TOWAMENCIN- It was a brisk January night for the North Penn boys basketball team as they took on the Indians of Souderton. The Knights (5-4) defeated the Indians (3-5) 47-45 in a nail-biting contest between cross-town rivals.

The Knights came out with intensity and grit in the first quarter. Multiple 3’s by Chris Coleman alongside other points from his teammates helped the Knights come out to a 13-8 lead. That intensity from did not let up in the second quarter where the Knights expanded their lead 27-20.

After half time, the Knights let up. Their intensity dwindled as the Indians racked up points on the scoreboard. Souderton added 13 points to their score while North Penn added 8. North Penn’s lead was only 35-33.

“We were lethargic and played selfish in the second half,” remarked North Penn coach John Conrad.

The game was neck and neck in the fourth quarter as Souderton started to take control of the court. The Indians took the lead on the scoreboard, and their tough defensive efforts kept the Knights from scoring. The odds did not seem in favor of the Knights, but a key layup by Chris Coleman with 4.7 seconds on the clock was followed by a foul shot that guaranteed the Knights a win.  

Coleman only had a few things on his mind the final seconds.

“Just being tough and getting the ball in the basket,” commented Coleman.

“We knew it would be close. Souderton is a good basketball team and they play a lot of close games. We were up twelve, and we kind of let them back in by selfish play. Once they got back in it, I knew it would be a dog fight until the end,” added Conrad.

Going forward, the Knights have a couple things to improve upon.

“[We need] to work on our execution on offense, try to play with intensity for 32 minutes, and not go in and out like we did,” reflected Conrad.  

The Knights will be hosting the Titans of Central Bucks South this Friday, January 12th at 7:00pm.

SCORING

NORTH PENN

13 14 8 12

Coleman, 18; Robinson, 14; Robinson, 7; McIver, 3; Lindsay, 3; Mitchell, 2

SOUDERTON

8 12 13 12

Hanrahan, 14; Ramchandani, 11; Watts, 9; Vince, 5; Rodriquez, 4; Luchansky, 2