skip navigation

Bensalem's Shields plays hero as Owls clip Falcons in OT

02/17/2018, 1:00am EST
By Austin Petolillo

Kris Shields (above) hit the game-winning 3-pointer as Bensalem won a district playoff game for the first time in six years. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Austin Petolillo (@AustinPSports)
--

Bensalem forward Kris Shields was struggling late in the Owls District 1 6A first round matchup against Pennsbury, missing three straight shots from beyond the arc in the fourth quarter.

As he headed to the bench during a timeout with his head down, Bensalem head coach Mike McCabe told him that he was “going to have his shot.”

Little did they know what was going to happen in the minutes that soon followed.

After Bensalem held onto the ball for about 45 seconds of the last minute in the overtime period, the Owls and Falcons all knotted up, guard Taco Douglas started to drive to the hoop.

When Douglas saw that nothing was open, he kicked out to an open Shields, waiting at the top of the key.

“I knew I didn’t have any legs in me, so this shot, I knew I had to put legs in it,” Shields said. “So when I just released it and I stood there, I said that’s going in.”

The shot was as smooth as silk as it sunk through the nylon and as time expired, Shields, his teammates, his coaches and the crowd were going nuts. They had just won their first district playoff game in six years, 58-55.

After it was mostly a back-and-forth game aside from the first quarter when Bensalem jolted out to an 11-0 lead, this game came down to the final few possessions.

Shields came up big at the free throw line with 8.4 seconds to go in regulation, when he drained two free throws to tie it at 53 apiece.

Pennsbury pushed the ball up the floor and head coach Bill Coleman called timeout with 1.2 to go.

A Falcons turnover gave Bensalem a chance to win it, but a three from the corner was tipped and the game was heading to overtime.

The overtime period saw only two points from each team in the first three minutes with Pennsbury striking first on a layup and then Bensalem answering back on the next possession.

Once Bensalem got the ball back, they milked the clock all the way down to zero when Shields knocked down the game winner.

Shields said that aside from hitting a buzzer-beater in a rec league game, this was the first time he’s ever hit one in a meaningful game.

“That was ridiculous, the student section was unbelievable, I’ll never forget this day,” Shields said. “Hands down the highlight of my high-school career.”

The clutch 3-pointer capped off a huge 22 point performance for the 6-foot-3 senior wing/forward as Bensalem continued to stay hot. The Owls have won 12 of their previous 15 games.

“We struggled early on,” McCabe said. “We were 3-5 and it was after the Pennsbury game when we lost by 10, we said if we keep playing the way we’re going to play and play selfishly, we’re not going anywhere, your season is going to be over until you decide to play as a team.”

“Right after that, we went on a run and won seven in a row.”

The win advances the No. 16-seed Owls to the second round of the District 1 6A playoffs where they’ll take on top-seeded Plymouth-Whitemarsh on Tuesday night.

“That’s a program win tonight,” McCabe said. “Two out of three years (we’ve) gotten there but (we) haven’t won anything yet so it’s a big win tonight.”

Tonight’s appearance in the District 1 6A playoffs marks the second time in three seasons that the third-year head coach has taken the Owls to the playoffs.

In McCabe’s first season, the Owls were the last team to make the district playoffs in the old 4A format as they were seeded No. 32.

There were no bye’s back in the old format so Bensalem had to take on top seeded Coatesville and only ended up losing to them 43-40.

Last season, Bensalem’s district playoff hopes were dashed after an overtime loss to Pennsbury ended any hope on the final day of the regular season.

Friday’s game was the exact opposite.

“I told them before the game that this is it, you let them end your season last year, don’t let them do it again,” McCabe said. “And they didn’t.”

Aside from Shields, the Owls were given contributions from guard Ward Roberts, who scored 14 points and forward James Lieble, who scored 11 points.

Pennsbury was led by an all-around effort from guard Jake Martell, who scored 17 points, grabbed five rebounds and dished out five assists, and 11 points from both Gary Francis and Raylil Winton.

The Owls will now have to try and attempt to do something that no team has done yet this season; beat Plymouth-Whitemarsh, which features 7-2 junior Naheem McLeod and a talented, athletic, senior-laden backcourt. Even if Bensalem loses, it will have a chance to win two games in the playbacks to qualify for states.

“We have an opportunity and this team, I’ll tell you, they reach for the sky,” McCabe said. “I think this victory tonight gives us a lot of confidence and hey, you never know, you got to play the game.”


HS Coverage:

Recruiting News:

Tag(s): Home  Old HS  Boys HS  SOL Patriot (B)  Bensalem  Pennsbury