Pennridge pulls away from North Penn
EAST ROCKHILL >> Pennridge’s Senior Night got off to a roaring start and was at its loudest when a dunk by Max Wagner capped things off in the fourth quarter.
“I like to keep the crowd involved a little too,” Wagner said.
Everybody was involved in this one, as the seniors dominated, others contributed, and the Pennridge offense ran wild in a 72-60 victory over rival North Penn in a Suburban One League Continental Conference contest Friday night at The Barn.
“We played very well tonight,” said the 6-foot-7 Wagner, one of five Rams to reach double figures, with a game-high 19 points. “We knew we had to get going early and we knew we had to get this win — get a good seed for playoffs hopefully and keep going.”
A three by Wagner early in the third stretched the Rams lead to 47-36 and Pennridge would lead by double digits the rest of the way. The first-place Rams, who improved to 10-1 in the Continental and 16-3 overall, got 16 points from senior Dan Long, 12 from senior Stephen Lowry, and 10 each from senior Devon Balmer and junior Ryan Cuthbert.
“Offensively, we played extremely well,” Rams coach Dean Behrens said. “We were getting in transition, getting down the floor, and we think that wears teams down mentally and physically.”
Pennridge broke away in the third quarter, with Wagner gunning a pass down court to Ryan Cuthbert — in stride, and Cuthbert finished it off to extend the Rams’ lead to 51-36.
“We kept together as a team,” said Wagner, one of five Ram seniors. “We’re brothers out here. I’ve known these guys since I was very little, and kept with them, all the way.”
Pennridge’s first three field goals of the night were all threes, as Lowry, Wagner and Long each connected.
In a first quarter that saw seven lead changes, Pennridge would extend to a 12-7 advantage when Balmer drove to the hoop, was fouled, then sank the ensuing free throw to complete a three-points play.
North Penn (9-10, 4-8 conference), coming off a win over second-place CB West, battled right back, eventually drawing even at 12 off a three by Lance Lindsay-Ford.
Another three by Lowry gave the Rams a 17-14 edge before the Knights would take their last lead of the quarter, going on top when Ricky Johns drove to the basket to make it 18-17 NP.
However, the quarter would end with a basket by Kyle Yoder putting the Rams in front for good, 19-18.
Pennridge got off to a strong start in the second, with Long using a spin move down the lane to extend the Ram advantage.
“Dan can penetrate at will and also kicked it out,” Behrens said. “Stephen Lowry got hot early in the game.”
Long dished out to Lowry for an open three and then Long hit one of his own moments later to boost the margin to 31-20. A basket by Wagner gave the Rams’ their biggest lead of the night to that point, 33-20, but the Knights would eventually trim the gap before halftime, a three from deep by J.J. Melchior (team-high 14 points) making it 40-32 at the break.
But Pennridge, unbeaten at home, would break it open in the third.
“I thought it was a great team effort,” Behrens said. “I thought we moved the ball extremely well.”
The next game for both squads is against Souderton Area, as Pennridge is at Souderton Monday at 5 p.m. and the Knights host Big Red Tuesday evening.
