Wissahickon shuts down Springfield-Montco

SPRINGFIELD >> After losing three of its last four, the Wissahickon boys basketball team was looking to get this week off to a positive start.

But in the first half Tuesday night, the Trojans could not find a way to slow down Springfield-Montco’s Dylan McKenzie, the junior guard scoring 11 of his side’s 16 points to have the host Spartans down just two at the break.

“I was on them at halftime, they had talked about ‘Come on, no more losses,’ and I said is this your idea of no more losses – that first half,” Wissahickon coach Kyle Wilson said. “And they sort of realized they came out with more energy, they were winning the 50-50 balls, they were grittier, they were attacking and bullying us underneath and I was like at some point you guys got to stand up and work harder. It’s just that simple.”

The Trojans tightened up the defense in the third, limiting Springfield to just five points to end the quarter up 11. A 5-1 burst powered by Jaylon Williams extended the advantage to 15 as Wissahickon went on to hold off the Spartans and earn a 45-32 victory in the Suburban One League crossover contest.

“We decided to box out more, we slid and helped in the lane,” Williams said. “We stopped No. 1 (McKenzie), we were recognizing the plays and just one step ahead.”

Williams celebrated his birthday by knocking down a trio of 3-pointers as the junior matched Earl Stout in scoring a team-high 13 points. Josh Twersky added eight points, including a turnaround jumper just before the third-quarter buzzer to give Wissahickon (10-6, 7-3 SOL Liberty Division) a 32-21 lead.

“We got to be able to stop somebody,” Wilson said. “And they sort of dug in a little bit there and just sort or grinding it out, which I was pleased about because I’ve said before, the one thing we try to hang our hat (on) is we play good defense.

“And low-scoring game, I’m sure the guys would like to get a little more offense but defensively I think they showed in the second half it’s one of the things we do well.”

McKenzie had a game-high 16 points but in the second half was held to just one field goal – banking in a runner that made it 23-18 in the third – as Springfield (8-7, 4-7 SOL Freedom) had its two-game win streak snapped.

“When knew he was solid at attacking the basket and doing some things, reminds you a little bit of (Byron) Hopkins from Upper Moreland and we knew we had to stay in front (of him),” said Wilson of McKenzie “And first half, he just got anything he wanted. So we knew we had to settle down, move our feet, get in front of that and seal that because that was creating all the havoc there. And it was just one one of those things where we just had to try to bite that bullet and figure out a way to get some stops.”

Williams opened scoring in the fourth with a basket off a drive then after a free throw from Ben Cooney – who finish with eight points – had Springfield within 12, Stout found Williams for a 3-pointer, extending the Trojans’ lead to 37-22 with 4:22 remaining.

“Getting defensive rebounds we needed to shoot them out the zone and then they went man, which was good,” Williams said.

Springfield collected the next five points – the first three on McKenzie free throws then a Kyle Smith putback to make it 37-27. But Wissahickon pushed the margin back to 15 from the foul line – Dom Vacchiano hitting both ends of a 1-and-1 for a 42-27 lead at 54.8 seconds.

Two Stout free throws with 29.5 seconds gave the Trojans their biggest lead at 44-28.

“Fortunately the last couple of games we’ve been in some tough ones so I think our kids knew – hey we know what to do down the stretch,’” Wilson said. “And they build on that, they had confidence so hopefully that’s something they carry into each game because at this point out it’s like we feel our playoffs have started now. If we want to make sure we’re in or have a shot at pushing up further on that list, we got to run off a stretch of wins.”

Wissahickon was 8-3 after winning six of seven – its lone defeat during that span coming to unbeaten Methacton Dec. 29 –  but went 1-3 over its next four before Tuesday, including losses to SOL division leaders Cheltenham and Bensalem.

The Trojans, 19th in the District 1-6A rankings with the top 24 making the tournament, visits Hatboro-Horsham 7 p.m. Thursday.

“We played probably our toughest matchups our last three games,” Williams said. “So these next games we got to really win.”

Springfield, which was 0-12 last season, looks to bounce back hosting New Hope-Solebury 7 p.m. Thursday. The Spartans sit third in the District 1-4A rankings.

Five straight points by McKenzie gave Springfield its first and only lead at 5-4 in the opening quarter before Williams connected on his first 3-pointer. Wissahickon ended the first eight minutes leading 9-7.

A Smith free throw at 6:12 in the second quarter had the Spartans within one only for a Williams’ three and a bucket from Stout to put the Trojans up 14-8.

Morgan Wilson scored off a drive for a 16-10 Wissahickon lead but the Spartans collected the next six – two Cooney fouls shots at 3:32 then consecutive baskets from McKenzie knotting the game at 16. However, a breakaway Vacchiano layup off a steal had the Trojans leading 18-16 at halftime.

Wissahickon began the third with five straight points on Stout’s three and basket by Williams to go up 23-16.

Springfield pulled within five twice and was down 27-21 at 2:51 after a Harry Rittenhouse free throw but a Stout three and Twersky hitting a turnaround from the lane in the final seconds to send the Trojans into the fourth up 11.

Wissahickon 45, Springfield-Montco 32
Wissahickon 9 9 14 13- 45
Springfield 7 9 5 11 – 32
Wissahickon: Earl Stout 4 3-4 13; Jaylon Williams 5 0-0 13; Josh Twersky 3 2-2 8; Dom Vacchiano 2 3-4 7; Morgan Wilson 2 0-0 4; Totals 16 8-10 45.
Springfield: Dylan McKenzie 6 4-5 16; Ben Cooney 2 4-6 8; Harry Rittenhouse 2 1-4 5; Brett Smith 1 1-2 3; Totals 11 10-17 32.
3-pointers: W-Williams 3, Stout 2.