Coatesville begins league play by downing Bishop Shanahan

DOWNINGTOWN<< If you are going to defeat the Coatesville boys basketball team you are going to have to play the full 32 minutes. Any slight lapse of concentration or production can be the difference between winning and losing.

Tuesday night at Bishop Shanahan High School, the visiting Red Raiders started the second period on a 9-0 run to break open a one point game and go on to post a 68-57 triumph over the host Eagles in Ches-Mont National Division play.

Coatesville (1-0 Ches-Mont, 3-1 overall) got big games from junior Zuri Harris and Amon Fowlkes who both poured in 16 points. Jeremiah Marshall chip din with 14 points and Dior Kennedy added eight for the victors. Ben Rodner-Tims led all scorers with a 26 points for the Eagles. (0-1, 1-4).

“We showed a lot of energy to begin the second period,” Harris said. “I feel when we bring the energy and play together we can beat anybody. tonight we just came out in the second and played our brand of basketball. this team is maybe still a work in progress and the coaches and us work hard every day and we just grind to get better each game.”

Harris started the run by driving past the Eagles defenders for a lay-up to make its 20-17 Coatesvile lead. Folks then took a feed from Harris to score in tight to make it a 22-17 game. After a Shanahan miss, William fowls scored on a follow to make it a 24-17 Red Raiders lead.

Amon Fowleks then drained a long three-ball, one of his four treys on the night and the Red Raiders had a firm grasp on the game with a 27-17 lead, a lead they would never surrender. The Red Raiders shot a torrid nine for 15 in the second period and took a commanding 41-28 lead into halftime.

“Zuri realy works hard and he is getting to know what we want from him,” Coatesville coach John Allen said. “He puts in the work and he is getting more freedom out there. He does whatever it takes. in the end, he is just a good basketball player.”

The Eagles would not give up however as Rodner-Tims and Logan Kapcynski hit baskets to start the third period and cut the Coatesville lead to 43-36.

After a Red Raiders turnover, Rodner-Tims drove hard to the basket to cut the Red Raiders lead to 43-38. Marsahall stopped the Eagles momentum with a nice shot from the lane by Kevin Scaggs, who played well for the Eagles with 13 points and seven rebounds-scored inside and it was a 46-40 lead and the Eagles were making things interesting.

“The kids are still learning what us coaches want them to do at times,” Allen said. “And it is not just me embracing them, it is them embracing me. This is a real tough place to play and we fought through some things and got a win. But, if we lose Thursday or Saturday it won’t mean as much.”

With the Red Raiders holding a 52-44 lead after three periods, Coatesville started the fourth period on a mission to open things up. Harris delivered a great feed to Larry Brown who scored in tight.

Then Rodner-Tims missed from inside and the Red Raiders came down the floor and Maarshall took another feed from Harris to score inside and the Raiders could exhale.

They proceeded to work the clock to perfection in the fourth period and they came away with a tough Ches-Mont National win.

“I thought our effort was great and to only turn the balloter four times in the first half against a team s good as Coatesville is a positive,” Bishop Shanahan coach John Dougherty said. “And we did not have a starter in Charlie Federico, who as sick, but Coatesville is a very talented team and during that run in the second period we could have done a better job with our transition defense.”

Coatesville 68, Bishop Shanahan 57

COATESVILLE (68) Harris 6 4-4 16, Kennedy 3 2-4 8, Peoples 0 0-0 0, Brown 4 0-0 8, Marshall 6 2-3 14, W.Folwkes 2 0-0 5, A.Fowlkes 5 2-2 16, Proctor  0 0-0 0, Van Orden 0 1-2 1. Totals 26 9-19 68.

BISHOP SHANAHAN (57) Kapcynski 1 2-2 4, Rodner-Tims 10 6-12 26, Alexander 2 1-1 7, Scaggs 6 1-4 13, Griffin 1 0-0 2, Snyder 0 0-0 0, Boyle 2 1-3 5, Rylander 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 11-22-57.

Coatesville             18 23 11 16-68

Bishop Shanahan  17 11 16 13-57

3-point goals: W.Fowlkes, A.Fowlkes 4, Alexander 2.