Plymouth Whitemarsh gets back on track against Dallastown in PIAA-6A opener

UPPER DUBLIN >> The Plymouth Whitemarsh boys basketball team hasn’t had to rebound from a loss all season.

It’s first defeat came at the hands of Abington in the District 1 championship game last weekend.

The Colonials responded just fine.

They beat Dallastown, 71-47, in the first round of the PIAA Class 6A state playoffs Saturday afternoon at Upper Dublin High School.

PW will face Roman Catholic in the second round Wednesday at a site and time to be determined.

“When you do all you do to get to a championship game and then it comes down to a scenario no one really wants to have, which is a two-point loss,” PW coach Jim Donofrio said, “there are teams that will pack that in. They’ll pack it in then I have to handle it a certain way. Then it’s all bets are off.

“The biggest thing I had to remind us all of is that you’re 27-1 — think about that number. Let’s stop acting like the sky is falling and all of the sudden everything is wrong.”

“We knew we had Abington and we blinked,” senior guard Ahmin Williams said. “At the end of the day, we have to take the wins with the wins and the losses with the losses. It was a tough week but we got through it. Next game and we have to fight for something bigger — states. Grateful that we got to states. That was last game. We just have to move on from that.”

It didn’t take long for Plymouth Whitemarsh to get going. Alan Glover scored seven points and grabbed five rebounds in the first quarter to help build a 16-6 advantage.

The double-digit lead held throughout the second quarter. Ish Horn had seven points in the frame and the Colonials went into the half with a 32-19 lead.

The lead dipped to nine in the third quarter, but that’s as close as it would get the rest of the way.

“Just like coach says, ‘You got a snake by its throat, keep pushing your foot down,’” Williams said. “We tried not to ease up on the pressure. Once we got you, we’re trying to keep pushing it. Not trying to have any team come back. At the end of the day this is states and every team will play like their last.”

Senior guard and 2017 Times Herald Player of the Year Ahmad Williams sat for the entire first half and the early part of the third quarter for a team issue. He finished with 14 points — 12 in the fourth quarter.

Ahmin Williams scored a team-high 15 points. Danny Cooper added 12 and Horn had 11 before fouling out.

Despite the comfortable win, the Colonials turned the ball over 19 times — 11 in the first half.

“We weren’t happy with ourselves at halftime,” Donofrio said. “We we’re losing every 50-50 ball … One thing Dallastown was doing was as soon as we get a rebound, as soon as we pick up a loose ball, they’re digging in on the ball. That to me is something that our guys had to react to. This is real. If you lose you go home, so kids are going to bring everything they have. So that becomes a talent.”

Glover left the game in the fourth quarter with a concussion and did not return. His head collided with Ahmin Williams’ knee.