Pennridge survives Mulhearn, CB West for 11th straight win
EAST ROCKHILL >> The Pennridge survived the final 8.4 seconds against Central Bucks West Friday night to keep its win streak intact. And Rams coach Dean Behrens knows it will not be getting any easier.
“Listen, it’s 50/50 there. It really was,” Behrens said. “And a lot of these games are going to be 50/50 games. Anybody can beat anybody, anybody can lose to anybody.”
Down one, the visiting Bucks got off the last shot in the tight Suburban One League Continental Conference, but Jack Mulhearn could not add another 3-pointer to his tremendous night – his contested long range-effort hitting iron kept him at 28 points and the Rams found a way to hold on for a 51-50 victory.
“We tried to get Mulh the ball in the corner. We knew he wasn’t going to get the shot, but we knew the guy was going to fly out on him,” West coach Adam Sherman said. “He tried to get him lifted and see if we could draw a foul on it. It was a nice look, we got a shot, we thought maybe when might have been able to draw a foul on it – it looked like there was some contact on film, but it is what it is.”
The Bucks had a chance at the win after a jump ball – Mulhearn receiving a baseline inbounds in the corner but tight defense by the Rams’ Jack Gillespie forced a one-handed three attempt with about five seconds left that hit the rim then touched off the backboard.
The rebound was tapped in the air before eventually getting corralled by Pennridge’s Jon Post, who dribbled it to safety as the Rams (15-2, 7-1 conference) secure an 11th consecutive win.
“We know Mulhearn’s going to probably get the ball and the shot and I want to make sure at least if he caught the ball we’d have a guy standing there and he’d be uncomfortable,” Behrens said. “And Jack Gillespie did a great job of really closing out and not fouling him. And then Jon Post gets the rebound because I’m looking up thinking ‘Oh, if they get this rebound they’re just going to go for a putback.’”
Post paced Pennridge with 18 points – 11 coming in the first half – with the senior putting the Rams up for good on the 10th and final lead change of the fourth, blocking a shot on end then racing down the court for a three-point play to make it 51-49 with 1:51 left in the fourth.
“I saw him go up and I’m like it’s either give him a wide-open layup, put them up or go up, try to block it. And luckily, it went in my favor,” Post said. “I mean, I didn’t want them to get two easy points on the board. It worked out and I made sure right when Sean got that I was running down ready to do something and he made a great pass and I got to go up and get the and-one.”
A Jack Neri free throw at 1:40 had West (7-10, 3-6) within 51-50. A Pennridge layup that would not drop kept the margin at one but West could not connect on a corner 3-pointer.
With 34.9 seconds, the Rams missed two free throws but the rebound went out of bounds to Pennridge. The Rams, however, were called for an offensive foul shortly after the inbounds, requiring the late defensive stop to best the Bucks for the second time this season.
“We talked about before the game, West isn’t going to come and lay down,” Behrens said. “I think the rest of the games are going to be like this. Our league has so much parody in it, I know we’ve won a lot of games but we’ve had so much parody because did you think we were that much better than West when you watch the game? Probably not.”
Mulhearn was locked in from long range from the start Friday. He hit a pair of 3-pointers in the first quarter and finished with six triples in recorded his game-high 28 points as the Bucks – who were down a starter with Reed Zerweck out due to tonsillitis – dropped their second straight.
“That was the frustrating part. We talked about Mulhearn the whole time,” Behrens said. “He’s really a good player. The first game we played them we did a great job of controlling him, we did not control him. We wanted him to put ball on the floor, we wanted him not get comfortable shooting threes and we didn’t do any of that.”
Sean Yoder added 13 points – nine in the second half – while Luke Yoder scored seven of his 10 points in the fourth as the Rams remained the lone SOL Continental side with one loss.
“Every one’s out to get us,” Post said. “When you’re at the top, everyone wants you, it means a little more to them. So we got to make sure we’re coming out and we got to want it more cause they’re coming to get us but we got to go and want to put another year up on that banner.”
Pennridge, who came into Friday fifth in the District 1-6A rankings, is home against Central Bucks South 7 p.m. Tuesday. The Titans are just behind the Rams in conference standings at 7-2.
West was 23rd in the 6A rankings – 24 make the field – and looks to bounce back Saturday hosting Academy Park at 4:30 p.m.
“Right now we just got to focus on our next game and see how it plays out,” Sherman said. “I feel like the guys are good enough to be in the mix they just got to focus on one possession at a time and we’ll see what happens.”
Mulhearn scored 10 points in the first quarter, the last two coming after Danny Miller found him inside in the final seconds to give the Bucks a 13-11 lead.
Mulhearn started the second quarter with a three to put West up five but a Post jumper and John Dominic triple evened the contest at 16. Another Mulhearn trey was answered by Dominic to make it 19-all.
West led by two twice before Dominic worked inside for an underhand lay-in in the half’s final seconds to make 23-23 at the break.
A basket by Connor Briece gave the Bucks a 30-26 lead in the third before the Rams went on an 8-1 run – Luke Yoder’s three putting Pennridge up 32-31 with a Sean Yoder jumper making it 34-31. Mulhearn, however, got West within one entering the fourth with a tough finish on a drive.
Pennridge led 36-33 after Post scored on a putback and was fouled with 7:15. But Mulhearn buried a three to knot things at 36 then made two free throws at 6:16 for a 38-36 edge.
The game went back-and-fourth from there, with largest lead for either side the rest of the way just two.
A Neri corner 3-pointer had West up 49-47. Post’s free throw with 2:10 to go made it 49-48 with Post’s 3-point play in transition putting the Rams up 51-49.
