance (5 TO’s), and I think he would agree, but he hung in there and made enough key plays to help his team to the win. When he is playing at his best he can hurt you in SO MANY ways. I would like to see the Cardinals run a few more sets for Clark (9pts, 7 rebs, 2 blocks). I only remember two specific times that he got the ball in what resembled a set play. Both times he used a dribble or two and then neatly rose above his defender, calmly draining 10-foot jumpers. I would like to see more of this and I think it would behoove Dougherty to make sure they see more it. Sr. WG Thomas Magnum chipped in with 9 points and 2 steals. He looks to play his role rather well by complimenting his star teammates. If it wasn’t for 13 first half turnovers (18 in game) the Falcons may have been much closer or even lead at the outset of the game. Adamski (17 points) nailed 5-of-9 from distance. Each make was prettier than the one before it. This kid has a nice form and can fill it up from well behind the arc. Sr. WG Chalie Evans (4 asst) played hard, but could not get his shot to drop. He shot just 2-for-10 and scored just 6 points. He also committed 6 turnovers, probably from pressing too hard. His team really needed more from him tonight, but he’s a gamer and I’m sure he’ll bounce back. I like frosh. 6-3 F Andrew Pomager, (10 pts, 5 rebs, 2 steals) he has some old school game to him. His most impressive moment came after he snared a rebound, dribbled the length of the court and scored on a driving lay-up over the out-stretched arm of White. It was quite brassy for such a young player. Sr. F 6-5 Ryan Davis (8 pts, 2 blocks, 2 steals) and sr. 6-5 F Paul Chaldek (4 pts, 5 rebs) played well and did many of the little things. Sr. PG Sean Thomson (6 pts, 5 assists) shot 3-for-3, all on drives through the lane. Soph PG Hanif Edwards didn’t have too many stats, nonetheless, I liked his demeanor and toughness with the ball. He didn’t have a single turnover in significant playing time and playing against the likes of Lowry and Smith didn’t appear to deter him. Back to the Nate Edwards outburst. He is a talented kid, but this was totally uncalled for and it is the second time I witnessed this kid exhibit this kind of behavior. He is going to need to do a better job keeping his emotions in check. It’s hurting himself and his team. No matter how short the end of the stick you think you’re getting there is no excuse for acting-out like this. It’s only going to hold you down kid. Only a sophomore, he has plenty of time to improve in this area. This was my first look at Dougherty this year. Obviously, they are very talented and are probably the favorites for the CL Title. However, I wouldn’t call them locks and think that there are a few teams that could give them a tussle from the Southern Division.  The CL playoffs should be very exciting, with some tremendous games looming in the future.

FEB. 5
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Southern 71, Lamberton 55
     In a wild affair the Rams (17-4, 11-0) led from start-to-finish and easily handled the Blue Devils (8-10, 6-5). In terms of fluency this was a topsy-turvy game. At times there was some exciting play, at other times things got really sloppy. The teams combined to commit 46 turnovers, with no fewer than six players committing at least five. This Southern team is just running through the competition in a weak division. My concern with this is that come playoff time their first match-up might be their stiffest test in weeks. There is no denying that they do have talent and plenty of athletes to compete with most, if not all of the teams in the Pub. However, do they have the mental component to do so? Sr. 6-2 PG Antoine “Doo Dirty” Brown is one of the more stable Rams. He can dominate a game without ever looking to shoot. He did hit both of his treys and finished with 7 points, but where he is most comfortable is being a competent floor leader. Today, he finished with 8 dimes, 7 steals, and 4 rebounds. I did like his defensive intensity and with his long arms he easily gets into passing lanes. Jr’s 6-4 WG Kashief Carr and 6-2 WG Amir Ryan mirrored each other today. Both shot 9-for-20 from the field and each scored 20 points. Carr is a high-riser and threw-down a minimum of three dunks off lobs. Ryan did his damage by slashing his way through the lane and to the hoop. Carr added 7 rebounds (4 off.) and 4 blocks, while Ryan chipped in with 4 rebounds and 2 steals. Both of these kids are highly athletic and do have a scorer’s edge to them, but if there is a negative to their games it is shot selection. Often they rushed shots or attempted long shots with their feet on the three-point line. In my opinion, the worst shot in basketball. Sr. 6-5 F Shawn Sabb made the most out of his limited shot attempts and went 5-of-6 for 12 points. He added 7 rebounds and 2 steals. Sabb appears to be much stronger than the last time I saw him and at times bullied the thinner Blue Devil frontcourt. However, I think he needs to be more aggressive and demand the ball more often. Also, I would like to see him be more of a warrior on the glass. Sr. WG Keith Grimes (8 pts) hit two threes and chipped in with 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals in a nice all-around effort. Sr. 6-6 F Steven Rudd might be a wildcard for the Rams. I like his athleticism and while the opposition concentrates on the Rams headliners, I think he might be able to do some damage. In the form of blocking shots and pounding the offensive glass. He collected 8 rebounds (4 off.), 3 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks. Jr. PG Jalil Harris (3 asists, 3 steals) started in place of Brown. Head Coach George Anderson, after Brown had to leave practice early the day before used this opportunity to give Harris the start. Not as a punishment to Brown, but more of chance for Harris to gain some experience. With the playoffs approaching Anderson is concerned about the PG position if Brown were to get in foul trouble. He thought this kind of experience would suit his team well in the long run. This Southern squad has possibilities to make a serious run deep into the playoffs. This will depend on how much they play as a team and which guys will be able to sacrifice individual stats for the betterment of the team. Stay tuned!! By the time Lamberton hit their stride they were down twenty. They did draw to within 50-42 in the third quarter, but Southern scored the last four points of the quarter and they would get no closer. Sr. 6-3 WG Harold Hall had a dismal first half (0-for-8 FG’s) before heating up in half number two. He hit three consecutive threes during the third quarter. He finished just 4-for-14 FG’s, but connected on 4-of-9 from distance for a team-high 15 points. He added 5 rebounds and used his long arms to swipe 7. Despite the rough shooting day he did compete very hard. Sr. 6-3 F Chris Clahar was next with 11 points for the Blue Devils. He used his strong body to muscle around a few Ram defenders for scores. He only had one rebound, and that is unacceptable.  I was impressed with jr. PG Robert Phillips who hustled for 8 points, 7 assists, 6 steals, and 6 rebounds. This kid just loves to penetrate into the lane. He also played hard and didn’t quit until the final buzzer. Jr. PG Tim Barlow (6 pts, 2 asst, 2 steals) showed some spunk, but was called for a silly technical. Jr. 6-5 F Courtney Temple (4 pts. 4 rebs) has some athleticism and is worth watching. It was good to see Lamberton Head Coach Mitch Kurtz again. I worked with Mitch at a sports camp a few years back and had a ball doing so. This was my first look at Clahar and sr. WG Brian Robinson in Lamberton uniforms. I became familiar with these kids during their time at West Catholic. Kudos to Lamberton manager/scorekeeper Annie Johnson for all of her help prior to the game. She insisted on some sink and here it is.