Arbogast, Penncrest rise to tall challenge in states opener

WHITEMARSH — Matt Arbogast stepped to the perimeter Friday, accepted a pass, turned toward the basket and wondered where everybody had gone.

The Penncrest forward, a key to the Lions’ continuing successful season, didn’t see a defender in his face. Or within a foot. Or two. Or three. Or anywhere.

“It was different,” Arbogast said. “So I just thought, ‘Get to the hoop.’”

Though it didn’t happen immediately, it happened enough late at Plymouth Whitemarsh for Arbogast and the Lions to punish a strangely risky Wallenpaupack defense in a 53-42 first-round victory in the PIAA Class 5A boys basketball tournament.

Determined to defend with diligence everywhere else, the Buckhorns were content to plant center Gabe Springer in the lane. That allowed Arbogast, or any one Lion at a time, to not be defended at all.

The gimmick worked only to a point. That point came in the second half when Arbogast wrestled inside for all of his nine points and help reject a late Wallenpaupack push. More, the 6-4 Arbogast made a vital steal with 3:03 left to preserve a 10-point Lions lead, then had two massive rebounds in the final 1:30 to show that he was big enough to meet the challenge to play underneath.

“I like playing against those types of kids,” Arbogast said. “The energy comes out. There was a little smack talk here and there. But that was about it.”

There was talking, and there was playing. And as for the 22-7 Lions, they will play again Tuesday against Archbishop Wood, a 52-41 first-round winner Friday over Holy Ghost Prep.

“It’s hard,” Lions coach Mike Doyle said of Wood. “It’s recruited kids. It’s not neighborhood kids. It’s a different animal. I wish the PIAA would ‘split’ them. It’s all recruited. We’re all 19063 Media. And it’s going to be a Tri-State All-Star team that we’re playing.

“Maybe we will channel a little Jimmy Lynam.”

Doyle, a former assistant coach at Saint Joseph’s, regularly hosts Lynam as a visitor at his practices. Known for running the “four to score” and upsetting DePaul in the 1981 NCAA Tournament, Lynam’s influence was evident Friday when the Lions spread the floor in a similar style to frustrate the Wallenpaupack defense.

Though the Lions opened an 11-2 lead and enjoyed a 31-14 halftime edge, the Buckhorns would inch within 35-30 on a pair of Springer third-quarter free throws. Consecutive Arbogast buckets, however, allowed Penncrest to take a 39-30 lead into the final eight minutes.

“He’s our second-leading scorer,” Doyle said. “He shoots an amazing 70 percent from the field. But everything is in the paint. Give them credit for backing up the paint. But we said, ‘No, they are going to have to play you.’ And he really, really gave us a lift when we were struggling there in the third quarter. And we really needed him. He really stepped up.”

Marquis Tomlin led the Lions with 15 points, including 13 in the first half, nine on 3-pointers.

“Marquis has been working hard,” Doyle said. “He stepped up and knocked down some jump shots.”

Elijah Rosenthal bagged 15 points for Wallenpaupack, which finished its season at 18-8. But Isaiah Rice limited the talented guard to 14 shots.

“That kid scores 23, 27 every night,” Doyle said. “And Isaiah completely got after him.”

With Tomlin hitting from deep, Arbogast careening around underneath and Rice accepting that defensive challenge, Malcolm Williams nicely engineered the spread offense, going 6-for-6 from the line in the second half and supplying 14 points.

“We pushed through the second half, fought it out,” Arbogast said, “and got that win.”

The Lions also received a jolt of optimism.

“We have chemistry,” Arbogast said. “Everybody is trusting each other. Everybody is making shots. Guards are making shots. Bigs are making shots. Everybody is making shots.

“There is something special right now.”