Abington wins big at Truman, now plays the waiting game

LEVITTOWN —The Abington High boys basketball team finished an uneven year with its highest scoring barrage, allowing for talk of even higher goals.

Playoffs.

The Ghosts produced a do-or-die, 78-64 win in an unfriendly and loud Harry S. Truman gym, ending the Tigers season and keeping themselves alive for a district playoff berth. They'll find out if they’ve made it on Sunday morning after the District 1 seeding meeting.

"I want to keep playing this season," said senior Darian "DJ" McFadden, who scored 17 points. "I'll be biting my tongue waiting."

As with most of their up-and-down season, nail biting was the theme on a frigid Friday night in Levittown, despite what might look like a lopsided score. Both teams entered the game with 8-13 records and, for the victor, a shot for postseason consideration.

Truman held the home-court, and the squads exchanged rapid-fire shots, ending in a 15-15 tie and no clear advantage.

After a first-quarter, six-point spurt that tied the score, the Ghosts charged in the second period. Having spent the season adjusting to new head coach Charles Grasty's up-tempo style, Abington blazed through an inspiring eight-minute, 29-7 fury that produced a 22-point lead.

"When we're playing fast, it's not because one person is pushing it up and down the floor and getting layups," Grasty said. "We're passing to each other and finding the right matchup. When we're playing fast, smart and as a team, that's fun to watch. The second quarter was fun to watch."

The third quarter bordered on painful, with selfish mistakes punctuating Abington's lackluster performance. Perhaps feeling like the game was in hand, the Ghosts allowed the Tigers to steal baskets and momentum.

After Wes Rines began the second half with a three-pointer, Truman pounced, outscoring the Ghosts 24-9 in the quarter, turning a huge deficit into a seven-point game.

Though Grasty told his team to keep up the pace, he hoped they wouldn't fall into bad habits of taking quick shots and firing off no-look passes.

"That's exactly what we told them, to play smart," Grasty said. "We weren't going to slow it down, but we got into playing selfish in the third quarter. We played great in the second quarter; we passed the ball, had a ton of assists. After we talked at halftime, we just came out and played bad."

Added nine-point scorer Jordon Monroe, "We came out of the locker room sleepwalking, but we picked it back up toward the end of the third and played like we did in the first half. We gained our lead back."

Having built a big enough lead through the first half, the Ghosts staved off the Tigers charge. McFadden was fouled attempting to dunk — landing hard on his wrist — but made a free throw to put Abington up 77-55 late in the fourth.

"It's not a joke when I say that we don't make anything easy," Grasty said. "It's the truth. Even in practice, when we're running over our stuff, we'll get it and all of a sudden, we'll go berserk."

The four quarters shone an intense light on the extent of a season's zaniness. Crucial losses contributed to the uninspiring finish, including a Bensalem game when Rines' buzzer-beating three-point attempt rimmed out on Jan. 11. Two weeks later, a near upset of undefeated power Council Rock North evaporated when the Indians' Charlie Anastasi produced a last-second lay-up for a 55-54 win.

Then there were two narrow defeats to Council Rock South.

"We gave away some games we shouldn't have earlier in the season," Rines said, trailing off. "We're still left with a shot. You hope for the best, but prepare yourself for the worst. It was a hell of a run."

And now they must wait with a travel bus gassed and ready to roll, should a playoff game on Feb. 19 playoff game await them.

"I will be super, super anxious to see what goes on," Grasty said. "I'll be thinking about it non-stop for the next two days. We just want to get in. We don't care where it is. We'll go to California if we have to. We will go wherever they send us."