Lower Dauphin’s size comes up big against Pottstown

POTTSTOWN >> It doesn’t matter how big the opponent is, undersized Pottstown attacks the rim.

The Trojans did so often Friday in the Crossover Hoops Inc. Holiday Classic at Hill School, but in the third quarter they seemed to hit a wall. It’s called size. Bigger bodies underneath conspired to help clutter the lane and contest nearly everything the Trojans shot. The result was a poor offensive quarter for Pottstown and a fast-break drill for Lower Dauphin, which capitalized on unsatisfactory transition defense.

From a 20-19 lead late in the first half, the Trojans got blitzed 19-5 to the end of the third period and lost, 54-34.

“We couldn’t get anything to fall inside,” said Pottstown’s acting head coach, Ken Ivory. “Obviously their size bothered us, they altered some shots and blocked some shots.

“I don’t think our shot selection was the best. I think we forced the issue a little bit in transition, not hitting the open man ahead. And we didn’t get back on defense. It was, missed shot, runout layup — that was pretty much the story of the second half.”

Pottstown (4-5) had no answer for 6-6 Lower Dauphin forward Will Bowen, an agile frontcourt force with good touch around the rim and outside. He scored 26 points — 14 in the first half, 12 in the second. Ivory, though, thought 6-2 guard Brady Wilson was the key catalyst for the Falcons (5-3). A strong ballhandler and driver, Wilson often broke down the Trojan defense on his way to 16 points.

Pottstown did some good things before the game got away from them. Their sticky 3-2 half-court zone slowed the Falcons.

“Our zone was good the first half,” Ivory said.

Down 13-8 after the first quarter, the Trojans won the second frame 12-9, with Malik Brown, Dorian Thompson, Larry Wingo and Floyd Dashiell all contributing offensively. Pottstown showed patience and vision when having to set up half-court and dished some nice assists. A 3-pointer by Thompson gave the Trojans a 20-19 lead.

Bowen’s trey from the corner just before the halftime buzzer returned the lead to the Falcons. His teammates found him inside for two quick baskets to start the second half, “and it was a snowball effect from there,” Ivory said.

Lower Dauphin outscored Pottstown 16-5 in the third quarter. Sometimes Pottstown drove it too deep against size; other times the Trojans were playing too fast.

“They played us zone the entire game, and zone benefits us sometimes; makes us slow down and move the ball,” Ivory said.

The ball didn’t move as well or as crisply in the second half for Pottstown, and often it was quickly going the other way before the Trojans got back defensively. Lower Dauphin’s last 10 points of the third period came in transition.

Wingo’s 3-pointer with 1:28 left in the third, was Pottstown’s only field goal in the quarter. The Trojans remained scrappy as always but just struggled to score at key times.

“It was just a tough quarter,” Ivory said. “I don’t feel they’re 20 points better.”

Wingo’s layup off a nice feed from Brown, a Brown drive following an offensive rebound/loose ball scrap, and a Dashiell trey opened the fourth for Pottstown. But hard as they kept fighting, the Trojans were consistently trading baskets at this point.

“We won’t dwell on this,” Ivory said. “We’ve got league play next, Upper Merion, and our kids will respond. They’re tough kids.”

NOTES >> Wingo was Pottstown’s game MVP; Bowen was Lower Dauphin’s … At one point, Bowen had 20 of his team’s 30 points … The Falcons’ other big body inside included 6-4 Brian Swist … Aaron Diamond got off to a good start for Pottstown with six first-quarter points on strong inside buckets, but didn’t score thereafter.