Pennridge holds off Souderton, clinches share of SOL Continental title
EAST ROCKHILL >> Mired in an offensive funk, style points were the least of Pennridge boys basketball coach Dean Behrens concerns.
“Sometimes when you’re struggling you need to win ugly,” he said. “And I tell you what I’d rather win ugly than lose ugly.”
Scoring proved a tough task at times for both the Rams and Souderton Friday. The visiting Indians went the entire second quarter without a point to trail 21-4 at halftime but when Pennridge’s offense hit the skids in the third, Souderton took advantage and cut its deficit down to just four.
Trent Fisher, however, helped the home side regain composure – his three-point play 23 seconds into the fourth quarter the start a 9-2 run that pushed Pennridge’s lead back into double digits. The Rams held Big Red at bay the rest of the way and ended Senior Night with a 48-40 victory.
“We knew that they would be trapping right away so just catching the ball, turning and not trying to force anything right away, just looking to see what I have,” Fisher said. “Right in the beginning, took one dribble, had a wide-open layup, got and an-one. Just settling ourselves down, not trying to move a thousand miles an hour, just gather ourselves and just finding the open man and not trying to push everything around.
Colin Post record eight of his team-high 12 points in the first half while Fisher – one of five seniors honored before the game – finished with 11 points as Pennridge’s win combined with Central Bucks West’s loss to North Penn clinched at least a share of the SOL Continental title for the Rams (14-5, 8-2 conference).
Despite graduating most of the experience for last year’s PIAA-6A runner-up, Pennridge can earn a second-straight outright Continental crown with a win in one of its final two conference games – at Central Bucks East Tuesday or home against North Penn Thursday. The Rams first host Haverford in a nonleague contest 2:30 p.m. Saturday.
“Everyone was going to know us this year and everyone was going to be gunning for us,” Fisher said. “And everyone thought this year that we weren’t going to be great, we weren’t going to anything or be a subpar team but we’re proving the people wrong and showing that playing great defense for us is the key to winning even when our shots aren’t falling, just making sure we’re playing hard on defense.”
Jason Price scored a game-high 18 points for Souderton (12-8, 6-5), which had its two-game win streak snapped. The Indians visit Lower Merion 1:30 p.m. Saturday then end the regular season hosting Quakertown Thursday.
The Indians did not score a point in the first half after Price’s jumper pulled Big Red level at 4-4 in the first quarter. Pennridge proceeded to score the next 17 before the break – posting a 14-0 shutout in the second quarter – to go up 21-4 and looked comfortably on its way to ending a two-game conference losing streak.
But Price got the Indians’ offense going in the third, recording nine of his points in the quarter. Souderton knocked down four 3-pointers in the period – three straight during a 12-0 run to end the period, cutting the Rams’ lead to 27-23.
Fisher began the fourth drawing a foul on a basket inside, hitting the free throw at 7:37 to make it 30-23. A Luke Yoder jumper had the Rams up nine before Price answered with a jumper. But Christian Guldin dropped in a shot in the lane while a Fisher steal led to a Yoder transition layup, putting Pennridge up 36-25.
“We got a little selfish there,” said Behrens of the Rams’ third quarter. “I thought we became one-on-one and I thought we became selfish as a team and that’s not the type of team that we are. We have to move the basketball. Obviously I thought getting it inside to Trent always looks good, right? That’s a good idea.”
The Indians could only get within nine three times before a 6-1 burst by the Rams capped by Fisher’s breakaway dunk gave Pennridge a 46-33 lead.
“Right now we’re struggling shooting the ball from the outside, I don’t know what to say about that,” Behrens said. “We’re just not putting the ball in the basket the way we were to start the season. We’re going to have to fight through that.”
Post broke the 4-4 tie in the final minute of the first quarter with a runner down the lane then was fouled after an offensive rebound with 0.2 seconds. He hit the second from the line for a 7-4 Pennridge advantage.
A Fisher slam, Ryan Benscoter’s putback and a Yoder three from the wing had the Rams up 14-4 at 6:33 in the second quarter. Post’s transition layup made 18-4 at 4:22 with the score staying the same until the half’s final seconds when Post knocked down a trey before the buzzer.
“He’s been struggling shooting the ball, it was great to see him get some confidence offensively,” said Behrens of Post.
The Indians finally broke their drought on two Dylan Hollick free throws at 7:22 in the third. A putback from Post had Pennridge up 25-8 but Souderton began the chip away at the deficit as the Rams collected only two more points in the quarter.
Down 27-12, Price, Jack Towsen and Brian Reiner connected on three straight 3-pointers to make it 27-21. Price then found Matt Uhrich inside for a layup to pull within four entering the fourth.
