Roman Catholic edges Plymouth Whitemarsh in instant classic to reach PIAA-6A quarters

BENSALEM >> Plymouth Whitemarsh’s season came to an end Wednesday night with a 75-71 loss to Roman Catholic in the second round of the PIAA Class 6A playoffs at Bensalem High School.

The fourth quarter was a roller coaster in what will be considered one of the best games of the 2017-18 season.

“You’re looking at a state semifinal, final basketball game,” PW coach Jim Donofrio said. “It’s like last year’s (PW vs.) Pocono Mountain West game. It’s odd the way the brackets play out anymore with this second-round game. Last year it was Pocono Mountain West in an unbelievable war, this year you have to grind. (Roman has) talented guys. We’re up at halftime with a nice halftime against Abington (District 1 championship), we’re up at halftime by 11 (against Roman), but that’s not what playoff games are. That’s not what these types of games are, especially with programs like Roman and PW.”

These types of games are about players making plays. And there were plenty being made in the fourth quarter.

The Colonials’ Williams twins started the final eight minutes on fire. Ahmad Williams had four points and Ahmin Williams had two points and a beautiful assist to Danny Cooper to help turn a three-point lead after the third quarter into an eight-point lead, 56-48, with 5:43 to go.

The Philadelphia Catholic League champions weren’t going to lay down. Hakim Hart hit a three, grabbed a steal and made two free throws to get the Cahillites within three, 56-53, with five minutes remaining.

Roman’s Allen Betrand hit a three 30 seconds later to tie the game for the first time since 0-0.

The chaos was just getting started.

Cooper came back with a long three, only to be matched by Hart.

PW’s Naheem McLeod threw down a two-handed dunk and Betrand hit a pair of free throws.

Ahmin Williams hit a layup and Lynn Greer III did the same with three minutes remaining.

“Every kid on the floor is just giving energy through the roof,” Donofrio said, “and you’re making basketball plays. Ahmin getting to the rim making plays, Ahmad making huge plays getting to the rim. Then they turn around and they knock down threes from 20, 21 feet and you’re right there in some cases. What are you going to do? That’s what great basketball teams are going at each other. That’s why you watch.”

Roman took its first lead of the game, 65-63, when John Kelly made his only basket — a layup — with 2:10 remaining.

Seth Lundy added two more to extend the lead to four, but Cooper hit another three to make it a one-point game, 67-66, with 55 seconds on the clock.

Betrand hit a pair of free throws with 41.2 seconds left to extend the lead to three and PW called for timeout with 38.8 remaining.

Roman’s Hart grabbed a steal on what would be PW’s last possession within three points. He was fouled and went 1-for-2.

Ahmad Williams scored a quick two points to get within two, 70-68, with 17.6 ticks left.

Roman essentially ended the game with their inbounds pass. Lundy threw a long pass to Greer, who made his layup and was fouled. The three-point play made it a five-point game with 13 seconds left.

“It’s basketball,” Ahmad Williams said. “Everybody gets their runs. We just thought we had another run in us, but the ball didn’t bounce our way.”

PW’s Ish Horn was fouled shooting a three with three seconds left and made all his shots, but Greer went 2-for-2 from the charity stripe at the other end to finish off the 75-71 Roman win.

“We never panicked,” Betrand said. “We have a lot of seniors on the team. We just tell each other never panic. That’s all. It’s nothing new to us. It’s easy.”

The Cahillites will face Central Bucks West in the quarterfinals Saturday.

Betrand was the key player in Roman overcoming an early deficit. The Catholic League power trailed by as many as 15 points in the first quarter, 19-4, and 11 points at halftime, 34-23.

“You don’t just go out and say you’re up 11 at halftime let’s just control the ball and they’ll keep missing shots and we’ll keep getting good calls and life will be good,” Donofrio said. “Eleven is nothing in this game. Fifteen is nothing in a game like that.”

Betrand scored 20 of his game-high 26 points after halftime — 10 in the third and 10 in the fourth.

“That game was like the La Salle game (in PCL playoffs),” Betrand said. “We were down 15 points at halftime and coach told us to stay together. So that’s what we did. It’s nothing new to us.

“I was bailing (Jason Cherry) out with too many jump shots (in the first half), so I realized I can get around him every time so that’s what I did.”

“(Betrand) recognized the mismatch we had on him,” Ahmad Williams said. “That’s all he did. We had Jason Cherry on him. It was a four sticking a guy and he abused the matchup.”

Hart added 14 of his 18 in the second half and Greer had nine of his 13 in the final 16 minutes.

PW built its early lead with defense. The Suburban One League American Conference champions forced eight turnovers in the first quarter. Horn had six points in the first and Ahmad Williams and Naheem McLeod each had five.

Williams finished with a team-high 20 points. Horn and McLeod each had 13 and Ahmin Williams added 11.

The Colonials were without starting forward Alan Glover, who suffered a concussion against Dallastown Saturday. Cherry took Glover’s spot in the starting lineup. He scored four points and grabbed six rebounds.

“I thought Jason Cherry did a masterful job for not playing one major second all year,” Donofrio said. “If you’re going to tell me we’re going to lose Alan Glover, a guy that averaged 29, 30 minutes a game, who is basically the transmission of our entire offense and you’re going to be up by 11 at halftime and winning after three, I would take those odds. It could have been disastrous, but it wasn’t.”

PW’s season ends with a record of 28-2. It was the last game for the Williams twins, Horn and Cooper, who scored eight of his 10 points in the fourth quarter.

“The twins established a toughness and a grittiness and a work ethic,” Donofrio said. “We’ve always had great kids work like crazy, but the twins brought in a mentality that this was a job. They don’t mind ruffling feathers. It’s a business. It’s workouts year-round, seven days a week and the approach to it was so professional and so focused that I just told them it was a privilege to come out to practice every day. We have five managers, nine coaches — people want to be a part of it. That’s a great thing.

“If you ask me if Ahmad Williams and Ahmin Williams and Ish Horn and Danny Cooper — these guys do 6 a.m. workouts then come back for 3 p.m. workouts come back for 9 p.m. workouts in the same day. What are you going to yell at them? It’s basketball, but what they gave us for three years is a respect and passion for it that’s as good as any that I’ve ever seen.”