PW escapes Wissahickon with one-point victory
Jim Donofrio had seen enough.
He’d watched his Plymouth Whitemarsh boys basketball team go up by double figures on host Wissahickon Friday night.
He’d watched one of his best players get ejected for throwing a third-quarter punch and he’d seen his Colonials just barely hold on for a 67-66 win.
So you could understand his tentative smile.
PW got away with one Friday, twice handing back leads that looked safe, and missing key free throws in the fourth quarter that allowed the home team to creep back into the game – and almost win it.
But at least the coach could smile.
“You’re going to get games like these over the course of the season,” Donofrio said after Malcolm McLeod and Ahmin Williams each scored 15 points to help the cause. “You can’t miss free throws like we did down the stretch, but this is better than talking about how they cost us the game.” And they nearly did. PW bolted out of the gate and seized a doublefigure lead early in the second quarter as McLeod and Williams led the way.
The Trojans hung around behind the scoring of Eddie Fortescue and Max Rappaport, but never seriously challenged the lead until the second half, when they watched the Colonials mount run after run, and somehow found their way back into the game.
Trailing by 14 at halftime, the Trojans got serious, and were helped along when PW’s Ahmad Williams was ejected for throwing a punch early in the third quarter.
Rappaport had seven points in the third quarter as the Trojans rallied to cut the deficit to seven entering the final period.
The Trojans turned up the heat, and the Colonials had difficulty seeing through the smoke.
Anthony Lawrence and Fortescue combined for 11 fourth-quarter markers while the Colonials were noticeably rattled.
The Trojans went on a 9-2 run to trim the deficit to the slimmest of margins while the Colonials went a combined 4-for-10 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter.
Williams hit what turned out to be the game-winner, but PW had to be happy to escape with a victory.
“(Wissahickon head coach) Kyle Wilson and I are good friends, so it was a little like going up against your brother,” Donofrio said. “But I’m glad we got the win.”
Plymouth Whitemarsh 67, Wissahickon 66 Plymouth Whitemarsh (67) – Ish Horn 2 2-8 6; Malcolm McLeod 7 1-2 15; Danny Cooper 0 3-4 3; Ahmin Williams 5 1-4 15; Ahmad Williams 4 3-4 11; Alex Glover 4 2-2 13. Totals: 22 12-24 67. Wissahickon (66) – Dan Oliphant 4 0-0 8; Eddie Fortescue 8 1-3 20; Max Rappaport 7 0-0 15; Anthony Lawrence 6 0-0 13; Keith Ostroski 0 1-2 1; Zach Reiner 0 2-2 2; Willis 0 0-0 0; Caso 0 0-0 0. Totals: 24 4-7 66. 3-point goals: Ahmin Williams 4; Glover 3; Fortescue 3; Rappaport; Lawrence.