Connor Deveney steps into spotlight as Shawnee tops Camden in OT

Scoreless in the first half, Connor Deveney could have hung his head and holstered his shot.

His older brother wouldn't have it.

"He just needed to keep shooting," Dylan Deveney said.

The brothers led the way as Shawnee beat Camden, 51-48, in overtime Tuesday night in an Olympic Conference crossover clash of Top 3 teams before a near-capacity crowd in the Renegades' gymnasium.

Dylan Deveney, a senior forward, scored 16 points with seven rebounds and Connor Deveney, a junior guard, scored all 11 of his points after halftime for the Renegade (11-2), the No. 3 team in the Inquirer Top 25.

"This is huge," Connor Deveney said of the victory.

» READ MORE: Inquirer Poll

The win over the No. 1 Panthers likely will be a power-points bonanza for the Renegades when the playoff seedings are calculated after the Feb. 3 cutoff, and also likely will propel the Medford squad back to the top of the rankings, since No. 2 Timber Creek lost to No. 9 Bishop Eustace on Tuesday night.

But both teams were looking past late January rankings in assessing the value of this taut, tense battle between two of South Jersey's premier programs.

"This will help both teams," Shawnee coach Joe Kessler said. "We always have great games with them."

Camden senior guard Corey Greer, who led all scorers with 23 points and returned in the second half after dislocating his left shoulder, took a positive view of the loss for the Panthers (8-2).

"I don't think it's a bad thing," Greer said. "We played hard. That's all you can ask."

Greer's injury and Lance Ware's back ailment, which curtailed the 6-foot-8 sophomore's mobility and forced him to the bench for much of the second half, were limiting factors for the Panthers.

As was Shawnee's defense.

"Shawnee is Shawnee," Camden coach John Valore said. "They're going to play good defense, run their offense, control the ball."

Shawnee's seniors, including three-year starters Dylan Deveney and Dean Noll, registered their first victory over Camden. The Panthers had beaten the Renegades three times in a row.

"That means a lot," Dylan Deveney said.

Noll was a focal point of Camden's defense and scored just three points in the first three quarters. He came alive in the fourth quarter and overtime, scoring 12 including back-to-back buckets for a 49-45 lead with 2 minutes, 7 seconds left in the extra session.

Connor Deveney was the other key for the Renegades. He made a three-pointer in the third quarter and another one early in the fourth.

"Guys were telling me to keep shooting," Connor Deveney said. "I was hoping they would start falling."

He hit another three-pointer with 1:20 remaining in regulation, taking a feed from Noll in the left corner and splashing a deep jumper that gave Shawnee its first lead since the second quarter at 43-41.

"It felt good," Connor Deveney said of the shot.

Connor Deveney also scored Shawnee's first basket of overtime.

"We're as close as brothers can be," Dylvan Deveney said. "It was awesome to see him do that. This is our last time playing together and I'm cherishing this time playing with him."

Dylvan Deveney has been a multisport star for the Renegades for most of his career, throwing a large shadow that could cast his younger brother in the shade. But Connor Deveney doesn't see it that way.

"He's a great role model," Connor Deveney said of his older brother. "He's the best brother. You couldn't ask for a better one."

Camden 8 13 10 12 5 – 48

Shawnee 9 9 10 15 8 – 51

C: Corey Greer 23, Myles Thompson 9, Nasim Hinson 8, Saleem Brown 8, Lance Ware 0, Ethan Tarte 0.

S: Dean Noll 15, Dylan Deveney 16, Daevon Robinson 4, Kane Feudtner 5, Connor Deveney 11.