TOWAMENCIN – It seemed as though the Bucks of Central Bucks West controlled everything from the tip. The Bucks rode the hot hands of seniors Shane McCusker and Collin MacAdams en route to a 67-51 win over the North Penn Knights.

“I think McCusker made six threes in the first half. We knew about him in the scouting report, but it was just one of those nights for him,” said North Penn Head Coach John Conrad.

McCusker had a game-high 26 points, including four first quarter three pointers. That helped West jump out to a 26-10 lead after the first quarter and created a deficit that the Knights couldn’t come back from.

The Knights were kept in the game by juniors David Robinson and Nathan Hartman, who combined for 30 of North Penn’s 51 points. The duo had a nice rapport going with each other, as many of Robinson’s team-high 17 points were assisted by Hartman.

“I just had to listen to what coach had to say, execute, and look for David,” said Hartman who scored 13 points in his first start of the season.

The Knights gained some momentum in the opening moments of the fourth quarter. They forced a CB West turnover, which was then followed up by an and-one by Nathan Hartman that cut the Knights deficit to 10. After that, CB West put the game on ice, as baskets from Shane McCusker and Collin MacAdams beat North Penn’s defense to add insurance points late in the fourth quarter. However, an and-one from CB West center Jake Reichwein with under two minutes left put the Bucks up by 17 and sealed the win.

Even though the Knights fell behind early and ultimately lost, coach Conrad was pleased with North Penn’s effort from the second quarter to the end of the game.

“We lost by 16, but I thought our kids played with a lot of energy. We tied [CB West] 41-41 over the last three quarters. We’ve been slow starters the last couple games, and these teams are too good to dig your way out,” said Conrad.

The Knights fall to 0-2 in conference play, and host the CB South Titans on January 12th for their next home game.

Final Stats

NP: Robinson 17  5-11  Hartman 13  4-6   Catanzaro 8  4-4  Caputo 5  0-1  Coleman 4 0-0  Lindsay 3  3-4  Mitchell 1 1-2

CB West: McCusker 26    MacAdams  21