City of Basketball Love

Steve Sherman (@stevesherman222)
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BENSALEM – While the late, great Wilt Chamberlain led Overbrook to three straight Philadelphia Public League championships and back to back city titles in the 1950s, there’s one thing that the 7-foot-1 center who went on to average over 30 points in 15 NBA seasons can’t claim that the current group of Panthers can – a PIAA state tournament win.

Wilt the Stilt never had the chance as the Public League and Overbrook didn’t join hands with the PIAA until 2004.

“This is history,” said second-year Panthers coach Keenan Rand. “It’s the biggest win so far. It’s our first time going to states and our first win in the PIAA.”

Leading just 26-21 at the intermission, Overbrook, the District 12 third-place finisher, exploded for 50 second-half points to eliminate District 1 champ Lower Moreland 76-51 in the PIAA Class 4A Tournament Friday night at Bensalem High School.

In the nightcap, Archbishop Carroll advanced in the Class 5A Tournament with a 66-59 triumph over District 1 rival Wissahickon, though the Trojans were able to hang with the Patriots until the closing seconds, thanks to a 13-point fourth quarter by senior Max Rapoport, who canned five-of-nine 3-pointers for Wissahickon in the game, four of which came in the final frame.

Carroll faces Lampeter-Strasberg in second-round state action Tuesday night at a place and time that is to be determined. The Panthers face either District 3 foe Middletown or District 4 rival Montoursville.

Overbrook was led by junior reserve guard Khalif Washington, who canned 21 points, 17 of which he tallied in the last three periods. Washington might be the sixth man on the team but don’t kid yourself.

“He’s a dynamic scorer,” added Rand. “Last year, he scored over 500 points and he led the city in scoring.

“I just know that he can put the ball in the hole.”

After shooting just 9-for-28 in the first half, the Panthers turned up the defensive pressure after the break and, offensively, shot 11-for-18 in the third period to take a 55-29 edge into the final frame.

Overbrook never looked back.

Junior Malik Bonney (6 points) started the second half off with back-to-back 3-pointers and classmate Khyleem Cornitcher (8) finished the game off with four field goals in the fourth quarter.

Seniors Raquon West (5 rebounds) and Cyrie Coates helped steady the ship with 12 points each for the Panthers. Coates was one of three players to score a pair a treys in the game.

“He’s an all-around player; he can play any position on the court,” said Rand, of Coates. “He’s 6-6 so he can post up against smaller guys, rebound, a great defender and just an all-around player.”

Junior Zyheef Cannon came through with nine points off the bench. Senior Tyhee Taylor added four points while leading the team in rebounding with six.

Overbrook needs three more wins to attain its goal for the season.

“The kids are ecstatic but they’re still focused on our goal of getting to Hershey,” added Rand.

“They’re happy with the win but we’re not satisfied.”

The Panthers won the game with defense, causing 14 turnovers in the first half and 10 more in the third period when they took control.

“Defense is just something that we work on and we work on it a lot in practice,” said Washington. “When we come to the game, it’s easy.”

“We came together as a unit and we came into this game ready to fight.

“We weren’t taking any prisoners.”

Overbrook canned eight 3-pointers in the contest, half of which it scored in the third period when it pulled away.

Meanwhile, Carroll may have underestimated District 1 third-place finisher Wissahickon in its Class 5A opener in the nightcap.

“During warmups, they were lollygagging and laughing; they didn’t think that we were ready,” explained Trojans’ forward Zach Reiner. “Down by 15, we just couldn’t let up. This was our last game and we showed them who we are.”

Both teams got off to a slow start, offensively, in the first half with the Patriots shooting just 8-for-20 before the break while hanging onto a 26-24 edge at the break.

“They were scrappier than us in the first half,” said Hoggard. “They were relentless on offensive rebounding – they were crashing the boards a lot – that’s what kept them in the game.”

With his team leading 45-37 after three periods, Archbishop Carroll junior Luke House put his team up 15 points a minute and a half into the fourth quarter with his own personal 9-2 scoring run that saw the 11th-grader can three straight 3-pointers.

“We were just trying to get him back into rhythm,” said sophomore A.J. Hoggard. “He struggled a little bit in the first half with fouls.

“We always want to get him into rhythm so he can get us going, like he did tonight.”

Back-to-back 3-pointers by Rapoport along with field goals by Wissahickon seniors Zach Reiner and Anthony Lawrence cut the Trojans’ deficit to seven midway through the fourth period.

Then, the Patriots started getting sloppy.

Rapoport canned another ‘three’ off a Carroll turnover then Reiner added a driving layup to cut Wissy’s gap to 58-55 with three minutes still on the clock.

“The first half, it wasn’t falling for him so I had to step up but he’s been our best scorer all year,” added Reiner, of Rapoport. “He’s been our guy.”

AC answered back when senior Keyon Butler canned a pair of free throws and Hoggard added a layup to extend the Patriots’ lead to seven with 1:30 left. However, Rapoport made yet another 3-pointer, again off a Carroll turnover, to bring the Trojans back 62-59 with 40 ticks left on the clock.

While the Pats then lost the handle on the ball in their own end, Wissy failed to take advantage with Rapoport’s next attempt at a trey going for not. House and senior Justin Anderson closed the game out with back-to-back rebounds and four straight free throws.

“I would like us to play where you can’t ask me a question about flipping a switch,” said Carroll head coach Paul Romanczuk. “That shouldn’t be how you approach any kind of competitive venture.”

“There just wasn’t that sense of urgency that I’d like to see from the team.”

A coach with 15 years on the job, Romanczuk was quick to point out the good with the bad.

“Luke House, one of our best players, gets into foul trouble early and nothing was going right for him, he goes and scores 20 in the second half.

“I can’t say enough great things about him.”

Anderson (15 points) and Butler (8) kept the Patriots in the game early with 14 points between them in the first half. Carroll helped its cause going 19-for-23 from the foul line including 11-of-11 from the stripe in the second half.

Contrary to Overbrook, the Patriots have been in states every single year the team has been eligible. Carroll beat Greensburg Salem by 21 points in the first state final it ever advanced to in 2009 while falling in the state title tilt in 2013 and 2015. Last year, the Patriots made it to the PIAA quarterfinals where they were eliminated by District 3 champion Northeastern, 86-84 in double overtime.

“We want to make it to Hershey,” said House. “We want to win it all.”