Coatesville comes to life, tops D-East in playback

CALN » It certainly was a tale of two halves Tuesday night in the District 1 Class 6A playback game between Coatesville and Downingtown East at Ross Kershey Gymnasium. Coatesville was very listless in the first half, spotting Downingtown East a seven-point deficit at halftime.

But, the Red Raiders turned it on in the second half, outscoring Downingtown East, 41-24, turning the Cougars over 10 times in the second half as Coatesville pulled away for a 71-61 win. Coatesville will now play at Lower Merion Friday night for fifth place, while the Cougars travel to No. 8 Pennridge for seventh place.

“That first half of basketball was really embarrassing,” Coatesville coach Marc Turner said. “I was embarrassed to be the boys basketball coach at Coatesville. It was a real embarrassment to the community and the school. We turned it around in the second half.”

Coatesville (19-7) turned the game around as it turned up the heat and forced eight Downingtown East turnovers in the third quarter, and got a huge second half from Jhamir Brickus, who led the game with 30 points, 26 coming in the second half. John Proctor, who held the Red Raiders in the game in the first half, contributed 19 points for the Red Raiders.

“We knew the pressure was coming in the second half and we did not do a good enough job of handling it,” Downingtown East coach John Goodman said. “In the first half we only turned the ball over four times but in the second half they took advantage of those turnovers and scored easy baskets. In the first half they did not get those runout baskets.”

When Proctor drained the last of his five 3-pointers in the third quarter, Coatesville took its first lead of the night at 44-43. after a Cougar turnover, Jhamir Brickus drained a long trey to make it a 46-43 game. Downingtown East then came up the floor and turned the ball over again, and Jhamir Brickus went to the basket strong for a 48-43 lead. At the end of the third quarter Coatesville held a 53-49 lead, but the tide of the game was turning in the Red Raiders’ favor.

The fourth quarter started very well for Coatesville as Jhamir Brickus drained two long 3-pointers to start the final frame and the Red Raiders took a commanding 59-49 advantage. Downingtown East misfired on a long trey and Proctor scored in tight for a 61-49 Coatesvile lead. Proctor was a factor the entire game for the Red Raiders and he talked about the listless first half for the Red Raiders.

“I felt really good shooting the ball tonight,” Proctor said. “I got some real good looks. I think the problem in the first half was that we were down we were not playing at Temple, with this being our senior year and everything.”

After shooting 13 for 25 in the first half, including 10 treys, the Cougars shot just eight for 28 in the decisive second half. On the other side, the Red Raiders went 11 for 23 from the field in the second half, and turned the Cougars over 10 times.

“We handled their pressure well in the first half but when you let Coatesville turn you over, they are going to get easy baskets and that is what happened tonight in the second half.” Goodman said.