Late defense lifts Phoenixville to PAC Frontier win over Upper Merion
UPPER MERION >> Phoenixville faced its largest deficit with less than six minutes remaining against Upper Merion Monday night.
A Jackson Kuranda three-pointer cut the Phantoms six-point deficit in half and started an 11-3 run through the final whistle for a 47-45 Pioneer Athletic League Frontier Division win at Upper Merion Area High School.
With the game tied, 45-45 with just over a minute remaining, the teams traded turnovers. Phoenixville scored the game-winning basket with 22.3 remaining. Max Lebisky inbounded from under the offensive basket and found Chase McDonnell in the paint. McDonnell made the layup through contact for what proved to be difference.
Chase McDonnell scores what ends up being the game-winner with 25 seconds left. https://t.co/toU4Qt6Q8q pic.twitter.com/cj1Hlby74L
— Owen McCue (@Owen_McCue) February 1, 2022
“That was a big play,” McDonnell said. “Coach set it up and I was just fortunate enough to get that slip. I was pretty open so I made the layup.”
After McDonnell missed the free throw, the Phantoms (13-5, 5-2 PAC Frontier) still needed to make plays on defense. They forced an empty Upper Merion possession, but then missed the front end of a one-and-one at the other end to keep it a two-point game. Phoenixville’s defense got another stop to secure the win, 47-45.
“We knew we didn’t want to foul and we didn’t want to let up any threes,” McDonnell said of the final two defensive stops. “I think a really crucial part in that end of the game there was Zavier (Mayo) and Jackson making that trap and getting that steal (before the game-winning basket). That led to the energy going our way.”
“There were pinpoints in the game where we lacked a little bit of focus as a unit of five,” Upper Merion coach Jason Quenzer, who was trying to call timeout before the trap turned into a turnover, said. “If we had one guy executing, then we’re not all executing. Unfortunately in moments like that they really are amplified. Unfortunately we didn’t do the right things in the right moments.”
Phoenixville didn’t allow a basket after falling behind 42-36. The Vikings (8-8, 6-2 PAC Frontier) final three points of the game came from the free throw line.
“We knew where we wanted to keep them,” Phoenixville coach Eric Burnett said. “We had a specific number and we were calling that number out. We locked in mentally and we knew what we wanted to do down the stretch. Credit our guys. We didn’t play a great game on the offensive end but we locked in on defense and that’s a tough team to stop for that long. Credit to our guys for stepping up and getting the stops down the stretch.”
Kuranda’s momentum-shifting three came on a possession that was extended by an offensive rebound and a couple defensive fouls against Upper Merion.
“We’ve had the pleasure of having somebody that’s 6-6 and 6-5 in Lebisky and (Gabe) Massenburg,” Burnett said. “For them to get those kind of plays and for Jackson to knock down, those are the kinds of plays we want our seniors to make. We knew that we could attack the glass and we did it.”
“Those little stretches matter so much,” Quenzer said. “When you’re up six and you watch that dissipate. One little play changes the outcome of the game. It’s really hard because there are so many that happen during the game and you look as specific moments like that, but that’s what it means. Every possession – can’t turn the ball over like we did in the first half, you can’t miss layups the way we did. We just left a lot of opportunities on the floor. Too many. You convert a couple of those opportunities and do what you need to do, it’s a different outcome. Kudos to them, they took full advantage and did what they needed to do.”
Mayo got the Phantoms within one with a layup and Massenburg put them ahead, 43-42.
Upper Merion’s Kalil Lawson hit a pair of free throws to put the Vikings back on top and Ty Jones split free throws to make it 45-43. Mayo tied it at 45 for Phoenixville.
Phoenixville led for most of the first half. Kuranda, Mayo and Jake Stec each scored five points in the first quarter as the Phantoms opened up a 17-10 lead. Upper Merion got within one possession in the second quarter, but McDonnell’s four points and threes from Kuranda and Stec helped build a 28-22 Phantoms advantage at halftime.
Lawson had nine points in the third quarter for Upper Merion, including a sequence where he blocked a perimeter shot, grabbed the rebound and raced to the other end. His layup gave the Vikings their first lead since 6-4, 36-34, with 45 second left in the third quarter. They took a 38-36 advantage to the fourth.
Lawson and Ethan Nguyen extended the lead to 42-36 early in the fourth and completed a 20-6 Upper Merion run.
The rivals are back at it Tuesday night when Upper Merion travels to Phoenixville. Both teams, along with Pope John Paul II, have two losses in PAC Frontier play.
“That would be the start of us running for the Frontier,” McDonnell said, “but at the same time it’s our Senior Night tomorrow night, so it would be really special for all the guys – we have 12 seniors – to go out this last year winning that night.”
“We’d be in good shape to make the PAC playoffs,” Quenzer said of the importance of winning Tuesday. “Win out. We just have to regroup and use this as a little bit of motivation for (Tuesday) and go play a cleaner, different game.”
Phoenixville 47, Upper Merion 45
Phoenixville 17 11 8 11 – 47
Upper Merion 10 12 16 7 – 45
PH: Savage 0 0-0 0, Smith 0 0-0 0, Stec 3 0-0 8, Bruni 0 0-0 0, McDonnell 3 2-3 8, Pekofsky 0 0-0 0, Mayo 7 1-1 15, Massenburg 2 0-1 4, English 0 1-2 1, Kuranda 4 0-0 11, Lebisky 0 0-0 0. Total 19 4-7 47.
UM: Jones 1 4-6 6, Lawson 6 3-4 15, Seals 0 0-0 0, Etheridge 2 4-4 8, Amaefuna 0 0-0 0, Tatom 2 1-1 5, Brooks 0 0-0 0, Hirshorn 3 0-0 6, Nguyen 2 0-0 5, Riley 0 0-0 0. Total 16 12-15 45.
3-point goals: PH: Stec 2, Kuranda 3. UM: Nguyen.
