Pennsbury takes step toward second straight District I final

Fairless Hills — So far so very good for the Pennsbury High basketball team in its quest to reach a prestigious PIAA District 1 Class AAAA final for the second year in a row.

Receiving tremendous guard play tonight (Feb. 18) from the dynamic duo of Mekhi Bryant and Cameron Jones, Pennsbury breezed into the quarterfinal round with a convincing 55-41 win over what had been a red-hot Downingtown West team.

With the win over the Whippets, the Falcons earned a spot in the upcoming PIAA Tournament.

Next up for seventh-seeded Pennsbury is a game at second-seeded Methacton on Saturday afternoon at 1:30. For those who can’t make it, the game will be broadcast live on WBCB 1490 AM.

Although the Whippets (21-5) did mount a bit of a third-quarter run to close within eight points, Pennsbury was pretty much in control throughout. It all started with a defense that limited Downingtown West to 13 first-half points and also triggered Pennsbury’s running game.

“We thought going in we could pressure them,’ Pennsbury’s coach Bill Coleman said. “Our guys bought into it — and it worked.’

Bryant was particularly hot in the early going, opening the game with a 3-pointer and then converting a layup at the first-period buzzer to finish with 10 points in the first eight minutes. He led the team with 20 points.

Pennsbury scored only four points in the second quarter, but it really didn’t matter because Downington West had only six against the relentless Pennsbury pressure.

When Downingtown West scored seven straight points at the start of the third quarter, it looked like the Chester County team might be back in the game.

Guess again as Jones exploded for 12 of his 14 points, including four three-pointers, two of which came in the final two minutes of the third period.

After being held in check for much of the game, Pennsbury center Derrick Woods got going in the fourth quarter with two slam dunks, including an emphatic reverse two-handed jam to punctuate the evening.