City of Basketball Love

Mitchell Gladstone (@mpgladstone13)
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WALLINGFORD — Matt Shuler often gets a relatively straightforward task from coach Chris Conlan: shut down the other team’s best offensive player. 

It’s something that Shuler does well. As a cornerback for Strath Haven, he’s used to going up against a wideout 1-on-1, with the sole objective of ensuring his man can’t make a play.

But according to Conlan, Shuler’s offensive game on the hardwood is still a work in progress.

You just wouldn’t have known that by watching Tuesday night.

With a pair of offensive outbursts in the second and fourth quarters, Shuler racked up 16 of his 19 points to lead the Panthers to a vital 55-46 win against Marple Newtown. Strath Haven, which entered the night looking to at least stay in a tie for one of the final Central League playoff spots, closed things out by shooting 12-for-17 from the charity stripe in the final eight minutes. 

That was necessary as the Tigers closed to within a possession after trailing by double digits for much of the second half, and Shuler played a key role — he hit five of his six final free throws and showed the kind of growth that Conlan has seen from his sophomore guard all season long.

 “If his shot gets more consistent, he’s almost unstoppable,” Conlan said of Shuler. “I haven’t seen anyone really get in front of him and keep him from going where he wants to go with the ball. Teams have tried to sag off of him and he still gets to where he wants to go.”

Midway through the second quarter, after it looked like Strath Haven might take control of things, Marple’s Eric McKee scored four straight points to tie things at 15.

Conlan certainly wasn’t panicking, but he knew he had to take a timeout and get his guys calmed down. 

That set the stage for Shuler, who would go on to score nine points in those few minutes just before halftime, including a pretty and-one layup that was part of a 10-3 run for the Panthers.

 “When I make two or three shots, I feel like I’m on fire,” Shuler said. “I just keep attacking the rim or create for my teammates and just try to help us score.”

But it’s defense and not offense that’s become Strath Haven’s calling card this season. In Conlan’s first year at the helm, just three times have either the Panthers or an opponent managed to score 60 or more points — twice in a pair of December non-league wins and once in a blowout loss to Lower Merion.

And that’s helped spark a pretty remarkable turnaround at Strath Haven. Last year, the Panthers finished Central League play 3-13; the season before that, they wound up 6-10.

Already, Strath Haven is 7-6 in the league with games against Springfield and Radnor, two teams in the bottom half, still on their schedule. 

Add in the opportunity to partake in an expanded Central League playoff — with six teams earning spots instead of four — not to mention the chance to host multiple District 1 playoff games, and there was a sense of urgency for the Panthers to get this particular victory.

“I compared it to the Eagles,” Conlan said. “I told them it’s a playoff game. … Teams are trying to get us for district points and all that stuff. We were kind of the hunters at the beginning of the year. People now want to beat us and take those points.”

It was a message that Shuler and his teammates got loud and clear. And they know with just a handful of games left in the regular season, the significance of each one is only going to increase.

“We took it personally. We’re hoping to prove everyone wrong,” Shuler said. 

By Quarter
Strath Haven:       6 | 19 | 12 | 18 | 55

Marple Newtown:  8 | 10 | 11 | 17 | 46

Shooting
Strath Haven: 16-40 FG, 3-13 3PT, 20-28 FT

Marple Newtown: 15-38 FG, 9-21 3PT, 7-12 FT

Scoring
Strath Haven: Shuler 19, Edwards 11, Pio 9, Guilday 7, George 5, Freeman 2, Morris 2

Marple Newtown: McKee 16, Tansey 12, Davis 10, Pettinelli 3, Straub 3, Ebert 1, Mathes 1