City of Basketball Love

Michael Bullock (@thebullp_n)
--

HERSHEY — While the defensive execution typically falls into place first for Imhotep Charter’s long and athletic group of Panthers — and head coach Andre Noble wouldn’t want it any other way — these guys from Philly do have some people who can fill it up when need be.

For a while Monday night, it was 6-4 junior backcourt standout Dahmir Bishop who found the hoop to be incredibly large yet welcoming whenever he teed it up from deep.

Same thing happened to Bernard Lightsey not long after the Panthers reappeared on Giant Center’s sizable basketball court following their halftime breather, as the 6-0 senior stepped into the state-wide spotlight for several terrific minutes as his shot continued to drop.

Add everything up — the defense, the ball movement and balance, and several outstanding offensive performances — and it was just another smashing gold-medal performance for an Imhotep squad that walked off with the PIAA’s Class 4A championship trophy after belting Sharon 71-35.

Bishop finished with 20 points for Noble’s talented crew (31-2) — 18 of those points arrived prior to halftime on 5-for-7 shooting from the floor (three treys) and a perfect 5-for-5 effort at the line — which claimed its second straight 4A crown and its sixth state title since 2009.

Lightsey added 13 second-half points — including 11 in the opening three minutes of the third quarter — as the Philly Public League champions popped 11 players into the scorebook (they used 14) while flashing their dominance throughout the 32-minute exercise.

Donta Scott, the 6-7 junior catalyst who set up all three of Bishop’s 3-balls, added six assists to Imhotep’s balanced attack. Noble’s Panthers even spread out the board work, as 11 players worked the glass for 35 rebounds with 6-6 junior Jamil Riggins nabbing a team-high six.

Elite Williams’ 15 points and eight rebounds paced Sharon (27-3), the District 10 program that was playing for state gold for the first time in 61 seasons. The main problem for the Tigers was Imhotep used its defense to start quickly and open a sizable lead that proved way too tall.

“It’s what our program is about,” Noble admitted. “That’s what we do, defend. When we defend the right way, it leads to outlet runs and a lot more good shots. The other thing that was big today and I think it’s been that way the whole season is, yeah, we have a talented team but these guys realize we have a team that can share the ball and have fun.

“Today, they shared the ball and had fun with each other and that’s the way it’s been all season.”

Using its length to construct a sizable wall that forced Sharon to go east and west with the basketball just to cross the midcourt stripe — and rarely north and south — Imhotep was able to rattle the Tigers into 10 first-half turnovers (18 overall) while building a 17-7 lead after eight minutes.

When Sharon successfully got the ball deep into its offensive end, Imhotep’s length enabled Noble’s bunch to contest shots all over the court. When Sharon turned the ball over, that led to transition play and some easy hoops as the Panthers found different ways to frustrate their adversaries.

Yet even when Imhotep was in its half-court sets, Scott fired a couple of cross-court skip passes that led to Bishop 3-balls from well out on the left wing. Not a set play, mind you, but just another facet of the tight chemistry and cohesiveness the Panthers have from being together a while.

Imhotep’s lead just continued to grow — the second of Bishop’s bombs from the flank made it 27-8 with 4:24 left in the first half — as the Panthers were sporting a 37-15 cushion when they headed for Giant Center’s locker room at the break. Sharon actually never inched closer.

Although Bishop only attempted two shots after the break, Lightsey came out of the locker room ablaze as his early second-half salvo was highlighted by a trio of treys and a pair of freebies — with everything pushing Imhotep to a 52-17 advantage with 5:03 left to play.

Noble opted to substitute freely — he used nine players in the first half and 14 overall — yet it hardly impacted Imhotep’s on-court performance as five players backed big nights from Bishop and Lightsey by scoring six points or more (Elijah Taylor, Scott, Riggins, Chereef Knox, Karam Cummings) before the night came to a close with yet another championship trophy being hoisted high into the air.

And those post-game celebrations never get old for Philly’s gold-happy hammer.

Yet even as Imhotep’s post-championship glee continues to burn like a Homecoming bonfire — Lightsey is the lone senior in the Panthers’ primary rotation — they’ll already be thinking about making another trip to Chocolatetown with hopes of completing a nifty three-peat.

It’s been done before by an Imhotep group skippered by Noble that collared three consecutive titles from 2011-2013, but not by the collection of juniors and sophomores that played leading roles Monday night in the Panthers’ convincing repeat that was fueled by some sticky defense.

Stay tuned.

~~~

Kennedy Catholic uses blistering start to lay one on Lourdes Regional in Class A final

Out to an unbelievable start, Kennedy Catholic encountered little resistance in the second of four games at Hershey’s Giant Center, as the Golden Eagles popped Lourdes Regional 78-36 in a one-sided affair that decided the PIAA’s Class 1A championship.

Maceo Austin scored 20 of his 29 points in the opening half — including 16 in the first quarter as Kennedy (23-4) bolted to a 30-0 advantage — and Oscar Tshiebwe cranked out a sparkling double-double (24 points/19 rebounds) as Rick Mancino’s club won its third state title in as many years.

Ike Herster chipped in 10 points for the Golden Eagles, who became the first Pennsylvania basketball program to pocket nine state championships. Kennedy also will make the bump from 1A to 6A once next season rolls around since almost all of Mancino’s youngsters are underclassmen.

Larry Czeponis finished with eight points for Lourdes (26-5), which bagged just three of its 24 first-half field-goal attempts against a long and imposing Kennedy outfit that opened the contest with the 6-9 Tshiebwe, 6-8 Mattia Acunzo, 6-5 Austin and 6-5 Ben Taylor on the floor.

Kennedy’s pressure also proved troublesome for James Sandri’s District 4 champions, who committed 11 first-half turnovers, including a bunch in the opening quarter that led to easy hoops.

“They slowed it down,” Mancino said of the concerns he had about Lourdes. “And sometimes when we play some slowdown teams, we just haven’t been able to get them to play fast. I never saw them in person, so that bothred me. They had the one player [Thomas Schultz], who was a player.

“In these games, it’s not like you’re playing against nobody.”

Yet with the likes of West Virginia’s Bob Huggins, Virginia’s Tony Bennett and Virginia Commonwealth’s Mike Rhoades among those parked in Giant Center’s seats, Kennedy certainly made it seem that way as Tshiebwe provided a road block in front of the rim.

Meanwhile, his teammates were flying around out front, creating havoc.

“There’s no question guys had nerves coming out here,” Austin admitted. “Why wouldn’t you? Once everyone saw that we got off to a fast start like that … it just boosts everyone’s confidence.

“It helps us play better.”

Tshiebwe, who has only been playing basketball since November 2014, is a frightening adversary since he’s not only big and strong, but he’s remarkably quick and really flourishes on the break. He’s also a hammer inside, whether trying to gather an offensive board or one of his teammates’ targets.

“He’s unbelievable,” said Mancino, who just two seasons ago had West Virginia rim protector Sagaba Kanate anchoring his state title squad. “You saw the coaches here and they weren’t here for me.”

“You just throw it up by the rim and he’s going to go up and get it,” Austin added.

One flashy sequence occurred in the second half, when Tshiebwe actually uncorked a shot from just inside the foul line, realized it was off the mark yet tried to flush the follow-up. He didn’t succeed, but the message was sent as it was every time the Congo native jammed home an authoritative dunk.

Yet while Kennedy completed its three-peat, there won’t be a fourth straight small-school championship coming next season — as the Golden Eagles are heading for 6A.

While there are not many big schools in District 10 — McDowell, Erie, Cathedral Prep and Meadville are 5A or larger — Kennedy still will be able to get plenty of tests from out-of-state opponents or foes from other parts of Pennsylvania. With most of the rotation back, it’s a sensible approach.

“When you look at our team, it’s still young, it’s all sophomores and juniors,” Mancino said. “And we said, with these guys, let’s give it a shot. We’re going to have them next year and the year after. If things don’t work out, they don’t work out. We’re going to give it our best shot.”