Council Rock North girls, CR South boys topple sister schools on the basketball court
HOLLAND – Council Rock North faced off against Council Rock South in both girls and boys basketball Friday night (Dec. 22) on the Golden Hawks’ home court. By Saturday morning, there was something left under the Christmas tree for each side.
The visiting Lady Indians (4-1) raced out to a 40-12 halftime lead on their way to a 60-33 triumph for their fourth win of the season.
Coming into the game winless at 0-5, the Golden Hawk men registered their first victory on the year – to the tune of a 51-40 triumph over CR North (1-4).
“If we were going to win any game it was going to be this one,” said CR South senior Kyle Meakim. “We just decided we had to stick together and pull through.
“We kept a good attitude and it showed tonight.”
Meakim and fellow classmate Christian Jabbar led the Hawks with a dozen points apiece. A pair of 3-pointers by Meakim and another by Trey Irvin helped South pull away to a 17-point lead by the end of the third period.
“We had a nice stretch in the third quarter where we made shots,” said Hawks’ head coach Derek Wright. “A lot of times, it’s that simple – you’re either making shots or you’re missing shots.
“We went on a stretch where we made shots and they went on a stretch where they missed.”
CR North tipped the big rivalry game off with an 11-4 scoring run, a string that was capped by junior James Duffy’s putback basket.
South answered with a 14-2 run of its own that began with a 3-pointer by senior Simon Magidenko in the first period and was capped off with a buzzer-beating trey by Jabbar that put the Hawks on top 18-13 at the half.
South appeared to have missed their final shot in the second quarter but Magidenko picked up a rebound rolling along the baseline and kicked it out to Jabbar, who found nothing but net.
“He’s a warrior, that’s what I call him,” said Wright, of Jabbar. “He competes, which is all you ask of a young man.
“He just plays the next play and gives all that he has.”
Just 30 seconds into the second period, a layup by Meakim tied the game at 11-all. An ensuing steal and fast-break bucket by Jabbar put CR South ahead to stay.
Putting a dent in the Indians’ cause was a 1-for-9 shooting performance in the second quarter. North shot 3-for-11 in the third period.
“I think we shot under 30 percent in this game,” said CR North head coach Jesse Krasna. “You’re not going to win many games when that happens.”
“I thought we played a pretty good first half. We were moving the ball around, getting some good open looks, we just weren’t able to make shots.
“And that was kind of the story for the whole game. We just weren’t able to put the ball in the hoop.”
South got a big boost from senior Zach Shade, who came through with 11 points, nine of which he poured into the basket in the second half when he hit 5-of-6 from the foul line. Back-to-back 3-point plays by Shade put the Hawks up by a dozen with a minute remaining in the third period.
“He’s a difference-maker for us,” said Wright, of Shade. “He’s got good size, and he’s got good skills.”
Esteban Gomez chipped in with seven points, numerous rebounds, a putback basket and a critical 3-point play in the fourth quarter. Magidenko sparked South by scoring five of his six points in the initial frame.
Irvin hit only one basket, but it was a 3-pointer that came early in the third quarter that helped the Hawks ignite a 12-2 scoring run. South closed the next to last period out with a trey by Meakim and a pair of free throws by Jabbar to take a 37-20 edge into the final frame.
The Indians cut the gap to nine points in the final frame, thanks to a trio of 3-pointers by sophomore Hunter Wan, but could draw no closer. The Hawks closed the battle out with a 12-for-21 shooting effort from the foul line in the last stanza.
Defensively, South limited North’s leading scorers – seniors Brady Haggerty and Matt McAlister – to just two points in the first half.
“They had five or six offensive rebounds in the first half so we wanted to limit that and all five guys had to crash the boards,” said Meakim. “Our main focus was rebounding and sticking with McAlister and Haggerty, just taking their pressure and being composed with it.”
The CR North girls’ scoring effort was led by senior Becca Margolis, who poured 11 points into the bucket including a 7-for-7 shooting performance from the foul line. Classmate Mackenzie Tinner chipped in with 10 points, including five in the initial frame.
Junior Camryn Polinsky finished with 10 points, including a pair of 3-pointers. Classmate Dana Bandurick came through with eight points, all in the first half.
Senior Kaelin Mealey contributed with nine points off the bench, including a 3-pointer to beat the buzzer at the end of the first half.
CR South freshman Nicole Blaustein led the Golden Hawks with eight points, including 6-of-9 from the foul line. On the boys side, Haggerty led the Indians’ scoring effort with 14 points, including a dozen in the second half.
From here, the CR North girls team flies to Florida where they will compete in the Naples Holiday Shootout Dec. 28-30 at Gulf Coast High School. The Lady Indians open the tournament facing Fort Myers, which recently toppled an opponent, 124-5.
North’s boys are playing closer to home Dec. 27-28 in the Unionville Holiday Tournament. The Indians open the tourney on Wednesday facing the host team.
South’s boys are playing in the Big Game Showcase Tournament Dec. 30 at Interboro High School and the girls team is playing in the Lady Vikings Holiday Invitational Dec. 27-28 at Upper Merion. The Hawks open the tournament Wednesday facing Suburban One American Conference rival Wissahickon.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Council Rock North 60, Council Rock South 33
(Dec. 22 at CR South)
Council Rock South 4 8 7 14 – 33
Council Rock North 23 17 17 3 – 60
Council Rock North (4-1) — Juliana Shields 2, Mackenzie Tinner 10, Dana Bandurick 8, Sydney Blum 1, Olivia Boyle 4, Anna Carione 3, Abby Jones 2, Becca Margolis 11, Kaelin Mealey 9, Camryn Polinsky 10; TOTALS — 19 18-29–60.
Council Rock South (2-4) — Carley Irvin 2, Karly Wunder 2, Alex Szydlik 3, Claudia Steinmetz 3, Allison McGowan 3, Emma Jones 2, Brooke Goldberg 2, Jenna Culp 3, Nicole Blaustein 9, Hannah Binder 3, Isabella Mendes 2: TOTALS — 11 8-17–33.
3-POINT GOALS: CRN — Mealey, Carione, Polinsky; CRS — Binder, McGowan, Culp.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Council Rock South 51, Council Rock North 40
(Dec. 22 at CR South)
Council Rock South 9 9 19 14 – 51
Council Rock North 11 2 7 20 – 40
CR NORTH (1-4) — Hunter Wan 9, Harry Wyatt 2, Justin Walton 4, DJ Mischak 3, Matt McAllister 6, Brady Haggerty 12, Josh Fisher 2, James Duffy 2; TOTALS — 15 5-7–40.
CR SOUTH (1-5) — Zach Schade 11, Esteban Gomez 7, Trey Irvin 3, Christian Jabbar 12, Simon Magidenko 6, Kyle Meakim 12; TOTALS — 15 16-25–51.
3-POINT GOALS: CRN — Wan 3, Haggerty, Mischak; CRS — Meakim 2, Jabbar, Magidenko, Irvin.
