Friends of John Henning Takes Narberth Hoops American League Title

The first pair of tête-à-têtes between Narberth American Basketball League finalists Friends of John Henning and Stretch Funeral Home were knock-down, drag-out, down-to-the-wire affairs.

Wednesday night's deciding Game 3? Not so much.

After dealing one another two-point losses in the first two games of the best-of-three championship series, FJH used athleticism and impressive ball movement to convincingly dispatch Stretch, 55-44, and take the title.

Saint Joe's Prep incoming junior Miles Overton, who scored 27, 18 and 7 points for FJH in the series' three games, was named tournament MVP, while 2011 Lower Merion graduates Mike Buchwald and Dan Peterson chipped in 16 and 13 points to Wednesday's winning effort.

"It was a great group of guys. Everybody came to play," said FJH coach Mark Zoller.

FJH, after the tight first two games, won every period in the finale. They jumped out to a seven-point lead after the first, expanded it to eight at the half, then nine after three, and finally won by 11 despite the shot Stretch's 2011 Harriton graduate Marquis Baker hit as the buzzer sounded.

Baker's Harriton teammate Matt Sherman led Stretch in scoring with 10.

"This was one of the most unselfish teams I've had," said losing coach Mike Quigley. "I just think we ran out of gas."