Dwyer reaches title game in Holiday Classic

PALM BEACH GARDENS — Dwyer used an 11-0 run to start the third quarter en route to knocking off Plymouth Meeting (Pa.) Whitemarsh 66-53 Thursday night in the semifinals of the first Holiday Basketball Classic of Palm Beaches.

The Panthers led 15-5 after one quarter, took a 28-23 lead into the half and then quickly put some space between themselves and Whitemarsh thanks to tenacious defense. Dwyer went up 39-23 before Whitemarsh scored in the second half on a free throw from Kevin Tilghman five minutes into in the quarter.

52-47 — with 4:37 to play — would be as close as Whitemarsh would get the rest of the way.

“The first quarter we were really proud of our defense,” said Dywer coach Fred Ross. “We gave five points [the first eight minutes]. The second quarter we gave up 18 points. We talked about that at halftime.”

Senior guard Tommie Luke led Dwyer with 17 points and senior center Austin Evans added 13. Evans held Whitemarsh 7-foot-1 sophomore center Naheem McLeod to just 7 points.

Dwyer (9-2) advances to play Long Island (N.Y.) Lutheran (9-1) in the championship game tonight. Long Island Lutheran defeated SW Atlanta Christian 69-56 in the other semifinal.

Dwyer played Thursday without one of its leading scorers, junior Miles Coleman. “He’s got some damage in his elbow,” Ross said. “Fell on it last night.”

OXBRIDGE ACADEMY 77, BRONX (N.Y.) MONSIGNOR SCANLAN 73 (OT):

Junior Keidron Smith poured in 26 points to lead the ThunderWolves to the consolation bracket victory.

Oxbridge, which starts four underclassmen, ran its record to 8-2. The ThunderWolves will play Grandview Prep (12-1) at noon Friday in the fifthplace game. Grandview Prep whipped Mourning, 67-50, Thursday.

“A win is a win,” Oxbridge coach Brandon Strassburger said after weathering the storm. “We’ve been challenged. We have definitely been challenged.”

Oxbridge led Scanlan 55-44 in the fourth quarter, but squandered the 11-point lead late. Scanlan tied the game at 68 on a layup with 6.2 seconds left to send the game to an extra period.

In the overtime session, sophomore guard A.J. Cajuste hit two big free throws with 17.7 seconds left to put Oxbridge up four at 75-71. Cajuste finished with 10 points and fellow 10th-grader Dante Wilcox had 17.

Scanlan coach Dwayne Mitchell said he held two starters out of Thursday’s game in a “coach’s decision.” Scanlan 6-6 senior guard Saquan Singleton, who was one of the players held out, has mid-major scholarship offers.

GRANDVIEW PREP 67, MOURNING 50:

Grandview bounced back after losing for the first time in 12 games this season. The defending state champions had reeled off 43 consecutive wins before falling to Long Island Lutheran.