Perkiomen Valley outlasts Norristown in overtime on way to PAC title game

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ROYERSFORD >> Sometimes they live up to the hype.

After two games that came down to the wire, featuring a last second shot in their last meeting, Friday night’s Pioneer Athletic Conference semifinal matchup between Perkiomen Valley and Norristown in front of a packed house at Spring-Ford had all the makings of an instant classic.

The two teams were so evenly matched they needed an overtime period to decide the season series along with who would be playing for the league championship.

Led by 18 points from senior guard Zach Krause, Perkiomen Valley came away with a 55-51 overtime win over Norristown and earned a chance to play Methacton for the PAC title on Tuesday.

“We talked about not ever allowing yourself to fall on your heels,” Perkiomen Valley coach Mike Poysden said.

“They’re going to be up, they’re going to push and they’re tough and physical. You have to stand your ground and fight your way through it.”

After trailing at the end of the first and second quarters, Perkiomen Valley (19-5) went into the fourth holding a one-point lead over Norristown (18-5). The lead changed hands six times before Krause drilled a three with just under six minutes left to put the Vikings up, 41-39.

Krause and senior guard AJ Hansen knocked down free throws as Perk Valley used seven straight points to go up 45-39 midway through the fourth. After scoring just four points in the first half, Krause led Perkiomen Valley with 14 in the second half, seven in the fourth quarter including a deep, deep three.

“I have the confidence,” Krause said. “I shoot those shots in practice, so if I’m open, I shoot it.”

Norristown sophomore Nizer Kinney, who finished with 12 points, sparked the Eagles with a three and a tough basket in the lane before Xavier Edwards, who finished the game with 18 points, hit a jumper to tie the score, 46-46, around the two-minute mark in the fourth quarter.

“There’s definitely a lot of potential in Nizer,” Norristown senior forward Mickeel Allen said.

The Eagles got the ball with about a minute and a half left and the score still the same. They decided to chew the clock and appeared poised to take the last shot. Perkiomen Valley’s defense held tight before being rewarded with a five-second count with 29.5 seconds and getting a chance to go win a game.

“We just stayed calm, knew they would make a mistake and luckily got the ball back,” Krause said.

Despite Norristown’s best efforts, the Vikings got the ball in the hands of senior Tyler Strechay, who scored 17 points on Friday and hit the game-winner the last time these two teams met.

Strechay collapsed the Norristown defense, drawing four defenders toward him as he drove toward the lane. Instead of pulling up like last game, he found Ian Streeper open underneath but the good look for the Vikings didn’t go in, and the game headed into overtime with both teams needing to regroup.

“I told them, your body language coming out of this overtime will dictate how we play,” Poysden said. “I thought they got a little down, heads down, frustrated a little bit because Strech made the right play … I said suck it up. You’re right here. Get your body language together, your composure and go win the basketball game.”

Kinney, who had seven of his points after halftime, started the scoring in overtime, but another sophomore changed the game. Vikings forward Kameron Parks converted a bucket plus the foul to put Perkiomen Valley up, 50-48, with 2:40 left in overtime. The score seemed to jolt Perkiomen Valley as they scored the last five points at the line to seal the win.

“That was a huge shot by Kam,” Krause said. “He came up big, and it got us going.”

“Sometimes I forget he’s a sophomore,” Poysden said. “I ride him as hard as anyone. In between the ears he’s mentally strong, and he takes it … He responds every time I get on him. That’s why he’s out there to make plays like that.”

Allen joined Edwards and Kinney in double figures with 11 points in addition to 13 rebounds.

Allen’s been part of Norristown’s last three playoff teams, and Friday’s loss was the second straight overtime defeat in the PAC semifinals for the Liberty Division champions after falling to Spring-Ford, 44-43, last season.

The Eagles should have a good district seed, coming into Friday ranked No. 5 in the Class 6A power rankings, and that’s where Allen and the rest of Norristown’s seniors will turn their focus.

“Both teams played really well,” Allen said. “We played well too. When you lose like that, you just have to come together as a team and bounce back.”

“They have to really step up, put their big boy pants on and say listen do I really want to play another game? Do I want to make it to states my senior year,” Norristown coach Binky Johnson said. “We like to put the ownage on them, the seniors, because we have enough of them.”

Perkiomen Valley will play Methacton at Spring-Ford for the PAC championship on Tuesday. It’s a matchup of the last two league champions.  The Vikings won the title in 2017, while the Warriors are the reigning champs.

“We feel like we have the momentum, and we’ve gotta play tough and win,” Krause said.

NOTES >> Perkiomen Valley (15-for-19) outscored Norristown (4-of-7) by 11 points at the free throw line…Tyler Lyons filled up a nice statsheet for Norristown with eight points, four assists and two steals…Both teams played just six players throughout the entire game.

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Owen McCue

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