DeAngelo, Freeman shoot lights out, knock down Pottsgrove
WEST NORRITON — Marvin Freeman doesn’t bat an eyelid when presented the latest insane stat line produced by Vinny DeAngelo.
Wednesday evening at Norristown Area High School, the Sun Valley guard went 12-for-12 from the field. DeAngelo’s return of 27 points actually hurts his postseason scoring average, and, Freeman points out with a wry smile, DeAngelo did miss a free throw in the fourth quarter.
But on the whole, none of it surprises his long-time teammate.
“I call him our mid-range assassin,” Freeman said. “He kills from the inside knocking down shots. It opens up more from everyone else because when he goes to take that shot, it opens up lanes where he can kick it out to the shooters.”
DeAngelo was simply perfect, and he had plenty of help as sixth-seeded Sun Valley throttled No. 10 Pottsgrove, 68-49, in the District 1 Class 5A semifinal.
The win sends Sun Valley (18-7) to Saturday’s district final at Temple against Ches-Mont foe West Chester East, after the top-seeded Vikings knocked off Penncrest, 40-32, in the nightcap. Tip-off is at 2.
Though exemplary, DeAngelo’s performance didn’t stand alone. More than anything, he set the tone for the Vanguards. The game plan sought to exploit Pottsgrove’s relative lack of height and rim protection. So instead of settling for jump shots, the backcourt triumvirate of DeAngelo, Freeman and Isaac Kennon took the ball off the bounce at will and got easy shots near the basket.
The proof is in the pudding: An otherworldly 27-for-37 shooting performance from the field (a robust 73.0 percent). The backcourt trio shot 23-for-29 (79.3 percent).
“Mainly it’s my mentality coming into the game, the whole playoffs really,” said DeAngelo, who scored 64 points in the first two districts games. “I’ve just had this, ‘no one can guard me. I can get the rack whenever I want.’ I can drive and find teammates or drive and score. That’s been the mentality for me.”
Vinny DeAngelo, still not missing. Hes got 18. Freeman has 15. Sun Valley has 42, Pottsgrove just 22. pic.twitter.com/q7ugfrE3S3
— Matthew De George (@sportsdoctormd) February 27, 2019
Freeman’s contribution was just as inspirational. The senior guard picked up two first-quarter fouls and was saddled with his third in the first minute of the third quarter. But the adversity sharpened his focus on being smartly aggressive on offense. Freeman, among Delco’s leading marksmen with 39 made 3-pointers, went 2-for-4 beyond the arc. But more often, he wriggled his 6-5 frame through bodies in the lane for easier baskets around the Falcons’ ground-bound defenders, totaling 19 points and six boards.
“I knew I had a couple of fouls but I didn’t want to go away from being aggressive going to the rack because I knew if I did that, I wouldn’t be helping my team,” Freeman said. “So I had to get more aggressive on my touches going to the rim so I could help out my team.”
PHOTO GALLERY: Pottsgrove vs. Sun Valley
Along with Lance Stone and the lanky Kennon, Freeman put on a clinic of how to defend the rim without fouling, repelling Pottsgrove’s repeated and often fruitless sorties in the paint. The Falcons shot 16-for-48 from the field (33.3 percent) and were outrebounded 28-19.
Kennon added 10 points and nine rebounds for Sun Valley, and Stone chipped in six points and four boards.
Fourteen Falcons checked into the game, and until the final minute, only three had scored. Khaliym Smith led the Falcons with 20 points and six boards. Justin Robinson added 16 points and Manny Clark had 12. They accounted for all 16 of Pottsgrove’s made baskets.
Marvin Freeman to the hole.
Halftime: Sun Valley 32, Pottsgrove 18. pic.twitter.com/ZswkJOVIZz— Matthew De George (@sportsdoctormd) February 27, 2019
The final margin was padded via some Pottsgrove-starters-on-Sun-Valley-reserves late in the game. But DeAngelo was 6-for-6 in the first quarter to stake the Vanguards to a 22-9 lead. Pottsgrove scored the first five points of the second quarter to get within eight, but a 12-0 run powered by six points each from DeAngelo and Freeman made it a rout, the lead stretching as high as 28.
Impressive as the win was, the job isn’t done for Sun Valley.
“Heading into the season, the first goal was the Ches-Mont championship,” DeAngelo said. “The second goal wasn’t just to make it to the District 1 finals but to win. We’re not going to get complacent. We’re not done yet, and we can’t wait for Saturday.”
