Pennridge ramps up in 2nd half, tops CB East for outright SOL Continental title

BUCKINGHAM >> Dean Behrens got the boys fired up, then they went out and won a conference title.

A determined Pennridge team played like it knew something was at stake Tuesday night, taking the best Central Bucks East could throw at it then finding a way to up the ante. For a Rams group that might have gone overlooked at the start of preseason, it was a chance not only to hang another banner in the gym but a banner they could call their own and not have to share.

Pennridge rode a host of contributors and a strong second half to a 65-50 win at East, securing an outright SOL Continental title for the second straight season.

“It feels awesome, I was talking with the guys who were swing players last year and didn’t get a lot of time and we said we wanted to get our own banner,” Guldin said. “It was great watching them play last year but we really wanted this thing for ourselves.

“Coach, before the game, he gave a really good speech and we were all really amped up. Once we got on the court, we were on a roll.”

The Patriots (13-9, 7-5 SOL Continental) also had plenty to play for on Tuesday, with a win giving them an outside chance to share the conference crown and also trying to hold onto their spot in the District 1-6A rankings. A proficient and prolific outside shooting team, East knew the Rams (16-5, 9-2 SOL Continental) would try to take away the 3-point shot and took advantage.

Spurred by guard Tyler Young’s downhill driving, the Patriots attacked the rim in waves, getting layups and opening up outside shots when the Pennridge defense had to collapse.

“It’s just confidence,” Young, who made his first five shots, said. “When we step on a court, we think we’re the best team no matter where we go. Pennridge is a great team, but it’s all about your confidence. We’re known for shooting threes, but I thought if I could get in the lane, they were stretched out and we could score some baskets.”

Neither team missed a whole lot in the opening quarter as Young went for seven points in the frame and East took a late 17-16 lead. Guldin, who was clutch in the first half, hit a three with 32 seconds left to put Pennridge up 19-16, a lead that the Rams didn’t give up.

“I was just trying to give us an extra spark,” Guldin, who led the Rams with 15 points, said. “I had to hit a few threes to keep the spark going.”

Foul trouble hit the Rams in the second quarter, with Luke Yoder picking up his third foul and Colin Post his second and forcing Behrens to dig into the bench. Pennridge built a strong bench during the season last year and showed it may be the case again this season on Tuesday.

Anthony Phillips filled the role of sixth man, but Colin Monahan and Ryan Benscoter were equally as important against East. Benscoter, a swing player on JV, not only stepped in but he gave Pennridge a key bucket for a 27-20 lead.

“Our bench, Ryan Benscoter, Colin Monahan and Anthony Phillips, they not only stepped up but we took a lead,” Behrens said. “We were up five at half. We had guys out of position and those other guys didn’t blink. A lot of our guys, they do like to play in the spotlight so they didn’t hesitate and played aggressive.”

East cut the lead down to 27-25 on a three by standout guard Joe Jackman and a layup by Young but Guldin hit another big three, sending his team to the break leading 30-25. Jackman, a junior, was the one guy the Rams didn’t want to let get going especially after he went for 25 in the team’s first meeting.

For the most part, Pennridge did the job by holding Jackman to seven but East countered with Young and Jason Markowitz stepping up. The Patriots hung tough and were within six midway through the third before Pennridge went on a run to open up the lead.

“We thought we could get one here but we can build off this and we believe we can make a run in playoffs,” Young said. “We’re still excited and confident, we think we can hang with anyone in the district.”

Fisher, the one senior who was a big part of last year’s run, had a quiet first half but he didn’t need to score much in a balanced effort with seven players getting a basket. At the start of the third quarter, the big man made himself felt.

It started, fittingly, on the defensive end where Fisher blocked a couple of drives by East to thwart what had worked so well for the hosts in the first half. On the offensive end, he got a bucket inside, hit a three, then grabbed an offensive rebound and found Phillips for three as Pennridge opened on a 8-0 run.

“I think the blocks got us started and we kept going from there,” Fisher said. “We were only up five and we wanted to try and win big here knowing we had the division on the line. I knew if I stepped up, I could help open the lead for us and make it more comfortable down the stretch.”

Markowitz got rolling, scoring the next seven points to pull East within six. Pennridge answered with a 9-0 run before a late Jackman three cut the Rams lead to 47-35 after three quarters.

“They adjusted well and stopped us, we kept going at them but they were making their shots,” Young said. “They’re great at defense and they just shoot daggers. They hit some clutch threes.”

Fisher scored 12 of his 14 in the second half and added six assists in the game. His layup off a Phillips pass following a textbook press break put Pennridge 56-41 with 2:21 to go and from there, Pennridge made its foul shots to seal up the win.

For the Rams’ five seniors — Fisher, Guldin, Phillips, Paul Croyle and Connor Pleibel — Tuesday was something they wanted to get together given they’ve been teammates since grade school.

“Everyone stepping up and knowing their role was huge,” Fisher said. “We didn’t have a lot of varsity experience coming back and everyone thought we might be at the bottom of the division so coming together to win the title is huge for us five seniors.”

Now, Pennridge will turn to its regular season finale as they host a North Penn team desperate for a win to try and get into the district playoffs. The Rams, who came into the game in the No. 8 spot in the district, still have plenty at stake as well so they were eager to get back to work on Wednesday.

“We have to be ready to go and have a good practice tomorrow,” Guldin said. “We want to cut the nets down on Thursday and we have to win and go out on a good note, plus we’re fighting for that first round bye.”

PENNRIDGE 65, CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 50
PENNRIDGE 19 11 17 18 – 65
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 17 8 13 12 – 50
Pennridge: Connor Pleibel 1 0-0 3, Luke Yoder 3 4-4 10, Christian Guldin 5 1-2 15, Colin Post 4 0-2 8, Trent Fisher 5 3-6 14, Anthony Phillips 4 0-0 10, Ryan Benscoter 2 1-2 5. Totals: 24 9-16 65.
Central Bucks East: Jason Markowitz 4 1-3 13, Tyler Young 6 2-2 16, Jack Hamilton 3 1-2 9, Joe Jackman 2 1-2 7, Anthony Giordano 2 0-0 4, Christian Rivera 0 1-2 1. Totals: 17 6-11 50.
3-pointers: P – Guldin 4, Phillips 2, Pleibel, Fisher; CBE – Markowitz 4, Young 2, Hamilton 2, Jackman 2.