Harrison’s big night leads Cheltenham over Upper Moreland
UPPER MORELAND >> Zahree Harrison had every reason to be the star of the show Friday night but chose a different route.
After walking off the floor following a 30-point, six-assist effort, the Cheltenham junior point guard addressed his teammates in the locker room. Instead of boasting about his point total or the key 3-pointers he hit, Harrison first thanked his teammates then said he can do better for them.
Harrison was tremendous as the Panthers topped Upper Moreland 66-46 on the road to open up SOL American Conference play, but the guard’s attitude said more to first-year Panthers coach Pat Fleury.
“He’s such a great kid and he’s a natural leader at heart,” Fleury said. “He tries to make everybody happy but in moments where he sees us struggling, he’s one of the catalysts we have. The first thing he did was thank his teammates and said ‘I could have done better.’ He’s not satisfied and we want him to continue to keep pushing.”
In a first half where pretty much everybody couldn’t buy a bucket, Harrison was the exception. The 6-foot-1 junior shot 4-of-6 in the first half for 10 points where the Panthers as a group went 6-of-21 from the floor but led 19-15.
Harrison got his scoring started with a steal and layup and while he didn’t make his first 3-pointer until the second quarter, he finished the game 11-of-14 overall and a blistering 7-of-10 from beyond the arc.
“I feel like all week I’ve been shooting well,” Harrison said. “In practice, I’ve been getting a lot of shots up and shooting well all week so it carried over to the game, all the preparation paid off.”
Upper Moreland (3-1, 0-1 conference) led most of the first quarter but after Harrison sank his first trey with 3:50 left in the second, the Panthers went up and never trailed again. The Golden Bears sliced the lead down to one when Beau Woollens scored with 37 seconds left in the half, but an unfazed Harrison answered with a deep three just before the buzzer to put Cheltenham (3-1, 1-0) up four at the break.
Harrison did his share of damage, but the Bears also struggled on their own offensive end of the floor. UM shot 15-of-46 in the game and 9-of-27 from 3-point range while committing nine turnovers as Cheltenham’s speed and length caused some problems defensively.
“They’re a really good team, they’re fast and they force you into really quick shots,” UM coach Sean Feeley said. “You think you’re open and you go a little too quick, don’t hold your follow through and you end up with a miss.”
Harrison hit another late in the clock trey to end the third quarter, capping off a nearly flawless period for him. The junior didn’t miss a shot from the floor, going 5-of-5 and 4-of-4 from three on his way to 14 in the frame while also dishing three quality assists but he did miss his lone free throw in the quarter.
Still, the assists also showed plenty about his game. Many players wouldn’t want to give up the ball in that kind of a flow offensively, but Harrison’s first goal is to win and his second is to take the best path to doing that, which means keeping his teammates engaged.
“Coach said I’m hot, so if I’m open to shoot it but also look to make plays,” Harrison said. “He wanted me to play my game basically, if I could score, do it or give the ball to my bigs or anybody on the wing.”
Cheltenham center Kyin Healey was one of the beneficiaries of Harrison’s scorching third quarter. The senior stuffed the stat sheet with 13 points, eight in the second half, 12 rebounds and four blocked shots while Tim Myarick cashed in on a couple Harrison passes for five of his seven points.
Harrison said he wanted to play well for his little brother Friday night on top of starting SOL American play with a victory. After spending his freshman year at Archbishop Wood, Harrison came back to Cheltenham and this winter, has taken on a lot of responsibility on a team lacking a ton of varsity experience.
“I feel like I can make the best decision for my team,” Harrison said. “It doesn’t have to be a shot, I’m always looking to pass, but I’m confident I can make the best decision late in the clock. The summer with K-Low (his AAU program) really prepared me. We’re young this year, so I have to pick up the energy and be a leader.”
Harrison orchestrated an 11-5 run to end the third, assisting two buckets by Jalen Mickens then hitting a pair of threes to put the Panthers up 43-32 at the end of the frame.
Feeley complimented the Cheltenham junior’s performance and noted how Harrison’s teammates seemed to feed off the big shots he made. Friday marked the first loss of the season for Upper Moreland, but the Bears continued to fight with Christian O’Donnell doing all he could to keep his team in it.
O’Donnell ended with a team-high 13 points with Jordan Gregg chipping in 11. UM got good looks and didn’t play selfish, which Feeley said has been typical of the squad so far.
“They play hard,” Feeley said. “We play Upper Moreland basketball; we take pride in playing defense and just play hard, that’s what I like most about them.”
Harrison said his team, himself included, have to continue to get better on defense, but he’s overall happy with the Panthers’ 3-1 start.
“He’s a very smart player and when the game was in the balance, he realized he had some open spots and once the first one went, with the type of kid he is, we’re lucky to have him,” Fleury said. “As he continues to reach the milestones and plateaus he wants, our team will develop and become more of a unit as guys fall into their roles and learn what we need them to do.”
CHELTENHAM 6 13 24 23 – 66
UPPER MORELAND 8 7 17 14 – 46
Cheltenham: Zahree Harrison 11 1-6 30, Jalen Mickens 3 0-2 7, Brandon Scott 0 2-4 2, Kyin Healey 5 3-4 13, McClain 1 0-0 2, Vazquez 1 0-0 2, Arinsbera 1 0-0 3. Totals: 25 6-16 66.
Upper Moreland: Byron Hopkins 2 0-0 6, Beau Woollens 2 1-3 5, Christian O’Donnell 3 6-6 13, Jordan Gregg 4 0-0 11, Tyler Ibbotson 3 0-0 8, Rizzo 1 0-0 3, Harmer 0 0-2 0, Broderick 0 0-1 0. Totals: 15 7-12 46.
3-pointers: C – Harrison 7, Mickens, Myarick; UM – Gregg 3, Ibbotson 2, Hopkins 2, O’Donnell, Rizzo.
