By Neil Geoghegan
ngeoghegan@21st-centurymedia.com
@NeilMGeoghegan on Twitter
WESTTOWN >> There was a lack of electricity during the first half of boys basketball action at West Chester Rustin. And that was before an actual power outage occurred.
The Golden Knights were clearly sluggish from the start, and visiting West Chester East took full advantage to lead from wire-to-wire and record a shockingly lopsided 60-31 Ches-Mont triumph.
“I am pleasantly surprised,” said Vikings’ head coach Tom Durant. “You are always wondering as a coach when things are going to click. Every game you are competing and trying to figure out what works best. It’s all about chemistry on the floor.”
With East already in command, 28-11, late in the first half, the lights went out at Rustin several times and wound up forcing a short delay. It was kind of symbolic of the day for the Golden Knights.
“It didn’t faze us,” said Vikings’ point guard Kahseem Bronzell. “We stayed loose and I don’t think (Rustin) was able to stay as loose.”
It was East’s fourth win in a row, and the overall record improves to 8-3. The loss drops the Knights to 7-5 overall. Rustin head coach Vince Mostardi was unavailable for comment.
The Knights actually looked uncomfortable all afternoon, and a lot of it had to do with a zone defense that Durant employed from the opening possession. It was 8-0 before Mostardi called his first timeout, and 12-4 after one quarter.
“We just started using the zone in practice,” Bronzell explained. “We came out and tried it, and it was working well, so we stayed in it the whole game.”
By the half, the lead had expanded to 35-11. Rustin had connected on just four field goals and committed 10 turnovers in 16 minutes of action.
“It just clicked,” Durant said of the defense. “You know how sometimes things just work?
“If it wasn’t working, or (Rustin) got close, we would have changed it up. We’ve had other games using that same defense and (the opposition) just killed us.”
The situation got a little better in the second half for the Knights, but they were still losing ground. The Rustin student section began clearing out midway through the third quarter.
“I am a little surprised because (Rustin) is a very good team,” Bronzell said. “They were higher than us in the district (rankings), so it was an important win.”
The Knights entered the day No. 5 in the latest District 1 5A Power Rankings. The Vikings were 11th.
“We are a good team, but we have a lot more coming,” said Bronzell, who scored 12 of his game-high 16 points in the first half. Teammate Ryan Price chipped in 12 points.
“I was always a pass-first point guard, but my coaches have been telling me to try to score if I get the chance,” said Bronzell, a 6-foot-1 sophomore.
“Kahseem is the key to the car,” Durant added. “He is our ignition, and we have some other guys who are playing relentless. When (Bronzell) has the ball in his hands, you feel like something good is going to happen.
“And the best thing about him is he is a sophomore.”
In all, East limited Rustin to just a dozen field goals and less than 15-percent shooting from beyond the arc. And despite playing the zone, the Vikings still managed to dominate on the boards.
“We played well defensively,” Durant said. “It was all about limiting (Rustin) to one shot, and we did.
“No matter what defense you are playing, you have to find your guy to block out or run the rim. Whatever, it’s all about effort. The game plan was to keep (Rustin) off the boards, and we did.”
Senior Ryan Jaross and juniors Chase Hatton and Ben ‘Jet’ Malley each scored seven apiece to pace the Knights. But nobody else on the roster had more than a single bucket. Rustin also missed five of eight from the free throw line.
West Chester East 60, West Chester Rustin 31
W.C. EAST – Walton 1 0-0 2; Sherlock 1 0-0 2; Cox 1 0-0 3; At-Takriti 3 0-0 7; Carr 1 0-0 3; Keefe 2 1-2 6; Bronzell 6 4-5 16; Duggan 2 0-0 4; Williams 2 0-0 4; Price 5 0-0 12. Totals 24 5-7 60.
W.C. RUSTIN – Jaross 2 3-4 7; Day 1 0-2 3; Petty 1 0-0 3; Batchelor 1 0-0 2; Malley 3 0-1 7; Hatton 3 0-1 7; Iocone 1 0-0 2. Totals 12 3-8 31.
West Chester East 12 23 16 9 — 60
West Chester Rustin 4 7 12 8 — 31
3-pointers: Cox, At-Takriti, Carr, Keefe, Williams, Price 2, Day, Petty, Malley, Hatton.
