That course of inaction got the Warriors close, but not
close enough to a win that would have turned the District 2-4
Class AAAA tournament on its ear.
The Warriors held the basketball unchallenged for most of the
first three minutes of the game, but the Comets retaliated
with a stingy defensive effort and a series of big baskets to
post a 43-34 win that sends the top seeds to Friday’s
district title tilt against third-seeded Williamsport.
The Millionaires beat second-seeded Hazleton, 54-51 in
overtime on Tuesday, giving the Comets the District 2
championship.
Star center Spencer Liddic scored 14 points and hauled in a
game-high seven rebounds for the Comets. Forward Kurtis
Medeiros had 10 points and six steals. Reserve Ross Danzig and
little-known Cory Spangenberg had big fourth quarters. But
after the game finished, all anyone could talk about was how
it started.
As the seconds ticked off the game clock and the players
milled about the court during that first quarter, it’s fair
to say the Comets could have been surprised.
But, as coach Ken Bianchi pointed out with a shrug and a
chuckle, they couldn’t say they weren’t warned.
Delaware Valley deployed the same stalling tactic during a
game against his Comets in 2002.
Back then, Bianchi was content to let the first quarter play
out with no scoring by either team. On Monday night, he had
enough by the 5:10 mark, when he sent Spangenberg to challenge
Warriors guard T.J. Reese, who had stood for nearly two
minutes and 40 seconds just past the midcourt stripe, the ball
firmly resting against his left hip. It would be another three
minutes before the Warriors took their first shot, and at the
end of the first quarter, they held a 5-4 lead.
“That’s all we talked about in practice is how, in 2002,
all they did was come out and hold the ball,” Medeiros said.
“The next year, in 2003, all the kids’ highlights (in the
game program) was how they held Abington Heights to zero
points in the first quarter, even though they didn’t score,
either. So, we knew they were going to do something like that
this year.”
Delaware Valley coach Kris Holtzer said his team had to do
something drastic early to have a chance to win late,
especially after suffering a 33-point loss to the Comets less
than a month ago. And he said he’d do the same thing again.
But, Abington Heights began separating itself in the second.
Medeiros scored six points — two off a Spangenberg steal and
another off one of his own — to key a 14-7 run and take a
six-point lead into the locker room.
After the Comets extended the lead to 25-17 behind four points
from Liddic, the Warriors made their late run.
A layup by guard Ryan Murphy brought them within six, and
reserve guard Dom Hopkins drove the baseline for a layup, drew
a foul, and sank a free throw to get the Warriors within
three.
But the Comets’ man-to-man defense, which provided an energy
boost when their traditional matchup-zone was abandoned
following the Warriors’ early stall, allowed far too few
shots for the Warriors to keep up the rest of the way. An 8-2
run, keyed by five drained free throws and a 3-pointer from
Danzig, put the Comets up 35-26.
Not even Murphy, who hit three of his four 2-point attempts in
the fourth quarter and had a pair of 3-point attempts nearly
fall, could shoot Delaware Valley back into contention.
Contact the writer: dcollins@timesshamrock.com