Longino hits milestone, Germantown Academy tops Perkiomen School in opener

WHITEMARSH >> The first three minutes of the Germantown Academy boys basketball season didn’t go too well.

By the 4:50 mark of the first quarter, the Patriots were down double figures, were forcing up shots and not hitting and had fouled a 3-point shooter. But once the jitters wore off and GA settled in, they looked more like the team that won the Inter-Ac and advanced to the PAISAA title game last season.

Paced by seniors Evan-Eric Longino, who scored his 1,000th point late in the fourth quarter, and Kyle McCloskey, GA used a strong second quarter to lead the way to a 67-58 win over visiting Perkiomen School on Monday.

“We were a little antsy because it was our first game,” Longino said. “We were all a little too anxious to get out there, including myself, I took a couple shots I usually wouldn’t take. Once we get into rhythm and going toward what we wanted to do, we were ready to go.”

Perkiomen (1-2) started great, roaring out to an 11-0 lead by attacking the basket and getting going with their transition offense. GA on the other hand, started 0-of-4 from the floor and none of those shots resembling ones coach Jim Fenerty wanted his guys taking.

After a timeout after a 7-0 run by Perkiomen, GA did start settle down but had to wait until the 4:43 mark of the first quarter for its first points on a bucket by Longino. The Patriots lost point guard Devon Goodman to graduation last year and had two of their planned scrimmages cancelled, so they’re still getting used to having the offense start from different places.

While not a true point guard, Longino said he’s trying to take on more of the ball-handling and playmaking responsibilities but knew Monday was a work-in-progress performance.

“It’s going to be whoever has the ball taking it up but what he wants to do is try to have me be in a point guard role,” Longino said. “This is my first time really doing it, so I want to keep learning and continue to be better. Today at the end of the game, I wasn’t handling the pressure as well as I could have, but that will change as the season continues.”

Perkiomen coach Thomas Baudinet said he felt his guys did a good job jumping on GA early, but lamented the way they didn’t keep pressing the issue after going up 11-0. Perk is best in an open floor game and once the Patriots got some baskets and slowing the pace, the offense struggled in halfcourt sets.

“We were not ready once they turned up their intensity and got their legs under them,” Baudinet said. “They totally out-toughed us and outplayed us after that. They won the toughness and effort battle, which is disappointing because it’s something we try to pride ourselves on.”

GA closed the first quarter on a 13-4 run to get within two, shook off a couple counter-punches from Perkiomen early in the second quarter then seized control with a 9-0 run to go into the second half. McCloskey had eight points, four rebounds and two assists in the quarter, part of a 16-point, 11-rebound game.

The quarterback on GA’s Inter-Ac champion football team, McCloskey showed a little rust Monday, shooting just 6-of-13 from the foul line but his toughness on the glass was a big part of GA turning the tide.

Guard Cole Storm sent the Patriots to the half on a high note, slicing into the paint and getting a lay-up to roll down at the buzzer for a 40-34 lead and capping off a 27-19 quarter.

“Usually we’re pretty good defensively and today we were not, at all,” Baudinet said. “That’s what’s particularly disappointing. We gave up a ton of layups. The one area we’re weak in and that was exposed today is we’re not good in the halfcourt yet.”

GA opened the second half on an 8-0 run, with four points and an assist coming from Longino, who finished the night with 29 points, four rebounds and two assists. While he’s trying to take the point guard role, he doesn’t have to do it all.

The Patriots had at least four guys capable of bringing the ball into the offense on the floor at any given time Monday, and GA had assists on 10 of its 20 made baskets.

“We can run the floor and in transition, we can be really good,” Longino said. “We can pass the ball up the floor and get some open buckets. We play good defense and we can shoot really well too. I think we have the potential to be good in every aspect on the floor.”

Perkiomen made a little bit of a late push as GA seemed to tire a little bit in its first game action, but the Patriots made enough plays on both sides of the floor in the fourth quarter to keep the game at arms’ length. McCloskey, Ben Garcia and Josh Brownstein all had offensive boards in the final period that kept the ball out of Perk’s hands and killed off more clock.

Longino was fouled with 16.3 seconds left, stepped up and drained his first foul shot to hit 1,000 points on the dot. He made the second shot, sealing up the game and getting the milestone over with as early as possible.

“I’m not going to lie, it’s in your head no matter how much you try not to think about it, but I was just trying to play my game,” Longino said. “It’s a big accomplishment for me. I’m thankful for the coaches, my mom and dad, my dad especially for helping me get to the place I am now. I’ve had a couple setbacks the last couple years, but now that I’m fully healthy I think the sky is the limit for me, my game and this team.”

Perkiomen is back in action Wednesday at Academy of the New Church, while GA will take part in Souderton’s season-opening tournament.

PERKIOMEN SCHOOL 15 19 8 16 – 58
GERMANTOWN ACADEMY 13 27 12 15 – 67
Perkiomen School (58): Ataken Sahinkaya 4 4-6 12, Miles Longstreth 2 2-2 8, Reggie James 5 5-6 16, Chandler Brooks 3 3-6 11, Nick Guadarrama 2 4-6 8, Aiden O’Brien 1 0-0 2, Bryce Noel 0 1-2 1. Nonscoring: Seamus Finnegan, Lotam Leinzon. Totals: 17 19-28 58
Germantown Academy (67): Evan-Eric Longino 9 9-10 29, Kyle McCloskey 5 6-13 16, Cole Storm 2 4-6 8, Josh Brownstein 3 2-3 8, Ben Garcia 0 2-2 2, Kahil Ashley-Diarrah 1 0-0 3, Brian Bastile 0 1-3 1. Nonscoring: Andrew Towne, Colten Smith, Jordan Keys. Totals: 20 24-37 67
3-pointers: P – Longstreth 2, Brooks 2, James; GA – Longino 2, Ashley-Diarrah