Cheltenham toughs out win at Abington for unbeaten SOL American title
ABINGTON >> Jaelen McGlone drove into the lane with purpose, soared into the air and slammed home a dunk over multiple Abington defenders.
While the score only cut Abington’s lead to nine points late in the third quarter, it was just what the Cheltenham crowed needed to get back into the game. A door that had been slowly inching closed had just been shoved back open but there was still a lot of game to play.
Justin Moore’s drives, a couple defensive stops and a crucial offensive rebound by McGlone added up to be just enough as the Panthers held off the Ghosts 70-67 on Thursday to finish an unbeaten SOL American season.
“It was a big up for the team,” McGlone said. “We had just come off me getting a tech, I’m an emotional guy but that dunk was just a way to release everything. We were in the game after that.”
The first time the backyard rivals met, Cheltenham (20-2, 14-0 SOL American) prevailed in double overtime on its home floor and the Ghosts were eager to get their chance in front of a home crowd. Abington (12-10, 10-4 SOL American), which entered the game No. 16 in the District 1-6A rankings looking for a big win, got off to a great start.
Abington had a 15-6 lead before McGlone beat the first quarter buzzer on a putback dunk and the Ghosts twice built a 10-point lead in the second quarter as the Panthers struggled to score. Cheltenham coach Patrick Fleury credited the bench – including a three by Rasheem Dearry – for keeping the Panthers from sinking in the first half.
“This is a big win because Abington is a good team and the records go out the window,” Fleury said. “It came down to who was going to get those two or three stops in a row. We were able to do that, but this is so much more than just a game.
“It’s a point of pride, there’s no animosity or hate toward Abington, but you want to give your community something to care about. I look at all our guys from one to 15 and how much they’re invested and even in the tough times, buy in.”
Robert Bell led the way for the Ghosts in the first half, netting 11 of his game-high 19 before the break while Caleb Baker had eight in the opening half as Abington built a 34-29 halftime lead.
Cheltenham trailed, but sophomore Saleem Payne’s relentless attacking of the basket not only got him six points, but showed the Panthers something they would attack later in the game. McGlone had 10 first half points but his biggest plays would also come later.
“We showed how much heart we have as a team,” Moore said. “We never give up, we can overcome adversity by fighting together to grind out a tough win.”
The third quarter, which started with a 7-0 Abington run, didn’t take long to get chippy. McGlone and Abington’s Oreck Frazier were hit with a double technical foul, a few minutes later Abington got called for an intentional foul and a few of the normal fouls brought a lot of contact.
Order restored itself, Cheltenham started to get to the foul line and with 2:42 left in the third, McGlone rallied the Panthers faithful back behind them with his monster slam.
“Our team is super-focused,” McGlone said. “This win was like a playoff win, we saw tonight as starting out playoff run.”
The dunk set off a 7-0 run by Cheltenham to end the frame and the Panthers trailed just 46-42 going into the final eight minutes. Frazier, who picked up his fourth foul in the third quarter, came back in the fourth and started to impose himself on the game as Cheltenham’s offense started to pick up.
A drive by Moore garnered a whistle and got the Panthers within 53-52 before the foul shot. The sophomore’s free throw was off, but Sean Emfinger got the rebound and stuck it back for a one-point lead with 4:22 to play.
For two minutes, the teams traded scores and Cheltenham trailed 61-60 on a drive by Moore with 1:57 to play.
“That’s their game, it’s the way they like to play and they do a good job of it,” Abington coach Charles Grasty said. “We had some bad turnovers and shot selection but they did a good job of speeding us up and got back into their game. We like to play that type of game also, but we have to have a better shot selection against a team as good as Cheltenham.”
Moore scored 10 of his 18 in the fourth quarter, all by taking the ball to the rim the same way Payne had earlier in the game. His bucket with 1:36 left was his final score of the night, but it also put Cheltenham ahead for good with a 62-61 lead.
“There were some gaps and I had smaller defenders on me,” Moore said. “I knew I could finish over them so I just kept going to the basket and finishing over them and finishing through contact.”
Travis Coleman scored inside with 1:14 left off a dish by Moore then split a pair of free throws with 58 seconds left before McGlone found Mike McClain for a layup with 37 seconds to go to finish a 9-0 run. The catalyst wasn’t the offense though, but Cheltenham stringing together a couple stops.
Abington missed three shots and had a turnover during the stretch, but still wasn’t out of the game. Senior Manir Waller hit a corner three with 20 seconds left to cut the Panthers lead to 67-64, then after Payne split a pair a the line, Waller drew a shooting foul behind the line and sank all three free throws with 6.2 on the clock.
“Our guys are going to fight,” Grasty said. “We made some untimely errors, but this team, they never give up. We knew it would be tough, we played well for about 28 minutes and then just had some bad shots. We’ll learn, that’s a top four team in the district, and if you can play with a top four team in the district, you’re right there.”
Emfinger got fouled purposely with 4.6 left and hit the first before missing the second. It turned out to be a benefit as McGlone snared the rebound and got fouled on his putback try, running two seconds off the clock.
“I saw it coming off and I made sure I went and got it,” McGlone said. “That was an important rebound, there were four seconds left and I knew if I got that, the game would be over.”
Abington, which got a look at a long heave at the buzzer, will now await its District 1-6A playoff seeding. The three-time defending district champions may have to open on the road, but Grasty was confident his guys would be back ready to work over the weekend.
Cheltenham will play in the SOL semifinals on Saturday at Bensalem, and has all but sewn up a top four District 1 playoff spot to earn a first round bye. Moore and McGlone said they still believe they can play better and were eager to get back in the gym.
Thursday’s win not only locked up a perfect conference season, which Fleury believed to be the first since the 1968 team, it was the first time in school history the football and basketball teams won conference titles without losing a game.
“To be 20-2 with the circumstances we’ve been in is a testament to them,” Fleury said. “It’s fitting the Class of 2020 is 20-2 for the year but I’m just proud of them because it was an ugly win but we fought in a playoff atmosphere.
“With football and basketball combined to not lose one SOL American game combined, it’s just a great feeling in the community.”
CHELTENHAM 70, ABINGTON 67
CHELTENHAM 8 21 13 28 — 70
ABINGTON 15 18 12 21 — 67
Cheltenham: Travis Coleman 3 1-2 7, Brandon Scott 0 1-2 1, Justin Moore 8 2-5 18, Jaelen McGlone 7 3-4 17, Sean Emfinger 3 3-4 9, Mike McClain 1 1-2 3, Rasheem Dearry 1 0-0 3, Saleem Payne 4 4-6 12. Totals: 27 15-25 70.
Abington: Manir Waller 4 6-10 15, Oreck Frazier 4 1-1 9, Robert Bell 7 2-6 19, Joey Brusha 2 2-2 8, Caleb Baker 5 2-4 12, Connor Fields 1 2-2 4. Totals: 23 15-25 67.
3-pointers: C – Dearry; A – Bell 3, Brusha 2, Waller.
