State Basketball Playoff Recaps, 2013-14

Philadelphia High School

Basketball State Playoff Recaps,

2013-14

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CLASS A First Round

At Southern

Math/Civics/Sciences 100, Delco Christian 50:

Junior guard

Samir Doughty shot 19-for-28 (two treys) and 5-for-9 for a school record 45

points as the Elephants indeed were Mighty. Doughty, a transfer from

shuttered Comm Tech, raised his career total to 1,011. Mike Watkins added 23

points and nine boards.

At Carroll

Phil-Mont Christian 76, New Media 65 (OT):

The Jaguars were

outscored, 36-12, over the final 12 minutes. John Fieffe recorded 22 points

and Tyquill McFadden had 15.

At Dallastown

New Hope Academy 58, Sankofa 52:

Anthony Wright-Downing packed

19 of his 30 points into the first half. He finished his career with 1,415.

For the season, his 627 points represented 42.2 percent of the Warriors'

1,486.

Second Round

At Allentown Parkland

Math/Civics/Sciences 57, Sullivan County 39:

A 20-8 first

quarter sent the Mighty Elephants into coast mode. Samir Doughty (13) and

Mike Watkins (10) led in scoring. The former had four assists; the latter

had 15 rebounds and seven blocks.

Quarterfinal

At Ryan

Math/Civics/Sciences 47, Church Farm 46:

Mike Watkins scored

11 points, swept 16 rebounds and registered five rejections to pace the

Mighty Elephants, who trailed until 5:42 remained in the third quarter.

Samir Doughty added 16 points and Nazeer Bostick, out since Feb. 7 with a

groin injury and playing against his doctor's advice, held CF franchise

Andofo Anyan (20) to four points in the second half. With Dan Jackson

attending the funeral of his uncle, James Jackson, who raised him, MC&S was

coached by assistant Lonnie Diggs.

Semifinal

At East Pennsboro

Math/Civics/Sciences 76, St. John Neumann 53:

Nazeer

Bostick and Samir Doughty scored 17 points apiece as the Mighty Elephants,

who played top-notch, larger-school competition all season, finally

surpassed .500 at 15-14. Bostick added eight rebounds and five steals. Mike Watkins

collected 15 apiece of points and rebounds. Neumann's Richard "Tre" Allen,

grandson of Phillies all-time slugger Dick Allen, was held to eight points.

Final

At Hershey's Giant Center

Lincoln Park 70, Math/Civics/Sciences 66:

The Mighty Elephants

finished the season 15-15 despite strong efforts from Samir Doughty

(12-for-19, 26 points) and Mike Watkins (17 points, as many rebounds, five

blocks). Nazeer Bostick hustled for seven points, eight boards, five assists

and four blocks.

CLASS AA First Round At Southern Constitution 61, Columbia 45: Kimar Williams nailed two

treys en route to 21 points; he was the only General in doubles. At Philly Univ. West Catholic 61, Palumbo 40: Josh Townsend registered a

triple-double (11 points, 15 rebounds, 10 blocks) for the Burrs, who were in

control throughout. Other mainstays were Devonta Peterie (10, 10 rebounds)

and Jahmil Harris (12, eight assists). Shafi Meachum (17) and West transfer

Anwar Epps (12) topped Palumbo, which shot 11-for-58. At Parkland Del-Val 60, Notre Dame (Green Pond) 45: DaShon Giddings

(14), Darius Wallace (12) and Shahid Adams (11) topped the Warriors, who

scored their first 18 points via treys. At Council Rock South Bristol 52, Future 47: Kameron Gilfillian (18) and

Dominick Morales (17, three treys) fueled the Firebirds, who fell into a

17-6 hole over the first eight minutes. Morales added eight rebounds and

three apiece of assists/steals. A climb within 41-39 was followed by

Bristol's 10-point run. Second Round At Allentown Parkland Constitution 67, Mid Valley 52: Ahmad Gilbert (26) and

Kimar Williams (14) did the heavy lifting while Gilbert and Chad Andrews

halved 20 rebounds. The Generals stormed to a 22-12 advantage in the final

quarter. At Bethlehem Freedom Elmer L. Meyers 51, West Catholic 41: Jahmil Harris (18,

three treys), Josh Townsend (11, three first-half putbacks) and Devonta

Peterie (also 11) combined for all but one of West's points. The Burrs led

at halftime, but surrendered 10 consecutive points to open the third

quarter. At Cumberland Valley Del-Val 46, Loyalsock 45: While falling backward out of

bounds,

Darius Wallace (10) nailed a deeeeep left-wing trey with 19 seconds remaining and Loyalsock failed to hit its shot in response. DaShon Giddings posted 11

points and grabbed the offensive rebound after a one-and-one was missed with

nine-tenths left. Quarterfinals At Allentown Allen Constitution 72, Holy Cross 62: Kimar Williams reached

20 points thanks mostly to a 13-for-16 performance at the foul line.

Overall, the Generals went 31-for-46 at the line and drained 23 in the

fourth quarter. Ahmad Gilbert (15) and Floyd Preito (14) also scored in

double figures. Gilbert added seven rebounds and three assists while Haneef

Vaughn had four steals. At Allentown Allen Elmer L. Meyers 52, Del-Val 50 (2 OTs): Shahid Adams racked up

20 points and his bucket with 8.6 seconds left in regulation got the

Warriors to OT. They missed one shot at the end of the first extra session

and two at the end of the second. Semifinal At Allentown Parkland Constitution 55, Elmer L. Meyers 44: In a 23-17 third

quarter, Ahmad Gilbert (18 points) dealt two early assists and then nailed

three triples. Raheem Liggins posted all 13 of his points in a 37-26 second

half. Kimar Williams added 10 points. Final At Hershey's Giant Center Constitution 61, Seton La Salle 59: Ahmad Gilbert

scrambled for 19 points and 14 rebounds and Akeem King contested a

last-second trey that would have caused major heartache. The Generals had

also won a state crown in 2012 (at the Class A level). Kimar Williams mixed

14 points with five assists and sub Chad Andrews had eight points, nine

boards.

CLASS AAA First Round At Ryan Neumann-Goretti 62, Berks Catholic 46: The Saints broke open a

close one with a 16-0, third-quarter run. Ja'Quan Newton finished with 14

points, 11 rebounds, five assists and three steals. Troy Harper (13) and

Jamal Custis (10) also scored in double figures. At Garden Spot, New Holland Carroll 57, Manheim Central 35: Late in the first half,

Derrick Jones was limping out of the gym after hurting his hip. By late in

the fourth quarter, he was flushing a pair of alley-oop dunks. His 17 points

led the way. Austin Tilghman (11 points) and Ernest Aflakpui halved 14

rebounds and Samir Taylor posted four steals. At Carroll Phila. Elec. 68, Blue Mountain 50: Larenz Thurman dished

eight assists and notched eight of his 23 points in a 19-6 first quarter.

Anthony Harris (15) and Devante Truitt (13) helped with points and James

Suber swept 14 rebounds. At Central Dauphin East Susquehanna Twp. 65, Imhotep 47: Frosh Daron Russell (16)

was the lone Panther to score in double figures. Basil Thompson added nine

points, eight boards. Imhotep shot 17-for-59 and 4-for-22 beyond the arc. Second Round At Bethlehem Freedom Neumann-Goretti 73, Wilkes-Barre GAR 55: Ja'Quan Newton

crammed 12 of his 19 points (and two assists) into a 26-11 third quarter,

thus expanding a 30-23 lead. In part due to foul trouble, he'd entered

halftime with three points. Troy Harper (16) hit two treys, Lamarr "Fresh"

Kimble added eight rebounds and five assists to 11 points and Tony Toplyn

had five steals, four blocks. At Allentown Parkland Carroll 59, Abington Heights 55: Derrick Jones scored seven of

his 17 points on three consecutive fourth-quarter possessions to help the

Patriots overcome a three-point deficit; the last three markers came on an

and-one. Jones also had 10 rebounds (as did Ernest Aflakpui) and three

apiece of steals/blocks. Austin Tilghman added 13 points. At Colonial Elementary School (P-W) Phila. Electric 53, Holy Ghost Prep 52 (OT): Larenz Thurman

hit a step-back, foul-line jumper to provide a one-point lead, then created

enough of a distraction to assure HGP's last-second trey would not cause

agony. Thurman (18, three treys) and Devante Truitt (14, five steals) scored

in double figures while James Suber contributed nine apiece of points and

boards. Quarterfinals At Souderton Neumann-Goretti 60, Allentown CC 50: Ja'Quan Newton (20)

finished the night still needing six points to break the Catholic League's

all-time career record (1,923 by '07 Bonner grad Jeff Jones), but his

defense helped to assure he'd get another opportunity. Against others, ACC

star Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkwan scored 10 quick points to start the game and

seven more to open the third quarter. Until the final 4:31, which began with

N-G in command, 50-33, Abdur-Rahkwan (30) notched just two points against

Newton. Troy Harper and sub Vaughn Covington (three treys) contributed 11

points apiece, Newton added eight rebounds/four assists and Tony Toplyn had

five blocks. At Ryan Phila. Electric 52, Carroll 51: James Suber bagged 16 points

and 10 rebounds, Larenz Thurman notched all 15 of his points on treys (eight

attempts) and Jihad Barnes provided a three-point lead with a regular field

goal off a goaltending call with 16.8 seconds remaining. Carroll scored on

Ernest Aflakpui's layup with a tenth or two under five seconds left, but was

out of timeouts and the Chargers did not have to inbound. For Carroll,

Derrick Jones had 15 points while Austin Tilghman and Ryan Daly halved 24. Semifinal At Southern Neumann-Goretti 65, Phila. Electric 53: On a lefthanded

layup 4:11 before halftime, Ja'Quan Newton raised his game points total to

seven and career number to 1,925, thus eclipsing 2007 Bonner grad Jeff Jones

(1,923) for the top spot in Catholic League history. He finished the night

with 21. Troy Harper (20) ended the first half with three free throws after

getting hacked beyond the arc, lifting the lead to 28-24, then drained a

trey to open the second. The Saints added eight more consecutive points

before the Chargers regrouped (and eventually moved within six). Newton

(five steals) and Tony Toplyn halved 16 rebounds. Devante Truitt (17) and

Larenz Thurman (12) paced PE. Final At Hershey's Giant Center Neumann-Goretti 64, Susquehanna Twp. 57 (OT): A day after his

mother passed away, Ja'Quan Newton exploded for a career high 33 points (six

in the extra session) and a team-high eight rebounds as the Saints seized

their fourth state title in five years (also 2010-12). The outburst, best by

a Catholic League player in a state playoff, finalized his total at 1,972,

the No. 9 effort in city history. Troy Harper (12) and Lamarr "Fresh" Kimble

also scored in double digits and Tony Toplyn blocked a late jumper to assure

OT.

CLASS AAAA First Round At Carroll Roman 48, Oxford 38: The Cahillites stormed to a 15-point

halftime lead, but the pad dwindled to one before control again was

established. Only Gemil Holbrook (13) reached double figures in scoring, but

four more guys managed nine/eight. Manny Taylor grabbed seven rebounds. Shep

Garner made four steals. At Southern King 57, Cumberland Valley 43: Jahmir Taylor (12 rebounds) and Chase Rodgers

halved 28 points while Greg Bennett made five steals. Thanks mostly to free throws, the Cougars won the fourth

quarter, 15-7. At Spring-Ford La Salle 64, Conestoga 58: Shawn Witherspoon totaled 19

points and four assists while David Krmpotich shot 7-for-10 en route to 16

points. Najee Walls and Dan Corr hit two treys apiece and the latter, as a

sub, added two assists and three steals. Chuck Champion went 3-for-4 at the

line in the final moments to expand a three-point lead. Second Round At Ryan Lower Merion 64, Roman 52: The Cahillites shot just

19-for-56 while suffering the upset. Guards Shep Garner (Penn State) and

Rashann London (Drexel) tallied 17 and 19 points, respectively, ending their

careers with 1,437 and 1,103. Starter TreVaughn Wilkerson, sidelined for

three-plus weeks by a high-ankle sprain, came off the bench to contribute

seven points and six rebounds. At Colonial Elementary (P-W) King 65, Pennsbury 43: Jahmir Taylor added 11 rebounds and

eight blocks to his 16-point outing while Jabri McCall notched his 16

markers thanks to a 12-for-13 performance at the line. Sammy Foreman had

eight points and seven apiece of rebounds/assists. Twenty-eight fouls (of 44

total, with three techs) were called in the first half. At Coatesville La Salle 49, Cedar Crest 43 (OT): Najee Walls (22) drained

two treys in a 15-8 fourth quarter and David Krmpotich's bucket got the

Explorers to OT. They'd trailed by nine with 6:32 left. A quick sequence --

triple by sub Dan Corr, Walls' three-point play -- was huge in the early

part of the extra session. Quarterfinals At Colonial Elementary (P-W) La Salle 71, Lower Merion 48: Thanks to nine points from

subs (Sean Greenberg five, Shane Stark four), the Explorers stormed to a

22-5 lead in the first 9:23. By halftime, they owned 24 of the game's 30

rebounds. By late in the third quarter, La Salle's students were chanting

toward LM's, "You need Kobe! You need Kobe!" Jalen Herdsman led the way with

14 points and 11 rebounds. Shawn Witherspoon also scored 14 points while

Najee Walls managed 13. At Colonial Elementary (P-W) Abington 56, King 52: Sammy Foreman posted 16 points,

three assists and six steals for the Cougars, who were prevented from trying

a trey, at 54-51, when Jabri McCall was fouled while dribbling along the

arc. He went 1-for-2 at the line, then the Ghosts added two free throws at

4.5 to end the drama. Chase Rodgers had 10 points, eight rebounds. Jahmir

Taylor contributed nine/10. Semifinal At Coatesville La Salle 61, Chester 55: David Krmpotich (19) and Shawn

Witherspoon (17) led the way as the Explorers became one of the few schools

to beat twin powers Lower Merion and Chester in back-to-back outings. The

shooting performances of those two (DK 6-for-8 and 6-for-8; SW 5-for-6 and

7-for-9) helped La Salle, which led by as many as 11 and became the first

District 12 school to earn a berth in a AAAA final, shoot 18-for-33 (one

trey) and 24-for-31. Krmpotich grabbed six rebounds. Witherspoon dealt three

assists. Final At Hershey's Giant Center New Castle 52, La Salle 39: The Explorers fell short of

becoming one of the few teams in recent state history to win a state title

with no returning starters and no transfers to flesh out the lineup. Najee

Walls (15) and Shawn Witherspoon (10) led the way. La Salle hit just one of

10 attempts from behind the arc and was outrebounded, 36-23. The Explorers'

eight varsity returnees totaled 1,521 points after scoring 94 in 2012-13. NC

finished 31-0 with a starting lineup featuring four players bound for

Division 1 football.