Tappen, Trojans too much for Norristown
WEST NORRITON >> The Norristown boys basketball team came out of the half, trailing by three to Wissahickon, and scored more points than it did in the entire first half. The Eagles tallied 21 points in the quarter, with Darryl Carr having 11 and Roy Green nine.
Unfortunately for the home team, Wissahickon had Alex Tappen. Tappen scored 20 points in the quarter, going 6-for-6 from three-point land and helped his team to a 67-61 win at Norristown Area High School Tuesday night in a Suburban One League American Conference matchup.
“I had the hot hand and my teammates did a great job of getting me the ball and giving me opportunities,” Tappen said. “Driving, kicking, allowing myself to get open. It was special. It was a great quarter for us and it was a game-changer for the rest of the game.”
“I told our guards that Norristown is an athletic team,” Wissahickon coach Kyle Wilson said. “So our playmakers need to have the ball in their hands more. Our shooters – like Shane Ford and Tappen – need to get open for shots. You’re not going to do much off the dribble against a really athletic team. They listened.”
Wissahickon led by 14 after three quarters and survived a 9-0 Norristown run to begin the fourth.
The Eagles ended up scoring 42 second-half points compared to just 19 in the opening 16 minutes.
“We started making shots and we started doing what we’re supposed to do,” Norristown coach Mike Evans said. “We worked the ball around, got easy baskets, not jacking threes up – that’s not our game. Once we start attacking the basket it makes it easy for us and we start flowing offensively.”
Norristown’s Green scored a game-high 28 points and Carr added 16.
Tappen’s 20 led Wissahickon and Marlyn Johnson added 11.
The Trojans improved to 5-6 on the season with the win and 2-3 in SOL American play.
“You get back into league play coming out of the holiday tournaments,” Wilson said, “you want to try to get on a roll. We unfortunately have to play a game at four o’clock tomorrow at Northeast Philly, so we don’t have a lot of rest.”
