With Long dictating the tempo, Springfield cruises

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SPRINGFIELD >> Kyle Long surveyed the options before Tuesday night’s game with Marple Newtown and understood what his Springfield team could draw on.

If the game called for it, the Cougars were ready to speed Marple up. Or they could drag out possessions and screen for jump shots. Or they could dump the ball inside and use Great Orjih’s height advantage.

At the controls of those options is Long.

Where the Tigers were overly reliant on one mode of attack, Springfield’s improvisation allowed it to coast to a 62-49 Central League victory.

“I think we have guys that can play fast, and then we go four corners and play slow,” Long said. “We pick and choose when we can do that. The third quarter, we started running, we got up. The fourth quarter — we had too many turnovers and I think if we can clean that up — we went a little slower, four corners and if we make our foul shots, we’re a tough team to come back against.”

Long was at the helm with just six points, all in the fourth quarter. But he added eight rebounds, five assists and four steals, dictating tempo and directing teammates. It wasn’t always crisp — the 20 turnovers in a mistake-riddled game indicate that — but ultimately, it was effective.

That owes in large part to the cast surrounding Long. In the first quarter, for instance, Springfield (10-7 overall, 6-5 Central) built a lead thanks to 3-pointers from Alex DeAngelis and Kyle Sullivan, who combined for 13 points on the game.

In the second, it was Ja’Den McKenzie off the bounce, the wing recording six of his nine points in the frame as Springfield led 23-17 at intermission. Justin Collins also built up toward his 10 points with a strong second quarter.

After the break, as Springfield ratcheted up the defense in full- and half-court presses to force 17 Marple turnovers (led by DeAngelis’ five steals), Mike Webb capitalized. Getting to the basket at will, the junior guard scored 15 of his game-high 17 points in the second half, most accumulated at a breakneck pace that Marple (5-11, 2-9) simply couldn’t match.

“That’s what we practice all season: Get to the rim, get fouled, get easy baskets,” Webb said. “It opens up for the shooters around the perimeter. That’s basically our plan going into the game.”

Marple, meanwhile, lacked any avenue to easy points. Without third-leading scorer Cameron Mathes, who was injured in practice Monday night, the Tigers leaned heavily upon their long-range shooting. And the problem with that tactic is when the shots aren’t falling, the only remedy is to keep shooting.

“We have to keep thinking to ourselves to start driving to the basket and eventually kick it out,” said Mark Dever, who led the way with 16 points. “Start from the middle, kick to the outside and eventually they’ll start falling. Just keep shooting.”

All that shooting led to a 9-for-23 day from 3-point land, including just 1-for-8 in the middle two quarters as Springfield transformed a one-point deficit after one frame to a 19-point lead after three. Marple was held without a field goal in the third quarter, and some fourth-period embellishment tidied up a shooting figure that stood at just 3-for-12 after three quarters.

Scott Hahn hit three 3-pointers in tallying 15 points. Mike May endured an off-target shooting night (2-for-14 from the field; 2-for-10 from 3) for 10 points.

Springfield didn’t reach that kind of fatigue in their sets. And when eight players record a field goal and six score six or more points, it’s worth shining the spotlight on the point guard that pulls it all together.

“He’s a great point guard, and when we press, it creates easy buckets because they don’t know how to go against us,” Webb said. “We’ve got multiple presses for different looks. He gets it out to the penetrators and we go from there.”

In other Central League action:

Strath Haven’s Peter Foggo (10) goes up for a basket in the Panthers’ 46-38 victory over Penncrest. (Digital First Media/Anne Neborak)

Garnet Valley 68, Lower Merion 67 >> One dramatic 3-pointer just wasn’t enough for Austin Laughlin.

Laughlin canned a triple at the end of regulation to send the game to overtime, then won the game with a 3-pointer at the final gun from just inside the midcourt line as part of a 36-point night.

Brandon Starr added 16 points, and Jacob Buttermore added two 3-pointers, including one with 10 seconds left to cut the Jags’ deficit.

Garnet Valley (12-5, 7-4) swept the season series from Lower Merion, the only times they’ve ever beaten the Aces, according to coach Mike Brown.

Ridley 45, Conestoga 43 >> Damir Fleming scored a game-high 17 points as Ridley (9-8, 6-5) knocked the Pioneers from the ranks of the Central League unbeatens, guaranteeing that the league playoffs will be a four-team affair for the first time in three seasons.

Jimmy Bramwell only scored eight points, but six came on a late 9-0 run as Ridley erased a seven-point deficit. Migel Gamble added 12 points for the Green Raiders.

Strath Haven 46, Penncrest 38 >> Cooper Driscoll, who was injured in pregame warmups before a 24-point shellacking by the Lions in December, scored seven of his 10 points in the third quarter as Strath Haven scored a measure of retribution.

John Harrar scored 13 points to go with 14 rebounds and four assists for Haven (11-5, 8-3). Chris Rosini was the catalyst with two first-quarter 3-pointers to set the tone. He finished with 11 points.

The Panthers did the job defensively on Tyler Norwood, who made just one basket over the first three quarters on a rough shooting night. He finished with 17 points. Justin Ross added eight for Penncrest (13-4, 9-2).

Upper Darby 62, Haverford 40 >> Noah Walker scored 17 points and Magd Adelwehab added 16 for the Royals (3-11, 3-8).

Danny Roe led the Fords (1-15, 0-11) with 12 points, while Trey Blair added 10.

Radnor 57, Harriton 41 >> Mason Ressler scored 20 points, and Vernon Harper added 18 as the Raiders rolled.
Tommy Webb contributed 14 points for Radnor (7-9, 3-8).

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Matthew De George

Matthew De George
Matthew De George is the Asst. Sports Editor and the lead Union writer for The Daily Times.

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