City of Basketball Love

Jared Leveson (@jared_leveson)
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BENSALEM — Late in the fourth quarter, Matt Engle limped back onto the floor. 

"Thank God," teammate Sam Jankowski thought to himself. 

Central Bucks West had its point guard and captain back. 

Engle had missed a couple of previous possessions after hitting the ground hard on a fast break layup attempt. He needed two staff members to get him to the trainer's table. 

It was nothing new for the 5-foot-10 senior. He's been battling through injuries all season.

"I was just thinking about my team," Engle said. "I didn't want to let them down.

"I was battling through stuff, but I was just trying to let the energy take over." 

He showed no fear when he returned late in the fourth quarter and kept the West offense and defense humming. His teammates were fearless, too, especially Jankowksi. 

Their connection via entry passes into the post and the pick-and-roll was critical for the Bucks' success in a 56-53 win over Bensalem in an SOL Tournament quarterfinal matchup on Friday night. 

"I think we were fearless today," Engle said.

Jankowski, the 6-foot-5 forward, finished with a game-high 17 points and added seven rebounds (two offensive) and two assists for the Bucks, seeded No. 6 in the SOL tournament. Head coach Adam Sherman wanted his team to share the ball, and Engle ensured he got it to his teammates in their spots. 

Engle dished out six assists. He scored his only three points in the fourth quarter, pulled down three rebounds, and notched three steals. 

"He's huge for us," the 23rd-year head coach said about his point guard. "Matt sets the table."

"He knows how to handle the ball," Jankowski added. "He knows how to manage the floor time wise. He knows how to do a lot of stuff." 

CB West wouldn't be in the SOL semifinal without Engle, and they almost didn't have him for most of the season. 

Engle dislocated his knee and tore his patellar tendon in June. The typical recovery time for a patellar tendon surgery is six to twelve months. That wasn't an option for him.

He's played at the varsity level under Sherman since freshman year. He turned down knee surgery so he could play his senior season – his last competitive basketball season before he attends Villanova University in the fall. 

Engle couldn't play basketball all summer and fall but knew this season could be special. 

"The lack of experience and leadership [from previous years]," he said. "I've seen that change a lot this year with our seven seniors and Roman Kulesa who plays like he's a senior."

So, he opted for platelet-rich plasma treatment (PRP), which involves using an ultrasound-guided injection into the injured area. The goal is to accelerate the healing process by increasing the reparative cells one's body produces. 

The recovery from the PRP can be painful for seven to ten days afterward and gradually improves for three to four months. 

"It's manageable," Engle said. "I do a lot of treatment with it." 

Along with the treatments, which vary depending on a specific patient's needs, Sherman helped create a maintenance regimen for Engle.

Every day, he works to strengthen the muscles around his knee. One staple is pushing a weighted sled while walking backward. 

"He's a tough kid," Sherman added. 

Engle's toughness and fearlessness showed against SOL Patriot division champion Bensalem, the No. 3 seed in the tournament. It spread to his teammates, too. The Bucks and their seniors haven't experienced much winning during their four years. They were just 6-16 a year ago, not even flirting with playoff basketball.

They are hungry for postseason play. They were also out for revenge. 

Bensalem snuck past CB West a month ago with Antonio Morris' buzzer-beating three to win 50-47. The Bucks knew selflessness and heart would get them the win tonight. 

"(Sherman's) game plan was for us to play our game, share the ball, and keep the ball moving," Engle said. "We knew we wanted to get this one back."

"Our mentality was that we want revenge from last time," Jankowski added. 

Engle, Jankowski, and the whole Bucks team got their payback.

The Bucks held the lead for most of the second half. Still, Bensalem never went away and kept making plays on the defensive end, forcing seven turnovers. 

With 32 seconds to play in the fourth quarter, Jaidyn Moffitt (9 points) drove hard at Jankowski and gave Bensalem its first lead since the under-two-minute mark in the second quarter.

"I just try to keep everyone's heads up [and] play the next play," Engle said.

Down 53-52 with 18 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Engle and Jankowski didn't hesitate and ran a pick-and-pop action. Engle dished the ball to Jankowski, who drove full steam ahead toward the basket to the top of the key. 

The senior got the block call and finished through the contact, putting the Bucks back up two with 16 seconds left after he finished off the three-point play.

"We felt that Sam had an advantage there and we tried to get Sam the ball," Sherman said about Jankowski's play. "Sam is getting better and better and (he's) a tough cover." 

Bensalem had a chance at the line with three seconds left, but couldn’t connect on a pair of foul shots.. 

West's lead extended to three after Engle hit the front end of one-and-one. Then the Bucks' defense held firm, forcing an errant pass intended for Noah Morris (15 points) on Bensalem's game-tying attempt at the buzzer. 

"It's been a special season, [but] we're still going." Engle reflected. "We have a long way to go." 

The Bucks will match up with their bitter rival and No. 2 seed Central Bucks East in the SOL semifinal round Saturday at 6:00 pm. It's CB West's first appearance in the SOL semifinal since the 2019-2020 season. 

By Quarter
CB West: 14 | 19 | 17 | 10 | 13 || 56
Bensalem: 14 | 17 | 10 | 12 || 53 

Scoring
CB West: Sam Jankowski 17, Julian Phillips 12, Roman Kulesa 12, Aidan Kimberly 8, Matt Engle 3, Dan Gallagher 2

Bensalem: Noah Morris 15, Micah White 11, Jaidyn Moffitt 9, Amir Drummond 7, Nate Cooper 2, Idris Savadago 2, Jahmir Chatham 1