By: Jordan Hirsh
February 17, 2023
FAIRLESS HILLS, PA. – The 13-seed Pennsbury Falcons fell to the 20-seed Abington Galloping Ghosts in the first round of the PIAA 6A District One playoffs on Thursday, 45-42, in overtime.
The game was tightly contested the whole way. Neither team led by more than eight at any point.
Defense was the name of the game in the first half. Both teams struggled to get open looks, especially from down low, as the two defenses battled it out. The Falcons held a 16-15 lead entering the break, after junior forward Connor Taddei drilled a straight-on three in the closing seconds of the second quarter.
In the third, Abington’s backcourt pair of Damon Rawls and Jeremiah Lee began to heat up. Rawls knocked down two threes as part of a 14-5 run that put the Ghosts ahead, 29-21. Lee also nailed a three-pointer during the run, as part of a 6 point, 3 rebound, 2 assist quarter for the junior guard.
The fourth is where things got fun. Pennsbury trailed by eight early in the quarter, but were determined to keep their season alive. They put together a 10-3 run to cut the deficit to 34-33 with 1:27 to play. All of a sudden, a gym that was quiet for the most of the game was about as electric as it has been all year.
Going into what would be their final possession of the fourth, the Falcons trailed, 35-33, and needed someone to step up and make a big time shot. That player would be junior guard Teddy Mangan, who pulled up from just inside the three-point line on the right wing, and connected on potentially the biggest shot of his high school career to tie the game at 35 with 13 seconds on the clock.
Pennsbury then got the critical stop they needed on defense, after Jeremiah Lee lost the ball as time expired in regulation. The fate of the Falcons’ season would be decided in a four minute overtime session.
It was looking good for Pennsbury early in overtime. They took a 40-39 lead following a corner-three from Connor Taddei, who finished with 10 points and 6 boards on the night. However, with 2:06 to play, senior guard Ty Kocak picked up his fifth foul and was disqualified for the remainder of the game. He finished with 11 points and 6 rebounds.
From this point on, the Falcons were outscored 6-2. Abington hit four clutch free throws and got a big time reverse layup by sophomore guard Paul Glants to take a 45-42 lead with 35 seconds to play.
Pennsbury did have one final chance to tie, but a three-point attempt by senior forward Ryan Zuckerman careened off the back of the rim and into the hands of Glants, who raced down the floor as the buzzer sounded.
Jeremiah Lee lead the way for the Ghosts, posting a 16 point 11 rebound double-double.
As a result of the win, Abington will now head to Central Bucks East to take on the fourth seeded Patriots in the second round of the PIAA 6A District One playoffs on Tuesday.
As for the Falcons, their season is now over. All in all, it was an impressive season for first-year head coach Wes Emme’s squad. “There’s no words to describe what these guys mean to me,” said Emme after the game. “You really get binded together and you always remember your first team.”
Coach Emme also made sure to thank the fans for all they provided during the season. “They really really showed why this is a special place.”