Tennent Boys Fall to Pennsbury in Season Finale

Whenever William Tennent looked like it could get back into the game, Pennsbury responded with a big three-pointer or a key defense stop, igniting a run of their own and dashing the Panthers hopes in a 61-43 home loss for Tennent.

After trailing 11-9 to open the second quarter, the Falcons raced out to an 11-0 run to start the period, but Tennent got things on track after a timeout to get back within seven at halftime. Pennsbury slammed the door shut with a 7-2 run to start the third quarter.

The Falcons then went on a 6-2 run later in the third period, and padded their lead to 14 with a three pointer near the end of the third. Tennent looked to get back in it quickly in the fourth, opening the quarter with a basket and a free throw, but Pennsbury answered right back with a three-pointer. The Panthers then got the next three points, but the Falcons answered back with another three. All told, the Falcons hit four three’s in the third, answering Tennent’s 15 points with 19 of their own to earn the win in the season finale for both teams.

The Panthers unfortunately could not pull out the victory despite support from a large home crowd on hand for Senior Night. Many fans and family members gathered to honor the senior basketball players, managers, and cheerleaders. Panthers’ senior players Tim Compton, Shakat Kofa, Chris Moore, Cole Weber and Tyler Wuensche were all recognized for their contributions in a pre-game ceremony.

With the loss, Tennent finishes the season with an overall record of 6-16 and a 1-13 mark in the Suburban One National League, good for eighth. The Panther’s lone league win came in double overtime over Council Rock-South in late January.

Pennsbury ends its campaign on a three-game winning streak, finishing with a record of 8-14 overall and 6-8 in the SOL-National. The Falcons finished fourth in the league behind Neshaminy and Bensalem, who tied for second at 11-3. Council Rock-North won the league with a 13-0 record, the first unbeaten league season in school history.

After the game, Panthers Head Coach Robert Mulville praised his players’ consistent effort not only in this particular game, but throughout the season. “I told [the team] they can all go home and put their head on their pillow tonight, and know that they gave great effort throughout the year,” he said. “That’s all you can ask.”

Mulville also credited his outgoing seniors for providing good leadership and being positive examples for the younger players, saying any of the team’s future success will be a direct result of the strong influence of this year’s senior class.

Pennsbury Head Coach Bill Coleman, who is in his first year, said he liked the way his team finished its season with determination and hustle, especially on the defensive end of the floor. “It was all of our seniors’ last game, and we wanted to finish strong,” he said. “That was the motto for tonight, and I think we did [that]. We did a good job defensively on a lot of the [Tennent] guys. Our game has been, from day one, as long as we pick up the defensive intensity and pressure, then we should roll that into some fast break opportunities, which is what we saw tonight.”

The contest started out as a physical affair, with the officials allowing a lot of contact on both ends. The teams traded baskets throughout most of the first quarter, with the Panthers taking a two-point lead after a put-back by Jack Rauchut before the end of the first.

The Falcons opened up the second by pressing more, which forced some Tennent turnovers and created easy transition baskets for Pennsbury. Falcons’ forward Zachary Sibel, who was a force throughout the game, had seven of his 17 in the second, including five straight during the 11-0 Pennsbury run. The seven-point halftime deficit was as close as Tennent would get for the remainder of the game.

The Panthers also struggled offensively in the third quarter against Pennsbury’s press, only managing six points in the period. The Falcons were able to pad their lead thanks to Kieran Bolger, who had seven of Pennsbury’s 13 in the third.

Sibel led all scorers with 17, while also pulling down 13 boards. Bolger added nine for the Falcons, Shawn Pepper had eight, and Kris Hassell finished with seven.

Rauchut paced the Panthers with 15, and Wuensche had a strong final game, finishing with ten. Kofa and Weber chipped in with nine apiece.

Mulville said though he wished the Panthers would have won more games, he was pleased that his team never hung their heads and kept up the effort in every game. He said this off-season the Panthers need to work on finishing better around the rim, but the biggest aspect of their game they need to improve on is ball security.

“There are a lot of things we can work on, but if I could only pick one thing it would be to take care of the ball,” he said. “If we have less than ten turnovers a game, I’d be happy, and we’d win more games.”

Mulville also said he was optimistic the team can improve, citing the fact that point guard Mike Wasserleben, who is only a sophomore, gained valuable experience this year, and will have a better idea what to expect next season. “[Wasserleben]’s an incredible student of the game,” Mulville said. “He’s constantly trying to get better. I think teams are going to look at him over the next couple years and say ‘Man, that kid’s a smart coach on the floor, leader on the floor, [and] runs his team.’”

The Panthers may also get a big boost—literally—from Klinger Middle School standout Horace Spencer III, who would attend Tennent next year if he stayed in the district. The massive eighth-grader already stands at 6’7”, and is rated the second best eighth-grader in the United States by HYPEBasketball, a scouting services that covers players in grades 6 through 12. Spencer III is sure to draw attention from prominent basketball prep schools—both locally and nationally—and he has still yet to make a decision on where will attend next year.

Coleman said he was pleased with the way his team capped its season, winning three consecutive games, all against league opponents. “What I’m very proud of is we finished very strong, winning the last three,” he said. “It sets the table, and sets the momentum for next year.”

Coleman also added that he is “very optimistic” his team can have a bounce-back year next season, as long as they continue to improve their defense. “Defense was our Achilles’ heel pretty much all year against the Council Rock-North’s and the Neshaminy’s,” he said. “Personally, I’ve learned a ton this year, which hopefully I’ll be able to put to work next year with some of the teams we’re playing against.”