Owen J. Roberts boys basketball takes Spring-Ford to overtime, Rams pull away for 14th straight win

BUCKTOWN >> Ben Condello met Joe Dempsey out on the court after Saturday’s tilt between their respective squads.

The two second-year Owen J. Roberts and Spring-Ford boys basketball coaches shook hands, Condello exclaiming how much fun the past hour and 45 minutes were. Dempsey, sweat on his brow, wasn’t quite as optimistic.

“I don’t know if that was fun, you guys played great. You coached a great game,” Dempsey replied.

Beginning to walk backward, the gym clearing out, Condello departed by saying what many are thinking.

“You guys are a championship team.”

And that team found a way to win — again — for the 14th straight time, edging Owen J. Roberts 53-48 in overtime to remain unbeaten in Pioneer Athletic Conference play.

FINAL (OT) — Spring-Ford 53, Owen J. Robert’s 48

No. 2 Spring-Ford fends off OJR in an absolute blockbuster to remain undefeated in conference play.

That’s 14 straight wins for the Rams.

Unbelievable game. pic.twitter.com/Xy0T6ja38N

— Evan Wheaton (@EvanWheaton) January 15, 2023

Tied 45-45 after regulation, 6-foot-4 forward Tommy Kelly scored four points in the extra period, enough to go the distance. Kelly led the Rams with 19 points on the night.

But like Dempsey, Kelly knew Saturday’s PAC Liberty matchup was a wake up call, remaining firmly grounded in the moment.

“It wasn’t our best game, but our coaches do a great job of keeping us in check,” Kelly said.

Against a squad ranked No. 2 in District 1 Class 6A with a conference-leading defense allowing just 40.6 ppg, Owen J. Roberts (5-10, 1-4) was able to go toe-to-toe with what’s been one of Pennsylvania’s juggernauts this winter.

Junior Guard Luke Fryer lit up Spring-Ford’s defense with 14 of his game-high 21 points in the first half. Through the first quarter alone, Fryer hit three shots from 3-point range to propel the Wildcats right up to Spring-Ford’s tempo, though the Rams (14-1, 5-0) finished out the first eight minutes with a one-point advantage.

Jacob Nguyen was also hitting lasers from beyond the arc and finished with 13 points for Spring-Ford. Zach Zollers made crucial offensive rebounds down the stretch, often feeding Kelly and Nguyen in crunch time.

With the game tied 25-25 and just one minute left before the half, Tyler Rossi (12 points) drained one from the point before getting a stop to head into the locker room with a 28-25 lead.

“They did a great job. Fryer and Rossi are terrific players,” Dempsey said. “We’ve got a lot of respect for them and they’re two really good guards. I’m just proud of the way we battled. All the credit to them though, they’re a much better team than their record shows.”

Tommy Kelly with a nasty behind the back layup, Spring-Ford leads 49-45 with 2:24 to go in OT. pic.twitter.com/3DxxaLhtrM

— Evan Wheaton (@EvanWheaton) January 15, 2023

Ahead of Saturday, Fryer has averaged 15.5 ppg — fourth most in the PAC. Rossi has been right there too, averaging 14 ppg.

The duo came up with more than just buckets on the offensive end against Spring-Ford. As the final seconds of regulation ticked off the clock, Fryer came up with a leaping block in the corner to prevent the Rams from pulling off a buzzer-beater.

“They had a really good game. They were making their shots,” Kelly said. “We just didn’t play like us today.”

🚨 OVERTIME 🚨

Luke Fryer with a MASSIVE block.

Owen J. Roberts is taking No. 2 Spring-Ford to an extra period in its own gym.

This place is simply bussin. pic.twitter.com/lEHquPH2yA

— Evan Wheaton (@EvanWheaton) January 15, 2023

Down 41-38 with three minutes left in the fourth quarter, Rossi drew a foul and tied the game by drilling three shots at the line. With the Rams up 45-43, Rossi again nailed a pair of free throws to force the overtime period.

For a team ranked No. 33 in District 1-6A, every bucket, every lead change and each and every foul sent a frenzy among the crowd in Bucktown as the Wildcats took it to the brink.

Through the final 20 minutes, Owen J. Roberts played up-tempo, Spring-Ford trying to dial it back into its own rhythm. The Rams were successful, making just enough plays at just the right times.

“It’s all about those kids. They displayed so much mental toughness, so much togetherness in a game with a team who many think is one of the best teams in 6A, District 1 and potentially even the state,” Condello said. “I think it says what a great group of young men I have … I’m the luckiest coach in the world.”

Spring-Ford had another close encounter with Wilson West Lawn seven days prior, Zollers hitting a putback to beat the final buzzer in a 42-40 non-league win. The Rams have been put to work, but they’ve had just enough gas in the tank to go the extra mile each night.

And with a highly anticipated matchup against Norristown — second place in the Liberty — on Tuesday, Spring-Ford has another big test right around the corner after a long week.

“We ate too many threes tonight, but we just found a way,” Dempsey said. “That’s all I can say, we found a way to win and that’s what you gotta do in this league and on the road. All the credit to the kids.”

Spring-Ford 53, Owen J. Roberts 48 (OT)

Results

Team	1	2	3	4	OT	T
Spring-Ford	15	10	13	7	8	53
Owen J. Roberts	14	14	8	9	3	48

Spring-Ford

#	Player	FGM	FTM	FTA	3PM	PTS
1	EJ‌ Campbell‌	1	2	2	0	4
2	Tyree‌ Banks‌	0	0	0	0	0
3	Jacob Nguyen	3	4	6	3	13
4	Zach‌ Zollers‌	1	0	1	0	2
5	Michael McKenna‌	2	0	0	1	5
12	Caleb‌ ‌Little‌	1	0	0	0	2
13	Tommy Kelly	8	3	4	0	19
20‌	Alex‌ ‌Lewis‌	4	0	2	0	8
	Total	20	9	15	4	53

Owen J. Roberts

#	Player	FGM	FTM	FTA	3PM	PTS
2	Aiden Facciolli	0	0	0	0	0
3	Luke Fryer	8	1	2	4	21
4	Tyler Rossi	3	5	6	1	12
5	Elijah Cline	2	0	0	1	5
11	Jack Cashman	0	0	0	0	0
12	Danny Cashman	1	0	0	0	2
15	Nate Iyoob	0	0	0	0	0
23	Jackson Hansford	4	0	0	0	8
35	Derrick Perry	0	0	0	0	0
	Total	18	6	8	6	48