KEEP UP WITH THE LATEST NEWS
Follow us on TWITTER »
Get our DAILY HEADLINES newsletter
GET BREAKING NEWS ON YOUR PHONE
Text PNEWS to 744559
ELIZABETH ROBERTSON / Staff Photographer
Roman Catholic's Kevin Regan snatches the ball away from Souderton's Kyle Connollylate in the game. Regan later made hit the game-winner to give the Cahillites a 55-54 first-round win over the Indians in a game played at Norristown High.
Buzzer shot by Regan lifts Roman
The senior took a rebound and made a 10-foot floater in the final second to beat Souderton.
Kevin Regan has a scholarship to play football at West Chester University. His intention, for now, is to also play basketball for the Golden Rams.
Contact staff writer Rick O'Brien at 610-313-8019
"It's going to be hard to play both sports, but I'd like to give it a shot," the Roman Catholic senior said. "I'd love the opportunity."
In yesterday's PIAA Class AAAA first-round state basketball playoff against Souderton, Regan had the opportunity, thanks to his weak-side offensive rebound in the closing seconds, to deliver a game-winning shot.
And the 6-foot-4, 205-pound swingman came through in the clutch, grabbing Rakeem Brookins' miss and burying a 10-foot, left-side baseline floater with fourth-tenths of a second remaining to give the Cahillites a thrilling 55-54 over the stunned Indians at Norristown High.
"I'll be telling my kids about that shot," Regan, a lefthanded shooter, said afterward. "I think I was a little behind the basket when I took it. After getting the rebound, I spun around, put it up. It felt good when it left my hands."
Thanks to Regan's buzzer-beater, Roman advanced to a second-round meeting Wednesday, at a neutral site and time to be determined, against District 3 champion Reading. Reading ousted District 2 runner-up Hazleton yesterday.
Regan, playing in front of a dozen or so family members, totaled eight points, seven rebounds (three on offense), and three assists. On March 4, in a District 12 consolation game against Frankford, he collected 18 points and a career-best 17 rebounds in a 53-50 victory.
Of Regan's winner, Cahillites coach Chris McNesby said: "It had a little arc, so I thought it had a shot. When it went in, it was kind of surreal."
Down by 54-53, Roman Catholic (17-8) set up for a final shot. After a pair of time-outs with 9.6 seconds left, Brookins took a left-side-of-the-lane jumper with 2.9 ticks remaining. Regan was there to grab the carom.
"The Regan kid made a tough shot," Souderton coach Perry Engard said. "I have nothing but praise for my guys. The reality of it is that they got one more rebound than us. If we get that one there, we're not sad here."
The Tulane-bound Brookins netted 17 points, including a pair of treys. Junior Fortunat, a 6-7, 200-pound junior, contributed 12 points, eight rebounds (five on offense), and four blocked shots.
"The fun part of it is that we're still getting better," McNesby said. "The seniors, including Rakeem and Kevin, have kind of been bringing us along."
Regan, who is expected to play outside linebacker at West Chester, took turns at guarding sharpshooter A.J. Picard with Brookins, Montana Mayfield, and Britton Lee. Picard, a 6-1 senior wing guard, shot 4 for 14 from the field (0 for 7 on three-point attempts) en route to 11 points.
"We tried to keep him out of the lane, not give him any open looks," said Regan, an 18-year-old who lives in the Far Northeast.
Senior point guard Nate Moyer paced the Indians (23-5) with 14 points. Sixth man Anthony Sergio scored 11, with three treys.
Roman Catholic 7 19 11 18 - 55
Souderton 8 15 18 13 - 54
R: Montana Mayfield 6, Rakeem Brookins 17, Anthony Mayo 2, Kevin Regan 8, Shafeek Taylor 3, Junior Fortunat 12, Daiquan Walker 4, Britton Lee 3.
S: Nate Moyer 14, A.J. Picard 11, Kyle Connolly 8, Jeff Bishop 7, Anthony Sergio 11, Mark Wonderling 3.
Contact staff writer Rick O'Brien at 610-313-8019
