Strong second half lifts Norristown past Methacton

WEST NORRITON >> It might have been a school record to futility.

Norristown’s basketball team scored one, count it, one point in the second quarter of Friday night’s contest against Methacton and went into halftime chasing an 11-point deficit.

But instead of licking their wounds, the Eagles came out in the second half with a purpose.

They tightened up on defense, they crashed the offensive boards and they rallied to beat Methacton, 43-40 in a wild Pioneer Athletic Conference contest.

Xavier Edwards scored 12 of his game-high 15 points in the third quarter as the Eagles roared back to land the unlikely victory.

“We were too tentative in the first half,” said Norristown head coach Mike Evans after the wild Senior Night victory. “In the first half we had too many defensive letdowns, and in the second half we played much better defense.”

The first half featured a barrage of Warriors 3-pointers as the visitors bombed away successfully.

But the second half was a different story, as the Eagles tightened up defensively, pounded the offensive glass (they had 18 offensive rebounds in the game), and Methacton couldn’t dent a determined Eagles defensive shell.

“Our plan was to keep them off the offensive boards,” said Warriiors head coach Jeff Derstine, “but give them credit.

“We played good team defense in the first half, but Norristown was very determined in the second half, and what we needed to do, we didn’t do.

“We had our opportunities down the stretch, but give Norristown credit for pulling it out.”

Methacton was led by Patrick O’Neill’s 10 points, while Liam Malachowski had nine, all coming on first-half three-pointers.

Norristown 43, Methacton 40
Methacton 13 11 5 11 – 40
Norristown 10 1 21 11 – 43
Methacton: Patrick O’Neill 3 1-2 10; Crandall Jones 0 0-0 0; David Duda 2 0-0 6; Liam Malachowski 3 0-2 9; Jeff Woodward 2 0-0 4; Shamus Shields 2 0-0 4; Andrew Pisano 1 0-0 2; Brett Marberger 2 0-0 5; Mikey Kerkering 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 1-4 40.
Norristown: Darius Mcgowan 1 1-2 3; Kuron Clark 5 4-6 14; Xavier Edwards 7 1-2 15; Marquise Greenwood 4 0-6 8; Mickeel Allen 1 0-5 2; Tyler Lyons 0 0-0 0; Marcus Sanford 0 0-0 0. Justin Ulmer 0 0-0 0.. Totals 18 6-21 43.

Top Photo: Norristown’’s Kuron Clark drives the lane as Methacton’’s Shamus Shields defends during their game on Friday, Jan. 27, 2017. (Gene Walsh/Digital First Media)