City of Basketball Love

Max Buchdahl (@max_buchdahl)

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Abington's Joseph O’Brien didn’t see much of the court in the first half against Conwell-Egan on Saturday night. He didn’t even score a point until the third quarter.

In that third quarter, though, the 6-foot-8 junior forward erupted, scoring nine of his 13 points to help the Ghosts take a lead into the final eight minutes of regulation.

This game needed more than just regulation, though, and it was O’Brien’s tip-in with 20.4 seconds remaining which gave his team a 63-61 overtime victory.

O’Brien had missed a contested look under the basket that would have extended the Abington lead to three with less than a minute on the clock. He made up for it, however, by following up a missed Robbie Heath floater in the lane.

“Coach said that as long as I was active on the boards, something good would happen,” O’Brien said of his game-winning bucket.

His head coach, Charles Grasty, praised O’Brien’s effort as well as how quickly he’s learned the team’s system. O’Brien spent his freshman year at Roman Catholic, but missed all of last season with a broken foot.

O’Brien was complemented down low by freshman Eric Dixon, who scored a game-high 24 points. The 6-foot-6 forward scored nine of the team’s 13 points in the first quarter and was a strong presence on the boards all game long.

“We feel like they are two of the best big men around,” Grasty said. “Neither of them were with us last year, but they’re learning the program and coming along. They play well together.”

Dixon was a dominant force on offense for the Galloping Ghosts as well, hitting a pair of three-pointers as well as making two free throws which tied the game at 54 and sent it to overtime.

“He’s just a blast to play with,” O’Brien said. “He has excellent skills down low, he can shoot, and he has great court vision.”

O’Brien and Dixon are only in the beginning of their time together, but it’s clear that the two will have a big impact on how far the Galloping Ghosts can go just a year after the team took the PIAA Class AAAA District 1 title.

Since O’Brien and Dixon are relatively inexperienced, and only two of the team’s starters are seniors, Grasty has observed some early-season struggles.

“We just have to match everyone’s intensity,” Grasty said. “Our guys, because they are so inexperienced, don’t know how fast and physical the game is at this level. We just have to continue to play hard, defend and rebound.”

O’Brien himself knows that there is still much to improve upon, and that this win over the previously-undefeated Eagles is a great start.  

“I had slacked the first few games,” O’Brien said. “It was time for me to step up.”

After not starting the game and not getting much playing time in the Galloping Ghosts’ first four games of the season, O’Brien knew that something had to change.

His team was just 2-2, having lost two games in the past week. They fell to Archbishop Carroll on Tuesday and to Pennsbury on Thursday.  

“I was upset that I wasn’t able to help my team,” O’Brien said. “A game like this definitely helps boost my spirits.”

It was a tough loss for Conwell-Egan, as they fall to 3-1 on the season. The Eagles had a few chances to win the game, but they couldn’t hit the big shot.

Junior guard Kar’ron Johnson released a contested three-pointer in the final seconds on the fourth quarter, but couldn’t get it to fall.

Then, in the final seconds of the overtime period, senior forward Vinny Dalessandro missed a three-pointer that would have given the Eagles the lead. He had another good look at the very final second, but was unable to convert once again.

Abington’s win improves them to 3-2 on the year. Their next game is at home on Tuesday night against Neshaminy, while Egan will play at South Philadelphia High School on Friday.