Pickford’s late 3 helps North Penn edge Lansdale Catholic
LANSDALE >> Matt Pickford got an earful from the Lansdale Catholic student section all night Wednesday.
“I can’t even explain it, it was brutal,” said the North Penn senior, who went to LC his freshman year. “They were in my head the entire game.”
But late in the fourth quarter, Pickford had the perfect response, hitting the go-ahead 3-pointer as the Knights boys basketball team held on to beat the Crusaders 45-43 for a non-league victory.
“It felt amazing,” said Pickford of his trey. “Probably one of the best moments of my basketball career, to come here on their Senior Night and to end their hopes with a three after I’ve been here ninth grade, feels so good, I can’t explain it.”
North Penn (7-10, 2-7 Suburban One League Continental) collected the game’s first 11 points and led by 12 41 seconds into the second quarter, but did not score another point the rest of the half. LC, meanwhile, used a 12-0 run to go into the locker room even 21-21.
Tied 34-34 after three quarters, seven straight points gave North Penn a 41-36 advantage only for the Crusaders (2-14, 0-7 Philadelphia Catholic League) to answer with their own 7-0 run – Dan Modestine finding Tyler Grant alone inside for two and a 43-41 lead.
Ryan Braun’s jumper would not drop for LC, the miss rebounded by Pickford, who took the ball up the court and stopped at the top of the arc to bury a triple that left his hands with 1:14 left, putting North Penn up 44-43.
“I just kind of came down the floor, I saw the opening and put the shot (up). Went in,” Pickford said. “Thankful it did.”
A Braun try from three rattled out and Lance Lindsay-Ford eventually went to line for a 1-and-1 with 32 seconds left. He made the front end to make 45-43.
“We had the opportunities. We’re were up two with a minute and half left, and we just couldn’t put it away,” LC coach Joe Corbett said. “That’s what the next step in this process is for us.”
Modestine’s attempt from three with less than five seconds left was off-target. Mike Ottomano grabbed the offensive rebound, but his shot was blocked out of bounds by Derek Heiserman with a second left. Ottomano’s try from three missed at the buzzer and North Penn escaped with the win.
“For one second, I thought we got a decent shot,” Corbett said. “He got a good look at it. He just came up a little short.”
Lindsay-Ford – who made a trio of 3-pointers in the first quarter – and Reece Udinski each scored 12 points to pace North Penn, which bounced back from a two-point loss to Central Bucks East Tuesday with their first road win of the season.
“LC played with tremendous emotion as did our kids,” North Penn coach John Conrad said. “And we knew coming in it was going to come down to the wire.”
Grant and Modestine both finished with 12 points to lead Lansdale Catholic, which has lost nine straight.
“It was tough. We got a couple shots that we wanted,” LC coach Joe Corbett said. “I give them credit they were down two, they came down and nailed a three, so you give them all the credit in the world. We had a couple looks down the stretch and the ball just didn’t fall our way. You know, that’s basketball.”
Both teams are back in league action Friday in games that were pushed up due to the forecasted snow. Lansdale Catholic visits Roman Catholic at 3:30 p.m. while North Penn hosts Quakertown at 4:30 p.m.
“We got to use this game as momentum, got to carry it to the next game,” Pickford said. “We got another game Friday. We got beat Quakertown at home and then we got to play Pennridge and CB West and they’re two tough games but I believe in our team more than anyone and I know Conrad believes in our team and everyone’s going to buy in. And we’re going to do everything that we can to get these wins.”
Early on, it did not look like Wednesday’s contest was going to be decided late when North Penn jumped to an 11-0 lead after a Lindsey-Ford triple. LC cut the margin to six twice before the Knights ended the first quarter with a 6-2 run – a Justin Cueto free throw with two second left making it 19-9.
Two Udinski foul shots at 6:41 put North Penn 21-9, but the Knights went cold the rest of the half as Lansdale scored the next 12 points, with the teams tied 21-21 at half after a Nick Altmire bucket.
“That’s this team all year, to be honest with you. They have come and battled and have done everything I’ve asked all year,” Corbett said. “I knew they wouldn’t mail it in. I knew they were going to battle back, cause that’s the attitude they’ve had all year. Doesn’t matter who’s on our schedule. They just come in and battle as hard as they can.”
A Dan Jalosinki three to start the third quarter stretched the run to 15-0. North Penn got on track, scoring seven on the next nine points – Udinski’s three-point play putting NP up 28-26 at 4:45.
Braun’s three had the Crusaders ahead 31-28 with LC again going up three when a Noah Saba jumper made it 33-30. Consecutive baskets by Pickford and Lindsay-Ford gave North Penn a one-point lead before a Modestine free throw tied the contest 34-34 entering the fourth.
Grant found Braun for bucket to make it 36-34 LC, but the Knights went on a 7-0 run, the last four on back-to-back floaters from Udinski and Cueto for a 41-36 advantage.
LC came back with its own 7-0 run – a Modestine three pulling the Crusaders level with Grant scoring inside to give the home side it last lead at 43-41.
