Carroll continues hot start, tops Friars

Archbishop Carroll, off to fast start, defeats Malvern Prep

Archbishop Carroll, off to a 5-1 start this winter, exploded out of the gates early Friday evening in their 80-66 win against host Malvern Prep.

The Patriots, with talented 6-3 junior guard Justin Anderson and 6-4 senior guard Colin Daly hitting shots from both near and far, jumped out to an 18-3 lead 4 1/2 minutes into the game. Anderson finished with 25 points Friday evening, on the heels of a 28-point performance in the Patriots’ 67-65 win against Penn Wood.

“[Anderson] has a great first step,” said Carroll head coach Paul Romanczuk. “He can score from outside, mid-range, and around the rim.”

Daly finished the night with 15 points and eight rebounds.

“Colin is playing like a composed veteran,” said Romanczuk. “He knows what has to be done for us in the way of rebounding, and he grabbed a few loose balls tonight and made some big shots.”

Malvern (2-6) battled back after falling behind 18-3 and managed to cut its halftime deficit to 41-30, not an insurmountable lead considering the fast pace of the game on both sides.

“Malvern kept pressing us the whole time,” said Romanczuk. “It wasn’t easy for us tonight — Malvern’s a difficult team to play, and we took some [overly] quick shots, and made 20 turnovers.”

Just after the halftime break, Carroll went off on a 10-0 run, led by inside scoring

bursts from Anderson and 6-6 senior forward Jesse McPherson. The Patriots kept a double-digit lead for the rest of the game.

McPherson and 6-4 senior guard Khari Williams each finished with 11 points to give the well-balanced Patriots four players in double figures.

Malvern Prep was led by 6-foot freshman guard Deuce Turner, who netted 24 points, including a trio of treys (the Friars nailed nine three-pointers). On Dec. 12, Turner scored 38 points in a win against St. Joseph’s Prep. Another bright spot was 5-10 sophomore guard Tygee Leach, who scored 12 points and whose quickness led to several steals.

“We had some bright spots tonight, things we can build on,” said Malvern head coach John Harmatuk. “Deuce is a good scorer, he can finish with either hand, he’s athletic and tough. Tygee was really active defensively tonight.

“We fought back several times tonight after falling behind [by double digits]. Normally, we have a rotation of 13 players, but tonight we only had nine — two players are out sick, two other are injured. We’re close to finishing our murderer’s row [non-league] schedule, and we’re playing to get ready for Jan. 6, when the Inter-Ac season starts.”

The Friars have two more games to go before the Inter-Ac season begins — on Dec. 27 and 28 — against Souderton and West Chester Rustin, respectively, in the Rustin tournament.

Meanwhile, Archbishop Carroll, which defeated Pittsburgh Central Catholic and St. Ignatius (Ohio) in a tournament in Erie Dec. 9-10, will be on the road again after Christmas, playing in a tournament in Richmond, Va. Dec. 26-29.

“We had some bright spots tonight, things we can build on. Deuce is a good scorer, he can finish with either hand, he’s athletic and tough. Tygee was really active defensively tonight.” — Malvern Prep coach John Harmatuk

PETE BANNAN — DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA Malvern Prep’s Deuce Turner puts up a shot as Carroll’s Khari Williams defends Friday evening. Carroll won 80-66.

PETE BANNAN — DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA Carroll’s AJ Hoggard splits Malvern Prep defenders Tygee Leach (10) and Connor Leyden (14) in the second quarter Friday evening.

PETE BANNAN — DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA Malvern Prep’s Rahdir Hicks puts up a shot in the second half against Carroll.

PETE BANNAN — DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA Carroll’s Jesse McPherson blocks a shot in the second half by Malvern Prep’s Connor Leyden Friday evening.