CHA Devils defeat GFS Tigers in b’ball face-off
by ANDREW LAZOR
The Dec. 20 meeting between Chestnut Hill Academy and
Germantown Friends School proved to be an action-packed match-up between
the inter-conference rivals. The Inter-Ac’s Blue Devils managed
to defeat the Friends Schools League’s Tigers 49-37 in a game that
featured 34 fouls and several technicals.
The Devils were unrelenting on offense in the first, scoring 11 unanswered
points before a jumper by Tigers junior captain Marek Loder snapped the
streak. CHA senior Jon Salem beat the buzzer to put his team up 13-2 at
the end of the opening period. The Devils expanded the lead in the second
quarter thanks to scoring from four different CHA players, including five
from senior guard Julian McFadden and four in-the-paint points from junior
center Malik Easterling. The Tigers trailed by 15 entering halftime.
CHA opened the third quarter with a 10-point run capped off by a three-point
play from McFadden. His basket made the lead 38-13, the largest deficit
of the game for the Tigers. GFS guards David Gould and Rasheed Stewart
battled back to cut the lead slightly before the fourth.
The game took a decidedly physical turn in the final quarter. After a
basket from Easterling, Loder split the CHA defense and drove down the
court for a lay-up. He was fouled hard by Salem on the shot, sending him
flying into the end wall beneath the basket. Loder missed both free throws,
but managed to get the ball back and convert it into a three-point play
of his own. McFadden answered with a long-range threeball on the other
end of the court. Scrapping and shoving on an inbounds play caused officials
to call technical fouls on McFadden and Tigers junior Omari Phillip; McFadden,
who tied the game high with 15 points, would foul out of the game soon
after.
After CHA called timeout with 4:26 remaining in regulation, both teams
went on fouling frenzies—five different players stepped up to the
line in a matter of minutes. It was here that Phillip was able to whittle
down the Devils’ lead to 11, 46-35. The Tigers wouldn’t get
any closer thanks to free throws from Easterling and Salem, who finished
with nine and 10 points respectively. Gould and Loder led the Tigers with
15 apiece. The Tigers will visit Calvary Christian on Jan. 7. The Devils’
next game is scheduled for Jan. 4 at Abington Friends.
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