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Cheltenham survives Wissahickon, closes in on SOL-American title

01/29/2020, 12:15am EST
By Josh Verlin


Cheltenham senior Sean Emfinger (above) goes up for a bucket during the Panthers' 59-48 win over Cheltenham on Tuesday. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Josh Verlin (@jmverlin)
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With the time remaining in the regular season hourglass down to the final few grains, the margin of error becomes ever-slimmer, each game taking on additional meaning. For teams with the highest of aspirations –– the trifecta of league, district and state championship –– there isn’t much time left to make sure you’re playing at peak capacity, because once the regular season is over, it only takes one loss for the run to end. 

Cheltenham coach Pat Fleury hopes that Tuesday night’s game against upstart Wissahickon was the last wake-up call his Panthers needed. 

After jumping out to an early lead, Cheltenham allowed Wissahickon to battle all the way back and take a seven-point advantage into the half before finding itself out of the break and pulling away for a 59-48 victory.

“Today’s a humbling experience,” Fleury said. “You are happy when you can learn in a win...but definitely for us, the first quarter-and-a-half is what we’re going to harp on for the rest of the season.”

Senior forward Sean Emfinger led the way with 19 points for Cheltenham, adding 11 rebounds as Wissahickon had trouble controlling the 6-4 forward for long stretches. Sophomore guard Justin Moore added 13 of his 15 in the second half, a closing 16 minutes the Panthers won 37-19 after managing just 22 points in the opening stanza.

“Twenty-two [points] in a half is not us, but what’s good is the resiliency for us to be able to bounce back and put up 36 in the second half, which is generally our norm,” Fleury said. 

The emergence of Emfinger has been one reason that Cheltenham has been able to stay in contention for SOL and District titles despite the loss of senior point guard and St. Francis (Pa.) signee Zahree Harrison to a knee injury in the season opener. 

“Sean has always been a skilled player, but he’s always been in his own head,” said Harrison, who’s served as a student-coach while sidelined. “All he’s got to do is just know that he’s talented, and what he works on, he can do in the game. And I feel like that’s what’s coming out now, and the more he plays in the season, the more he knows this stuff is working.”

Cheltenham does have another D-I commit to rely upon in Rider wing Jaelen McGlone, who had an off night from the floor (2-8, 8 points) but contributed 14 rebounds, four assists and four steals. 

The Panthers (17-2, 12-0 Suburban One League) came into Wissahickon’s Circle Gymnasium knowing that a win would lock up no worse than a share of the SOL-American championship, putting them up three games on the Trojans and Abington with three to play. But a loss meant things would be much less assured, not to mention provide a ding to their claim at the top seed in District 1 6A.

Wissahickon, meanwhile, were hoping to defend their home court with an eye on a SOL playoff spot, riding a seven-game winning streak since a 12-point loss at Cheltenham on Jan. 3.

The first three minutes were all Cheltenham, who opened up 10-2 thanks to its advantage in both size and athleticism. But the next 13 belonged to Wissahickon, who stormed all the way back behind three second-quarter triples by senior Harrison Williams (13 points) to take a seven-point lead at halftime.

Fleury wouldn’t get into much of the details of what was said in the locker room, but whatever it was got the Panthers to focus in on defense. The Wissahickon turnovers came fast and furious under Cheltenham’s full-court press defense, and by the midpoint of the quarter the lead was back in the visitors’ favor. 

By the time Moore slammed home a dunk to punctuate the quarter, it was a 44-36 lead. 

“I think it was all defense, I don’t think it had anything to do with offense for us, I think it was all defense,” Fleury said. “I think for us what happened was instead of just being random in what we were doing and thinking we all had the answer, we were doing it collectively, and from that point we were able to get stops, which was able to give us momentum on the other end.”

Cheltenham’s win means the Panthers only need to win one of their final three to win the outright SOL-American title for the first time since 2005. The next two are prime opportunities in a trip to Hatboro (0-11) and then a home game against Springfield (2-10), before a tougher trip to Abington (8-3) to close out the regular season.

Winning all three would all but guarantee the Panthers a top-four seed in the District 1 6A power rankings and a guaranteed home game through the district’s quarterfinal round, the furthest into the season teams play on their home court. As of Tuesday night, the unofficial rankings had Cheltenham in 3rd place, comfortably up on No. 4 Lower Merion and No. 5 Bensalem and within striking range of No. 2 Garnet Valley.

Wissahickon finds itself in a more precarious position: unofficially 24th, the final qualification spot. That makes the final three games of the season –– at Abington, at Upper Dublin (3-7) and at home against Upper Moreland (6-5) all crucial if one of the hotter teams of the season’s second half is going to qualify for the postseason.

By Quarter
Cheltenham:  16 | 6 |  22 | 15 | 59

Wissahickon:  8 | 21 | 7   | 12 | 48

Shooting
Cheltenham: 19-43 FG, 0-7 3PT, 21-27 FT

Wissahickon: 18-47 FG, 5-22 3PT, 7-10 FT

Scoring
Cheltenham: Emfinger 19, Moore 15, McGlone 8, Coleman 7, Scott 6, Payne 4

Wissahickon: Compas 13, Williams 13, Lowry 11, Intrieri 6, Love 3, Ostroski 2


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