Norristown can’t rebound in time against Pennsbury in District 1-6A playbacks

FALLS >> It’s a play that that Pennsbury’s basketball team hasn’t practiced since the first week of the season, and it turned out to be a play that extended their season.

Facing a three-point deficit with six seconds left in regulation, Pennsbury’s Billy Warren went to the free-throw line with what appeared to be oh-by-the-way foul shots.

Instead, after making the first, Warren tossed the second off the front of the rim, where Mark Flagg grabbed it and tapped it in to tie the game and force overtime.

Once in overtime, the Falcons pulled away, ultimately winning 84-83, to stay alive in the District 1-6A loser’s bracket.

Meawhile, Norristown, which came into the game with very little going its way after an second-round loss to Abington, could do little but shake their collective heads about the one that got away.

“I knew it was going to come down to a foul shot or a turnover,” said Eagles head coach Mike Evans. “And we missed some crucial free throws in the fourth quarter.”

In truth, the Eagles were fortunate to even be in the game in the fourth quarter.

Pennsbury’s full-court pressure befuddled the visitors early, and the Falcons fashioned a double-digit lead in the early going.

But Norristown regrouped, got it turned around with a little pressure of its own, and finally caught the Falcons late in the third quarter, and wound up taking an eight-point lead down the stretch.

But Pennsbury did a little regrouping of its own, and rallied late to pull within four points late in the fourth.

“It didn’t look good for us there for a while in the fourth quarter,” said Falcons head coach John Coleman. “But we came into this tournament with high expectations, and we weren’t about to throw it away.”

Norristown took one lead in overtime, then it was all Pennsbury at crunch time, with Tyler Ciccarese going 6-for-6 from the free-throw line in overtime.

Naquil Allen and Xaiver Edwards led the Eagles with 15 points apiece, wihle Addison Howard and Flagg paced the Falcons with 24 and 21 points, respectively.

Pennsbury 84, Norristown 83
Norristown 10 21 22 19 11 – 83
Pennsbury 22 17 12 21 12 – 84
Norristown: Darius Mcgowsn 4 3-3 11; Tyler Lyosn 1 0-0 3; Mike Dorman 4 3-6 14; Xavier Edwards 5 5-10 15; Marquese Greenwood 3 0-0 6; Naquil Allen 5 5-9 15; Marcus Sanford 0 2-2 2; ..
Pennsbury: Mark Flagg 8 4-10 21; Addison Howard 7 6-7 24; Venton Law 2 0-0 4; Tyler Ciccerese 0 6-6 6; Billy Warren 4 1-2 9; Joey Monaghan 2 2-2 6; Vaughan Ward 1 0-0 2; Josh Arreta 0 0-0 0.. Totals 32 12-22 87.
3-pointers: Dorman 2; Howard 4; Flagg.