Pennridge pounds CB South, stays perfect in SOL Continental

EAST ROCKHILL >> For Trent Fisher and the Pennridge boys basketball team, a 13-point halftime lead was a jumping off point.

“At halftime, every game coach always says make them call the first timeout, make them waste a timeout,” Fisher said. “Just keep the momentum going cause we had it going into halftime and just don’t lose it, just keep it going right away. And just doing that, it’ll destroy them.”

The Rams kept rolling after the break Friday night, ripping off a 14-2 run to extend their advantage over visiting Central Bucks South to 25. The Titans whittled the deficit back down to 13 but another burst by the Rams to begin the fourth decided the matchup of the last two unbeaten sides in SOL Continental Conference play as Pennridge cruised to a 72-47 victory.

“We all had a lot of confidence,” Rams junior Colin Post said. “We had a really good practice Thursday, so yesterday coming in and it really helped us out. And then even when they go on runs we get together as a team, no one puts their head down and it’s pretty cool to be a part of.”

South ended the third with its own 14-2 run, cutting Pennridge’s lead to 48-35 only for the Rams to post the fourth’s first nine points, the start of a 14-1 run that made it 62-36 after a Ryan Benscoter basket.

“I mean CB South’s not going to go away, they’re not going away at all,” Pennridge coach Dean Behrens said. “So we knew they were going to make a run, they made a run at the end of the third quarter to cut it to 13. I never feel comfortable. But then I think our kids really responded that fourth quarter and really took it to them. I didn’t expect this. I mean, I think CB South’s a good basketball team.”

All five Rams starters finished in double figures led by Fisher’s game-high 15 points. The 6-foot-7 senior helped set the early tone scoring seven points as Pennridge (8-1, 3-0 conference) jumped out to a 10-0 lead.

“I really feel Trent’s a really, really good player, I think he’s one of the best players in the league,” Behrens said. “I think you got to get him touches. I think if you get him touches early, it also puts the defense in a situation — you going to single cover, you going to double cover, if you’re going to double then the outside opens up for guys like Christian (Guldin) and obviously now Colin and Luke Yoder.”

Post added 14 points, scoring the Rams’ first seven points of the second half. Yoder recorded nine of his 13 points in the second quarter while both Guldin and Connor Pleibel chipped in 10 points as Pennridge picked up its second straight win and fourth consecutive victory over CB South.

“I knew that this was a first-place game so it was huge for us,” Fisher said. “And we had to punch them in the mouth early and come out fighting.”

Alex Dietz and Nate Macalindong each scored 11 points to pace the Titans (7-3, 3-1), who have dropped their last two. Michael Farley registered 10 points.

South found itself in a quick 10-0 hole but worked back into the contest by the end of the first quarter — Dietz putting back his own miss before the buzzer to cut the margin to 16-11 after the opening eight minutes.

In the second quarter, Dietz made it 16-13 on a drive but Yoder proceeded to scored the next seven points, putting the Rams up 23-13 after his two free throws at 5:04.

Consecutive Farley baskets go South within six only for the Rams to cap the half with a 9-2 run. A Yoder drive for two made it 30-19 while Guldin’s breakaway layup off a steal put Pennridge ahead 32-19 at the break.

Post kept the Rams’ momentum going early in the third, knocking down a 3-pointer then adding two more off an Anthony Phillips assist to push Pennridge up 39-21 at 6:35.

“It’s just being at the right spot at the right time,” Post said. “My teammates finding me and being confident the main thing.”

Two Post free throws at 3:57 gave Pennridge a 46-21 lead but the Titans cut the lead to 13 with a strong finish to the third led by Macalindong, who scored seven points in the quarter. South ended the third with seven straight points — a Nick Wursta jumper in the final seconds making it 48-35.

But Fisher helped the Rams reestablish control with consecutive baskets to begin the fourth. A Guldin three-point play at 6:46 followed by a Pleibel jumper push the Pennridge lead to  57-35.

“I knew that they’re big man wasn’t in so just looking for me inside,” Fisher said. “Just making the easy layup and just not trying to force anything, just keep that lead going.”

The Rams took their biggest lead when a Benscoter free throw made it 72-44 with 12.8 seconds remaining.

Pennridge 72, Central Bucks South 47
Central Bucks South        11   8 16 12 — 47
Pennridge           16 16 16 24 — 72
Central Bucks South: Alex Dietz 5 0-0 11, Nate Macalindong 2 7-8 11, Michael Farley 5 0-0 10, Colin Mauz 2 0-0 5, Josh Harrison 1 1-1 3, Mike Waltrich 0 3-4 3, Evan D’Orazio 0 2-2 2, Nick Wursta 1 0-0 2; Totals 16 13-15 47.
Pennridge: Trent Fisher 6 3-5 15, Colin Post 4 4-4 14, Luke Yoder 5 2-3 13, Christian Guldin 4 1-1 10, Connor Pleibel 4 0-0 10, Greg Stumpo 2 0-0 5, Ryan Benscoter 1 1-2 3, TJ Grenda 1 0-0 2, Justin Nichols 0 0-2 0; Totals 27 11-17 72.
3-pointers: CBS-Dietz, Mauz; P-Pleibel 2, Post 2, Guldin, Stumpo, Yoder.