PENNY HILL – A cold-shooting third quarter was too much for Saint Mark’s to overcome in a 60-50 loss to West Philadelphia in boys basketball on Dec. 13 at Mount Pleasant High School. The Spartans and Speedboys met as part of a daylong showcase event pitting Delaware teams against those from Pennsylvania.
The Speedboys were deadly from long distance in the first, draining a trio of three-point shots as they took a 13-7 lead after one. West Philadelphia was up, 8-0, in the first three minutes before the Spartans called a timeout. Max Batten got Saint Mark’s on the board with 4:12 to go in the quarter with a short turnaround jumper.
Josh Huffman provided a spark off the bench for the Spartans in the second quarter. He scored the first bucket of the second quarter, and after West Philly built a 22-13 advantage, Huffman and Dylan Bromwell (St. John the Beloved Parish) went for consecutive threes. After a defensive stop, the Spartans pulled even on another Huffman triple.
A Saint Mark’s turnover led to a layup for the Speedboys’ Marcus McFarland with 50 seconds to go, and McFarland made a three-pointer at the buzzer to push the lead to five.
West Philadelphia’s offense could not be stopped in the third. They led, 31-25, midway through the quarter before going on a 16-0 run. The Speedboys created many of their opportunities with solid defense, causing several turnovers. Xavier Howard had eight straight pointswith a two-point field goal and consecutive threes. The Spartans’ Nate Meyer ended the run with a three-point play, but the hill for Saint Mark’s entering the final quarter was steep as they trailed by 21.
Meyer led a spirited Spartans comeback attempt. His quarter included another traditional three-point play, plus a three-pointer and another field goal. Saint Mark’s got points from six different players in the fourth, including a pair of buckets from freshman Zachary Deadwyler as they cut the final deficit to 10.
Meyer led the Spartans with 19, and Huffman added 10. Saint Mark’s (0-2) visits Dickinson on Dec. 18 at 4:45 p.m.
Photos by Mike Lang.
