Home Local Sports William Penn, led by Josiah Harris, goes inside in 61-35 win over...

William Penn, led by Josiah Harris, goes inside in 61-35 win over St. Elizabeth

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St. Elizabeth guard Nasir Brown, guarded by Penn's Brycen Boone, looks for an opportunity. (Dialog photo/Mike Lang)

WILMINGTON — St. Elizabeth ran into a defensive buzzsaw, and the Vikings struggled to hit the shots they took, as William Penn left the St. E Center with a 61-35 victory on Feb. 21.

The Colonials took advantage of their early opportunities to build what would prove to be an insurmountable lead. Isaac Brady opened the scoring with a corner three-point shot after a St. Elizabeth turnover. A blocked shot by William Penn was coralled by Brycen Boone, who raced three-quarters the length of the court for a layup and a 5-0 lead. Brandon Ash added a layup on an alley-oop pass for a 7-0 run to open the game.

 

Brandon Ash rises to lay in an alley-oop pass early in William Penn’s win over St. Elizabeth. (Dialog photo/Mike Lang)

The Vikings got on the board when Colin Hockenbrock made one of two free throws with 4:32 to go in the first, but that would be the lone point for the home team in the quarter. But the taller Colonials continued to pound the ball inside, and Julian DeJesus added another triple to end the first, putting Penn on top, 14-1.

DeJesus found himself all alone at the top of the arc at the beginning of the second, and he swished another three. After that, Colonials big man Josiah Harris got started, laying in a shot off the glass for the first two of what would become a team-leading 15 points.

The Vikings picked up their first field goal of the game after that, as Andrew Spychalski found a cutting Colin Hockenbrock for a layup with 6:38 left in the half. St. Elizabeth found the range a bit as the quarter progressed, and Spychalski hit their lone three-point shot of the game in the second.

The Vikings, however, could not close the gap as the game progressed. Harris continued his assault inside, and he added a three-pointer in the third quarter. Later in the third, he would steal a Vikings pass and streak to the other end for an emphatic one-handed dunk.

Harris was joined in double figures by Brady and Boone with 10 each. The Colonials improved to 16-3 and wrap up the regular season on Tuesday at Milford beginning at 6:30 p.m.

For St. Elizabeth, Hockenbrock had 15 points; Jaden Dickerson added seven. The Vikings (13-6) will try to take some momentum into the state tournament as they travel to McKean for their regular-season finale Tuesday afternoon at 5.