City of Basketball Love

Corky Blake (@CorkyBlake)
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BETHLEHEM TOWNSHIP — It was just too easy in the first half for Imhotep Charter boys basketball.

Granted, the Panthers routed District 2 champion Abington Heights in last year’s PIAA Class 5A quarterfinals during their ride to a second consecutive state title.

But to do it again at the same step along the way against roughly the same Abington Heights squad that came into Friday night’s game at Freedom High School as the only unbeaten team in the bracket?

Maybe it will prove to be a good experience for Imhotep, which needed to sweat out a 56-46 victory after the Comets nearly erased a 34-13 halftime deficit with an out-of-body 24-6 third quarter.

“We got way more out of this game (than a blowout victory),” sophomore point guard R.J. Smith said. “It’s the state playoffs.”

The state playoffs continue for Imhotep (27-3) when it faces familiar foe Archbishop Ryan, a 62-45 winner over District 1 champion Unionville, in the semifinals for the second straight year on Monday at a time and site to be determined. The Panthers also topped Archbishop Ryan in the District 12 championship game.

Smith only scored three points and was 1-for-5 shooting, but his 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter was by far the biggest shot of the game for the Panthers, who had missed their first five shots of the frame while somehow still clinging to a 40-37 advantage.

He stepped into a shot from beyond the arc from the right side and hit nothing but net.

Fearless.

“I like making those timely shots; those are the times to shine. I work on my shot all the time,” said Smith, who estimated he puts up 500 shots each day in practice. “I have certain spots I need to make them from.”

“We believe in R.J., and that’s the reason why he’s out there for us,” said Andre Noble, who collected win No. 499 as Imhotep’s coach.

“That definitely was a big shot down the stretch,” said senior Ahmad Nowell, Smith’s backcourt mate. “Just to see his level rise throughout the year, it’s been an amazing journey. As a shooter, you’re worried about the next, not the last.” 

The Panthers also believe in senior forward Jeremiah White, who certainly had to have made a good impression on veteran East Stroudsburg University coach Jeff Wilson, who was on hand to watch the game. 

After Imhotep’s interior defense snuffed an Abington Heights layup attempt, the Panthers found Nowell open for a 3-pointer. Nowell missed the shot, but White came soaring in from the opposite side for the put-back that restored order with a 45-38 lead.

White didn’t think he did anything special. 

“It was just dawg, I just wore it,” White said. “I really don’t do anything but play. Once I got the opportunity, I took it.”

Abington Heights (26-1), which survived a double-overtime game in the second round against District 11 runner-up Whitehall, never got closer than five points the rest of the way.

Imhotep’s final points fittingly came on a breakaway dunk by Nowell, the Connecticut signee.

He scored 11 points in the first quarter as the Panthers methodically built a 17-7 edge and added six more on a pair of 3s in the second quarter when the lead swelled to 21 points.

Nowell, who finished with a game-high 26 points, sensed he was primed for a big scoring night even before he entered Freedom’s spacious gym.

“Yeah, I got up early in the morning (to shoot) and coming in I was feeling good in warmups, and I carried that over into the game.”

Then, for eight minutes the game went sideways for the Panthers. Abington Heights wasn’t unbeaten by accident, and the Comets scored more points (24) in the third quarter than they did combined (22) in the other three periods. 

“We didn’t play well in the third quarter,” Noble said. “They made three 3s and threw in the kitchen sink, too.”

Nowell had a simple explanation for the Panthers’ attention to defensive detail in the first half compared to allowing Abington Heights’ 3-point shooters to roam free after intermission. The Comets had to run their offense in front of Imhotep’s bench for the first 16 minutes.

“In the first half being so close to the bench, it was like 13-on-5 with us having all the players on the bench helping call out the screens and things of that nature,” Nowell said.

“We’ve had an issue with that when we go to the opposite side of the court,” Noble said, shaking his head at the thought of the second-half letdown. “That can’t be.”

Even though Nowell didn’t score his first points of the second half until there was 3:39 to go when Smith set him up for a 3-pointer, he still found ways to pull his team through the stormy seas. 

“I try to contribute and be a leader for my young guys by being able to be composed, be a leader by example and settle them down,” Nowell said. “In the third quarter, when the game got close, I wanted them to look at me and not be bothered and worried.”

Sophomore forward Zaahir Muhammad-Gray was a steady presence with nine points and seven rebounds. Senior Ma’Kye Taylor came off the bench and added eight points and four rebounds in limited minutes.

By Quarter

Imhotep Charter: | 17 | 17 | 6 | 16 || 56

Abington Heights: | 7 | 6 | 24 | 9 || 46

Shooting

Abington Heights: 17-33 FG, 7-14 3PT, 5-8 FT

Imhotep Charter: 20-58 FG, 9-26 3PT, 7-9 FG

Scoring

Imhotep Charter: Ahmad Nowell 26, Zaahir Muhammad-Gray 9, Ma’kye Taylor 8, Jeremiah White 4, RJ Smith 3, Latief Lorenzano-White 3, Carnell Henderson 3.

Abington Heights: Will Marion 14, Mason Fedor 12, Robby Lucas 12, Ryan Nealon 5, Jordan Shaffer 3. 

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PIAA 5A Boys

Quarterfinals (Fri., March 15)
12-2 Archbishop Ryan 62, 1-1 Unionville 45
12-1 Imhotep Charter 56, 2-1 Abington Heights 46
7-2 Franklin Regional 63, 7-3 Shaler 51
7-1 Moon 67, 7-6 Bethel Park 51

Semifinals (Mon., March 18)
12-2 Archbishop Ryan vs. 12-1 Imhotep Charter
7-2 Franklin Regional vs. 7-1 Moon

Championship at Giant Center (Fri., March 22)
TBD, 8 p.m.