Strath Haven boys’ basketball squad guts out tough nailbiter against Harriton

NETHER PROVIDENCE >> The Strath Haven boys’ basketball team, which has lost only one game at home this season, relied on its defense to gut out a 44-42 nailbiter against visiting Harriton Friday evening.

“We gutted it out tonight,” said Strath Haven’s first-year head coach Dave McFadden. “We normally play man-to-man defense, but we recently had an injury and have played more zone [defense] the last few games. We forced Harriton into [taking some] quicker shots [tonight].”

In a defensive, seesaw struggle, Strath Haven (16-3, 12-3) held an 12-11 lead at the end of the first quarter, Harriton had a 25-23 advantage at halftime, then the hosts came back to take a 35-31 lead at the end of three quarters.
Strath Haven held a 41-37 lead with a little over two minutes left in the game, but Harriton had some kick left in them.

The Rams’ Will Esposto (who finished with a game-high 13 points, including three treys) hit a 3-pointer from the right corner to make it 41-40. Harriton went ahead, 42-41, with 1:02 left when a Strath Haven inbounds pass under the basket went awry, and the Rams’ Tyler Allen scooped up the loose ball at midcourt, and drove in for his only basket of the night.

With about 40 seconds left, Strath Haven’s Josh Singleton put the home team ahead 43-42 with an offensive rebound inside heavy traffic and a score underneath the basket.

Harriton brought the ball upcourt, and the clock ran down as Esposto looked for a good opening. Finally, the Rams drove inside with four seconds left but the shot came up short, and Strath Haven’s big man, 6-8, 220-pound junior John Harrar, grabbed a tough rebound in heavy traffic and was fouled.

Harrar’s rebounding on both sides of the court was vital to Strath Haven’s victory Friday night. He has been one of the keys to the Panthers’ improvement (they were 3-19 last season), averaging 13 points and eight rebounds per game as of last week.

“He’s become a dominant post player,” said McFadden.

Harrar made one of two free throws with 3.2 seconds left, then Harriton got the ball for one last shot. The Rams’ first inbounds attempt was knocked out of bounds by Strath Haven, and on the second attempt, Harriton was able to get the ball only to midcourt before heaving the ball at the basket at the buzzer. The shot missed and Strath Haven had its heart-pounding victory.

This was Strath Haven’s third victory against Harriton this season. On Dec. 11, the Panthers edged Harriton, 49-48, and on Dec. 29, they beat the Rams, 52-37, at the Great Valley Holiday Tournament.

Strath Haven’s Jahmeir Springfield made several steals Friday night and went 5-for-7 from the free throw line to score a team-high 10 points.

McFadden said, “[Springfield] makes us go. He plays 100 percent all the time.”

Although Strath Haven held a 12-11 first quarter lead, Harriton jumped out to a quick 9-2 lead in the first three minutes of the game.

“We came out with a lot of focus and energy [early],” said Harriton head coach Jesse Rappaport. “In our last game [Jan. 27], we were embarrassed in the first quarter against Garnet Valley. We came back later on in that game [a 71-59 loss], but we didn’t want to get off to another slow start.”

Strath Haven came back to take a 16-13 lead early in the second quarter, but Harriton’s Idris Ransom hit a three-pointer from the right side to tie the score. Ransom, who has been Harriton’s second-leading scorer, finished the night with 12 points.

With the Rams trailing 23-22 just before halftime, Harriton’s Jermaine Brokenborough drove inside for a basket, was fouled and made the free throw to give the visitors a 25-23 halftime lead and the opportunity to hand the Panthers their second home loss of the season.

Strath Haven’s tough defense kicked into gear in the third quarter, holding the Rams to just six points and taking a 35-31 lead.

Rappaport said, “We have a young team of mostly juniors, and they’re learning. I thought Montgomery Brown did a nice job defensively, and Jermaine Brokenborough did a good job on [Strath Haven’s] point guard.”