Deininger scores 23 points, North Penn holds off Central Bucks West

DOYLESTOWN >> Ryan Deininger had pretty much one option after catching an inbounds pass with 1.6 seconds left in the third quarter.

“Just come off the double screen and one second left, had to just chuck it up and hope it went in,” the North Penn senior said.

Deininger rose up for a contested 3-pointer from the left side that went through the net as the buzzer sounded, the trey capping a 10-0 run to finish the quarter and giving the visiting Knights boys basketball team a 48-37 lead on Central Bucks West.

The double-digit cushion was enough to stave off the Bucks’ comeback bid in the fourth with Deininger also helping North Penn pull away late to earn a 65-56 Suburban One League Colonial Division win Tuesday night.

“Just had to dig in on defense,” Deininger said. “I think our defense was a little slow, low energy the whole game, we just stepped it up in the fourth, let us hold the lead.”

Central Bucks West cut the margin to five twice in the final quarter but both times Deininger answered with a basket – the second instance driving for two and drawing the foul to make it 58-51 with 1:36 remaining.

“Just stay patient,” Deininger said. “Always be aggressive, don’t be scared of the moment. Just keep going, keep attacking.”

Two Norman Gee free throws 11 seconds later gave the Knights a nine-point advantage. A Matt Engle basket had West down 60-53 but North Penn scored the next five, Deininger’s bucket extended the lead to a dozen.

Deininger scored 13 of his game-best 23 points in the second half while Gee and Teddy McAllister both had 15 points, McAllister collecting 12 before halftime while Gee provided 12 after the break for the Knights (3-0, 2-0 division), who won their opening three games for the first time since the 2010-2011 season.

“You don’t really have to force anything cause everyone can shoot, everyone can score,” Deininger said. “And just keep moving it around and let everyone take their turn.”

Matt Engle led Central Bucks West (0-5, 0-2) with 18 points while Jackson Wisniowski added all 10 of his points in the second quarter.

Both teams have division games Friday with the Bucks looking for their first win at home against Central Bucks South at 7 p.m. while North Penn visits Souderton at 7:30 p.m. in the second game of a boy/girl doubleheader.

“Stay locked in and don’t get too cocky,” McAllister said. “And take every game day-by-day.”

Deininger drove for two to give North Penn a 38-31 lead in the third before West scored the next six – an Angle 3-pointer followed by Michael Fountain’s basket inside pulling the Bucks to 38-37.

But consecutive baskets from Corey Meade pushed the Knights’ edge to five while a Gee pull-up 3-pointer in the final minute made it 45-37. Deininger then drained his last-second triple at the quarter’s buzzer to send North Penn to the fourth up 11.

Four straight points from May Slaymaker to begin the final quarter had the Bucks down seven before NP’s Ryan Zeltt hit a jumper. West was within 51-46 after a Charlie Cashman 3-pointer but Deininger drove for two with a McAllister free throw at 3:38 making it 54-46.

An Engle trey had West down five again at 56-51, however the Bucks could not pull any closer. Deininger got two and drew a foul with 96 seconds left while Gee’s two from the foul line at 1:25 gave North Penn a 60-51 advantage.

In the first quarter, Engle’s basket off a drive gave West a 6-4 edge but that was the home side’s final lead of the night as consecutive 3-pointers from Deininger then McAllister put North Penn up 10-8.

“I feel like I was locked in from the start,” McAllister said. “First bucket I start flowing and I just kept going.”

A Gee trey made it 15-8 Knights. Buckets from Engle and Max McGlone had West within three before a two from Deininger had NP leading 17-12 at the end of the first eight minutes.

The Knights began the second quarter with a 7-2 burst – Deininger providing five points with McAllister scoring on a drive to make it 24-14.

Wisniowski, however, got the Bucks back into it with a personal 7-0 run, knocking down a three, converting two at the line at 4:55 then hitting a jumper to make it 24-21.

A Zeltt jumper then Mario Sgro’s reverse layup had the Knights up seven but Wisniowski’s 3-point play at 2:34 had West down four. McAllister drained a 3-pointer before Julian Phillips connected a three to cut North Penn’s lead to 31-27 at halftime.

North Penn 65 Central Bucks West 56
North Penn 17 14 17 17 – 65
Central Bucks West 12 15 10 19 – 56
North Penn: Ryan Deininger 9 2-4 23; Norman Gee 5 2-2 15; Teddy McAllister 5 3-4 15; Corey Meade 2 0-0 4; Mario Sgro 1 2-2 4; Ryan Zeltt 2 0-0 4; Totals 24 9-12 65.
Central Bucks West: Matt Engle 7 1-1 18; Jackson Wisniowski 3 3-3 10; Julian Phillips 3 1-2 8; Charlie Cashman 1 2-2 5; Bowen Gugger 2 1-2 5; Max McGlone 2 0-0 4; Max Slaymaker 2 0-1 4; Michael Fountain 1 0-0 2; Totals 21 8-11 56.
3-pointers: NP-Deininger 3, Gee 3, McAllister 2; CBW-Engle 3, Cashman, Phillips, Wisniowski.