Penncrest Loses Heartbreaker in Tournament Championship

For the second straight year, fell to West Chester Henderson in the Penncrest Holiday Tournament Championship. The Lions came up short in a defensive battle, losing 35-31.

1

2

3

4

Final

Penncrest (3-6)

5

9

6

11

31

West Chester Henderson (5-3)

4

10

8

13

35

IN SHORT:

The start of the championship match between the Lions and Warriors was far from stellar. The teams combined for just nine points in the first quarter and struggled to knock down long shots. On top of the poor shooting, both offenses were halted by great defensive play. Penncrest played tight defense on Henderson and limited shot opportunities early on.

In the second quarter, the teams heated up from beyond the arc and traded three-pointers. The failure to convert on offense still plagued the Lions, but junior Kyle Tommasino came off the bench and knocked down a big three for Penncrest. Down 14-11 right before halftime, West Chester Henderson sank a buzzer beating three-pointer to tie up the game before heading to the locker room.

The Lions continued their strong defensive play in the second half, but they couldn’t capitalize on the other end. With Penncrest trailing most of the quarter, senior Alex Graham stepped up and made one of his four threes on the night to deliver his team the lead late in the third. In addition, sophomore Rahmi Halaby took over for Penncrest to keep the game close; in just a minute of play, he scored a layup, blocked a shot, and earned a trip to the foul line.

Careless mistakes killed the home team in the long run, and many of the team’s 10 turnovers came late in the game when every possession counted.

Down six points midway through the fourth quarter, Graham made two deep shots in a row to get his squad back in the game. However, Penncrest couldn’t find a way to stop Henderson’s twins, juniors Chas McCormick and Jason McCormick, who combined for 20 points and were both all-tournament selections.

Penncrest managed to grab just eight rebounds all game, led by junior center Kalvin Simpson’s three boards, and struggled to stop Henderson forward Declan Kane down low.

Senior Jimmy Allen hit his second of two threes to tie up the game at 29-29; unfortunately for the Lions, the defense fell apart late as the offense started to find its way. A put-back by senior Dillon Rogers got the Lions to within two of the Warriors with less than a minute to play, but Henderson’s layup put the dagger in any hopes of a Penncrest comeback.

Penncrest’s Graham and junior Eddie Baxter were both selected to the all-tournament team, averaging 13.5 and seven points, respectively.

LION OF THE GAME:

Alex Graham: For the second straight night, Graham carried the offensive load for the Lions and made shots to get his team back in the game. He had four three-pointers and finished with a game-high 14 points.

OTHER KEY PERFORMANCES:

Baxter had just three points, but he tallied five assists in a low-scoring affair. Halaby gave meaningful minutes off the bench for Penncrest and ignited a spark in the team.

PLAYERS'S TAKE:

"We need to find a way to win close games in the fourth quarter. We haven’t been able to finish games."—Senior forward Dillon Rogers

UP NEXT:

Penncrest gets some time off to regroup before hosting reigning league champion Upper Darby on Jan. 3 at 7:30 p.m.