City of Basketball Love

Matt Allibone (@bad2theallibone)
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Jakeem Carroll knew he needed to be ready to shoot.

Bonner Prendergast had one more chance to make a first-half statement against District 1 juggernaut Upper Dublin in the second round of the PIAA Class 5A playoffs Tuesday. The game had been hotly contested early, but the Friars had taken a seven-point lead in the final seconds of the second quarter.

Now Carroll found a spot in the corner and hoped Kam Jackson, his fellow sophomore point guard, would give him the chance for the final shot. 

That was exactly how it played out, and Carroll knocked down an off-balance 3-pointer to send Bonner into the locker room with all of the momentum. He then opened the third quarter with another 3. 

What was supposed to be one of the best games of the second round was never close again. 

Bonner blew past Upper Dublin, 59-37, at Bensalem High School Tuesday to reach the Class 5A quarterfinals. The Friars (19-7) will face another District 1 team, Upper Moreland, on Friday. Upper Dublin ends one of the best seasons in program history with a 28-2 record. 

“That was a good boost,” Carroll said of his two 3s. “I felt like every shot from there was going in. From there we were just locked in. We just really stayed together.” 

The third-place finisher out of District 12, Bonner entered the state playoffs needing to overcome a lack of both depth and interior scoring. Bonner is without star 6-foot-6 big man Ty’sicere Jackson for the state playoffs due to the PIAA transfer rule, so the Friars have been playing with just six players. 

They’ve overcome that issue with relentless pressure, strong defense and impressive balance. Bonner’s five starters — Carroll, Jackson, Devon Nelson, Korey Francis and Aydin Scott — all scored between 13 and 11 points Tuesday. 

Jackson (12 points) relentlessly attacked the basket even when Upper Dublin tried to force Bonner to shoot by playing zone. The 6-foot-3 Francis (13 points) and 6-foot-7 Scott (11 points) played more in the post than usual. 

But it was Carroll’s consecutive 3s in separate quarters that changed the complexion of the game. 

“He’s the hardest-working kid,” Bonner head coach Billy Cassidy said about Carroll. “He stays 30 minutes after practice every day to get shots up. He’s the first one on the floor before practice. He makes those shots because he puts the work in all the time. 

“We’ve always shared the ball. We don’t care about who is scoring. It’s about making the right play. That’s just the kind of kids we have.” 

But Tuesday’s game was just as much about what Upper Dublin didn’t do as it was about what Bonner did do. 

Both teams played at a breakneck pace. Both teams relentlessly trapped all over the court and went after rebounds. That’s why Bonner led by just one after the first quarter. 

From that point on, Upper Dublin simply couldn’t make shots. 

The Flying Cardinals had plenty of second-chance opportunities off of offensive rebounds. But outside of two 3-pointers from Reilly McLaughlin in the third quarter, they couldn't knock much down. 

Star senior Ryan Mulroy never stopped playing hard but was limited to nine points in the final game of his high school career. 

Upper Dublin head coach Derek Brooks said Bonner’s switch from a 3-2 to 2-3 zone in the second quarter disrupted his team’s rhythm. 

“I think what’s going to bother us the most is how we went out. This was easily our worst game of the year,” Brooks said. “We were prepared for what they threw at us early on, but they gave us some issues and I should have communicated better how to attack it. Our shot selection in the second quarter really set us back. But give credit to (Bonner) for adjusting.” 

Upper Dublin lost its opener to powerhouse Lower Merion and then won 28 consecutive games until Tuesday. It won the Suburban One League and its first District 1 title since 1985. 

Cardinals fans waited for nearly 30 minutes after the game to applaud a team Brooks called “one of the best in Suburban One in recent memory.” 

“What we did may never be done again at Upper Dublin,” Brooks said. “We’ll walk away being extremely grateful for this group. They gave us everything. They were pretty much all basketball kids and had a common goal since April. They embodied being a team — effort, focus, sharing the ball. That’s what everyone always complimented us on.”

Bonner will move on believing the adversity it faced in the Philadelphia Catholic League (where it finished sixth) will prepare it for any opponent it faces. Upper Moreland, which beat York Suburban in overtime Tuesday, finished fourth in District 1 after losing to Upper Dublin by two points in the SOL title game. 

Cassidy said the Friars will continue to have the same approach to overcoming its lack of depth and experience with just one senior in the starting lineup. 

“All day, every day,” he said. “It’s just a want. It’s just a toughness you’ve got to do over and over. We made enough of those plays tonight. We're battle-tested through and through. No matter who we face at this point, it’s about us and what we’re trying to do.” 

By Quarter
Bonner Prendergast 13-14-17-13-59
Upper Dublin 12-5-12-8-37 

Scoring
Bonner: Francis 13, Jackson 12, Carroll 12, Nelson 11, Scott 11 

Upper Dublin: McLaughlin 12, Rines 11, Mulroy 9, Ragsdale 3, Bazemore 2