RADNOR >> The Bishop Shanahan boys basketball team attempted to win the District 1 4A championship Saturday afternoon at Harriton High School without two starters, who were out with injury.
This severely hampered the Eagles offense and a fired-up Pope John Paul II team was poised to capitalize by winning 51-35 in the District 1-4A final.
The win puts the Golden Panthers into the PIAA 4A playoffs where they will host the No. 4 seed from District 12 on March 8. For Shanahan, the loss ended the Eagles’ season.
Pope John Paul was led by super sophomore Ayden Wise, who ran the show for the Golden Panthers and totaled a game high 19 points to go along with five assists. The Golden Panthers were a different team when Wise was not handling the basketball.
“To win this district title is just an amazing feeling,” Wise said. “I am sort of new to the school and I am just so happy for the seniors on this team. We worked hard this season. We did not get off to a good start this season but we kept working and working and now we are district champs. I feel we have what it takes to go on a little run in the state playoffs. We have what it takes to do that.”
The absence of two starters was too much to overcome for the Eagles.
“We were without Sean Griffin and David Maddrey-Ryalnder and we had to change our rotation,” Eagles coach John Dougherty said. “We really did not find out our injury situation until yesterday so it has been tough. But, give them credit. They ran their offense and they are well coached and they did what they had to do to win the game. And i want to say I was extremely proud of the effort my guys gave today. They are a great group.”
The Golden Panthers (13-12) led the entire way and they held the Eagles (12-12) to just 16 second-half points. The Golden Panthers outscored the Eagles 21-16 in the second half and the Eagles shot just 13 for 44 from the field for the game.
The Golden Panthers held a 30-19 lead at halftime and it was clear that the Eagles were going to have trouble on the offensive end of the floor. Anthony Aquila scored in tight early in the third period for the Eagles to make it a 34-25 PJP lead.
The Eagles went to a 2-3 zone defense against the Golden Panthers in the third period and it seemed to disrupt the PJP offense. But at the end of three periods it was still a 36-27 Golden Panthers lead
The Eagles started the fourth period down just nine points and the Eagles cut the margin to seven points on an inside basket from Aquila.
But, the Golden Panthers scored the next six points on baskets by Wise, Dom Demito and Caleb Zavertnik to give the Golden Panthers a 44-29 lead.
Pope John Paul started to run the four corners offense with a little more than five minutes to go in the fourth period. The Eagles had to gamble on defense and try for the steal, and Wise cut through the Eagles defense for a layup and a 46-31 Golden Panthers lead with less than three minutes to play.
The Eagles tried valiantly but they shot just 4-for-14 from the field in the fourth period and the undermanned Eagles were no match for a very well prepared Golden Panthers squad. The Pope John Paul II team celebrated its district championship by storming the floor and now the Golden Panthers look ahead to the PIAA playoffs.
“It is an amazing feeling to win a district title,” Pope John Paul II coach Earl Wise said. “We started the season 2-7 and we got together and stayed together and talked things over and we turned this season around and now we get to keep on playing.
“I know Bishop Shanahan was missing a couple of guys and they are a great program but you have to play the guys that are on the floor. These kids of ours worked very hard to turn things around and I thank God and I am so proud of them.”
Pope John Paul II 51, Bishop Shanahan 35
POPE JOHN PAUL II (51) Demito 1 4-7 6, Wise 8 2-2 19, Zavertnik 4 0-0 10, Green 0 2-2 2, Bustynowicz 0 0-02 0, Bass 1 0-0 2, Mondillo 2 0-2 5, Owens 1 2-3 4, Reed 0 3-3 3. Totals 17 13-21 51.
BISHOP SHANAHAN (35) Gorman 0 0-0 0, Aquila 3 0-0 6, Keenan 3 5-6 11, Ambrose 3 0-0 7, O’Donnell 1 0-0 2, Seifried 0 1-2 1, Corcoran 2 0-0 5, Boyle 0 0-0 0, Scaggs 1 1-1 3, Donohue 0 0-0 0. Totals 13 7-9 35.
Pope John Paul II 16 14 6 15-51
Bishop Shanahan 11 8 8 8-35
3-point goals: Wise, Zavertnik 2, Ambrose, Corcoran
