Plymouth Whitemarsh’s defense swarms Hatboro-Horsham
WHITEMARSH >> It took about 90 seconds into the first quarter before Plymouth Whitemarsh coach Jim Donofrio got upset with an ugly offense and called timeout. On the next Colonials possession, senior Matt Walker hit a three to get PW’s scoring started.
From that point on, it was all Colonials in a 54-35 Suburban One League American Conference win over Hatboro-Horsham Tuesday night at Colonial Gym.
The ugly offense never really stopped for the hosts, who turned the ball over 16 times. It was their defense that won the game.
The PW defense — headed by junior twin guards Ahmad and Ahmin Williams — forced 21 turnovers and held the Hatters offense to single digits in three of the quarters.
“We just followed coach’s plan,” said Ahmad Williams, who credited conditioning for his effective defense, said. “Coach had a plan and we stuck with it. We kept talking.”
“If it was 21 I’d be surprised,” Hatboro coach Ed Enoch said of the turnovers. “I think it was more like 50. And it was scoring turnovers. We had opportunities to score the ball and we just made plays that were just horrible.”
Hatboro’s Clifton Moore — an Indiana University commit — scored a team-high 17 points. Fourteen of his points came in the first half and he was shut out in the fourth quarter.
“We had to notice where he was at,” Ahmad Williams said of the Colonials plan to stop Moore. “We kept losing him and he kept getting slip-ins and breakaway layups. We just had to tighten up. All we had to do was talk more — communication.”
Ahmad Williams led the Colonials in scoring with 19 points.
“My teammates found me,”the tri-captain said. “I ran the floor and kept pushing.”
Walker chipped in nine points — on three three-balls — and Naheem McLeod, Ahmin Williams and Cheo Houston each added eight.
After falling behind 2-0 and Donofrio calling timeout, Walker’s three put the Colonials ahead and they never trailed again. Walker’s triple kicked off a 14-1 run to put PW ahead 14-3 and it led, 18-7, at the end of the first quarter.
Moore scored nine of Hatboro’s 14 second-quarter points to cut the Hatters deficit to 10 at the break, 31-21.
The difference remained 10 after the third quarter when both sides had poor offensive showings, each scoring just seven points in the eight-minute frame.
The Colonials opened the fourth on a 7-0 run in the first 1:32 to take a 45-28 lead and put the game out of reach. Ahmad Williams made a couple of quick layups and Walker hit a three to give PW it’s 17-point lead.
The advantage ballooned to 19 points and that turned out to be the final margin with PW winning, 54-35.
Aside from Moore’s 17 points, the rest of the Hatters combined for just 18. Jay Davis scored nine, Ryan Black five and Brandon Crews four.
“(Clifton’s) got to play better and Jay has to play better,” Enoch said. “Our two big boys — have to get better games out of those two. Three through eight, too — nobody played well for us tonight. Give PW credit, because they’re a very good basketball team.”
