Connor Shanahan, Downingtown East boys basketball fend off late effort from Owen J. Roberts

BUCKTOWN >> Ben Condello knows just how explosive Downingtown East’s Connor Shanahan is.

The second-year Owen J. Roberts boys basketball coach witnessed firsthand when he watched him from the bleachers as Shanahan put up 15 points against Pottstown at the Pottsgrove invitational to kick off the 2022-23 season.

A senior point guard who averaged a Ches-Mont League-high 28 ppg last winter, Shanahan disrupted a late effort from the Wildcats to seal a 68-60 non-league road win for the Cougars on Saturday.

“All credit to Connor Shanahan. Every time we felt we were gonna take control, he had an answer for us tonight,” Condello said.

Q3, 1:30 — Connor Shanahan from deep, Downingtown East up 49-27.

Shanahan led the Ches-Mont League in scoring last year at 28 ppg. pic.twitter.com/xFokBleIem

— Evan Wheaton (@EvanWheaton) January 7, 2023

Shanahan forced late turnovers in the final minutes and scored 23 of his game-high 27 points in the second half.

Trailing by 16 points entering the fourth quarter, Owen J. Roberts (5-7) chopped its deficit and closed the gap to just three before one final steal from Shanahan effectively iced it.

But before Shanahan caught fire, it was the Micah Hill show. The junior forward lit up the first half with 11 points — with a pair of dunks for good measure — and finished with 15 on the night.

“From the start, we knew we could beat this team. We just had to prove it out there,” Hill said. “I think those dunks really hyped us up and got us going.”

If those dunks didn’t hype up the Cougars (5-8) and their fan section, an alley-oop from Shanahan to Hill on the first possession of the second half certainly did.

Though that hype turned to concern when the scale began to tip in favor of the Wildcats through the final eight minutes. Luke Fryer and Tyler Rossi began lighting it up from the perimeter, combining for four 3-pointers and 16 points to vault right back into the game.

Jackson Hansford poured eight of his 10 points on as well in what was a high-octane, 27-point fourth quarter that upended the tempo which had been built up to that point.

“I’m really proud of the way we battled in the fourth quarter, we did some really good things. We played in the fourth quarter the way we should’ve in the first three,” Condello said. “I felt we didn’t come out tonight with the appropriate energy and the appropriate feel.”

Q4, 3:17 — Luke Fryer hits a three to pull OJR within seven points, Wildcats take a timeout after.

Downingtown East 57, Owen J. Roberts 50 pic.twitter.com/3FEI9L4zXZ

— Evan Wheaton (@EvanWheaton) January 8, 2023

Q4, 2:22 — Back-to-back threes from Luke Fryer and Tyler Rossi and it’s a 3-point game! pic.twitter.com/hjMAhFxDaP

— Evan Wheaton (@EvanWheaton) January 8, 2023

Fryer and Rossi have been the go-to buckets for Owen J. Roberts, averaging 14.5 and 14.8 ppg respectively. Against Downingtown East, Fryer piled on 24 points and Rossi put up 14.

Senior forward Ishaan Jha helped balloon the Cougars’ lead in the second quarter with eight of his 12 points to enter the locker room with a 29-21 advantage.

There would’ve been plenty of reason for nerves in the moment, given the Wildcats’ late comeback against Pioneer Athletic Conference Liberty foe Perkiomen Valley two days prior. But Downingtown East didn’t get rattled and instead, looked to its star power.

“I’m really proud of them. It would be easy to turn the ball over and miss free throws and let them claw all the way back,” Cougars coach Brian Grashof said. “It’s not good that we let them back in the game, but they’re very good and (Fryer and Rossi) can shoot the ball very well.”

After starting the season 1-8, Downingtown East is now in the midst of a four-game win streak with some against higher-ranked opponents in District 1, such as Owen J. Roberts in the latter’s gym.

“We just gotta prove we’re good again. For the past couple years, we’ve been looked down on in the district and (Ches-Mont) league,” Hill said. “To beat these teams, it feels good for us and it says we could do it.”

Downingtown East 68, Owen J. Roberts 60

Downingtown East: Faust 0 0-0 0; Shanahan 10 5-6 27; Littlepage 0 0-0 0; Henderson 0 0-0 0; Segarra 2 0-0 5; Pell 0 0-0 0; DiLullo 0 0-0 0; Hill 6 3-4 15; Jha 5 3-4 14; Tafo 1 0-0 3; Kelly 2 0-0 4. Totals: 26 11-14 68
Owen J. Roberts: Faccioli 0 0-0 0; Fryer 9 3-5 24; Rossi 4 2-3 13; Cline 3 0-0 6; J. Cashman 2 0-0 5; D. Cashman 1 0-0 2; Hansford 4 2-2 10; Perry 0 0-0 0. Totals: 23 5-8 60