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CHA B’ballers fall to Penn Charter
by DREW LAZOR
An impressive third-quarter surge from Chestnut Hill Academy’s
Blue Devils wasn’t enough to top visiting Inter-AC neighbors William
Penn Charter School (12-9, 4-1 conf.) in a conference match-up Jan. 17.
Although the Quakers saw their 17-point halftime lead dwindle to just
five with one period remaining, the team held on to defeat CHA (6-12,
0-4 conf.) 46-39.
Penn Charter started the game strong on the offensive side of the ball.
The team scored eight unanswered points before CHA senior Jon Salem connected
to end the drought. PC junior Sam Zeglinski led the attack with 11 points,
a barrage that included a trio of three-pointers. From the opening whistle,
the Quakers executed a full-court press that forced the Devils into some
critical errors and turnovers. PC further fortified its lead in the second,
as three different players worked to outscore CHA 12-3. Junior center
Malik Easterling and senior captain Julian McFadden were the only Devils
to connect in the quarter. PC seemed poised and confident holding a 30-13
advantage at halftime. The extremely physical Salem was hit with three
fouls in the first half.
A nearly flawless third quarter from CHA helped the Quakers realize that
the game was far from over. Junior guard Mike “Spike” Christiansen
started the comeback with a lefty drive off a defensive rebound. McFadden
followed with a steal that resulted in a fast break lay-up. Penn Charter,
who drained five threes in the first half, seemed to lose their shooting
rhythm after the Devils instituted a rotating zone defense. McFadden and
freshman guard Gary Lawrence hit back-to-back three-pointers to close
the gap even more. A 14-2 run made the game a two-possession affair, with
PC clinging onto 32-27 lead. Junior Leland O’Connor was the only
Quaker to score in the third.
PC, however, was not ready to concede, and rediscovered their offensive
capabilities entering the final quarter of play. Junior Drew Fullen started
off with an easy basket off a steal; a missed free throw by Salem resulted
in a three-pointer from O’Connor that reestablished the Quakers’
double-digit lead, 37-27. Throughout the game, the Devils struggled from
the line, connecting with just 33 percent of their foul shots. Zeglinski
and senior guard Kevin McGarvey combined for nine points as PC finally
managed to put it away, 46-39. Devils head coach Ed Aversa was visibly
unhappy with the officiating of the contest, and vocalized his concerns
throughout the latter part of the fourth.
CHA will meet Germantown Academy squad on Friday, Jan. 27. Next on the
schedule for Penn Charter: Malvern Prep on Jan. 27.
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