By: Zach Gephart
PHILADELPHIA - In a close battle, St. Joseph’s Prep guard Jaron McKie proved to be the difference for the Hawks.
Saint Joseph’s Prep came to West Catholic Monday night looking to right the ship after a two loss skid that snapped a six game winning streak. Highlighted by guards Olin Chamberlain Jr. and McKie, the Hawks walked onto the court with their eyes set on a 7-2 record in PCL play. The Burrs, however, were aiming to prove their worth on their home floor.
West Catholic sophomore Kingston Wheatley was all over the court the entire game, totaling 16 points with an additional four blocks while guard Micah Waters poured on 15 points of his own for the Burrs. Despite this, the Hawks got the best of West Catholic with a final score of 71-61 on the backs of Chamberlain and Jordan Ellerbee, who both scored 15 while McKie exploded for a game-high 28 points.
St. Joseph's Prep vs. West Catholic - PSD Game Highlights by Zach Gephart
“We just had two back to back losses against two pretty good teams,” said Chamberlain. “It was important for us to get back on the right track, get a win, get more momentum and keep winning.”
Both teams began the game with a physical approach, with Ellerbee slamming down a thunderous dunk to tie the game at four a piece midway through the opening quarter. The Burrs would respond to this with an acrobatic and-one by Wheatley, who would finish with five points in the first as the Hawks took a narrow 14-13 lead.
Ellerbee would prove to be the star of the second quarter, totaling eight of his points to help St. Joe’s Prep go on a quick five point run. However, West Catholic would then go on an eight-point run of their own with the help of Waters. Yet, when the first half concluded the Hawks held a 31-25 lead.
McKie and Wheatley went head-to-head as the second half opened.
Wheatley gathered seven of his points in the third, however McKie would drill four three-pointers and a handful of free throws to bring 15 points to his Hawks. The turning point of the game would prove to be a technical foul assessed on head coach Miguel Bocachica, which would help Saint Joe’s Prep take a strong 53-43 lead.
Both McKie and Chamberlain contributed in closing out the game in the Hawks’ favor, with 14 of the team’s 18 fourth quarter points coming from the two. Six of West Catholic’s players were able to grab points themselves, with guard Jayvon Byrd hitting two three-pointers in the game’s final moments. Unfortunately, their efforts were too little, too late.
One season removed from a PIAA 3A championship, Bocachica’s Burrs have struggled to return to form. Despite the loss, Wheatley believed their aggressive playstyle could prove to be beneficial in the future.
Post game interview with SJP junior Olin Chamberlain & coach Matthew Gerner - PSD Video by Zach Gephart
Post game interview with West Catholic sophomore Kingston Wheatley - PSD Video by Zach Gephart
“We’ve just got to keep going at people,” Wheatley said. “Try and take games away from people, and we’ll just keep winning more and more.”
West Catholic will look to break their seven-game losing streak when they host Lansdale Catholic Friday night. As for the Hawks, they will travel to Neumann-Goretti for another Friday night game against a team that has not lost at home in five games.