C.R. North dispatches PW to reach district final

While Council Rock North came in as the No. 2 seed, many gave the edge to No. 3 Plymouth Whitemarsh, probably based on the Colonials being the defending state champions.

"We just had to come out strong," said Arron Goodman, a 6-foot-4 junior swingman for the Indians. "We knew we had nothing to lose. Yeah, we were the higher seed, but I don't think a lot of people really expected us to win."

C.R. North took charge in the third quarter, when Goodman netted eight of his game-high 19 points, and downed PW, 58-50, Tuesday night in the opener of a PIAA District 1 Class AAAA semifinal doubleheader at Villanova.

In the boys' basketball district final Friday, at 9 p.m. at Villanova, the Suburban One League National Conference champions will play Chester, a 77-67 semifinal winner over fifth seed Neshaminy in Tuesday's nightcap.

C.R. North (25-1) opened the second half with a 12-5 run. Goodman's fastbreak dunk made it 36-28. Aaron Morgan's three-point play and Goodman's two free throws put Derek Wright's squad in front, 41-31, after three quarters.

"I liked our shot selection a lot," Wright said. "We didn't handle the ball as well as we could have, but we took pretty good shots."

Morgan, a junior point guard, and John Raymon, a 6-6 senior forward, produced 12 and 10 points, respectively. Jordan Chernin, a 6-0 senior wing guard who replaced Matt McCloskey (shoulder injury in second round) in the starting lineup, added eight points, including a third-quarter trey.

Jaylen Bond, PW's catalyst, was held to 11 points. The 6-7 senior forward, ticketed for Pittsburgh, picked up his fourth foul with 6 minutes, 24 seconds remaining in the final quarter. The Colonials trailed, 43-37, at the time.

"We wanted to front him on everything," Goodman said. "We all took a turn covering him. I think Charlie [Anastasi, a 6-6 senior forward], especially, did well against him."

For the Colonials, senior guards Marcus Badger (15) and Stephon Baker (14) combined for 29 points. Overall, Plymouth Whitemarsh shot 20 for 61 from the field, and 6 for 20 from three-point territory.

"It's real hard," PW senior swingman Sam Pygatt said. "I take it personally. But this is what happens in basketball. You don't win every game."

The Indians shot 10 for 20 from the field in the opening 16 minutes. Goodman and Morgan scored eight and seven points, respectively, to provide a 24-23 lead.

Bond's four field goals, Badger's two treys, and Pygatt's three field goals spurred the Colonials in the first half. The SOL American Conference titlists (21-5) were 10 for 25 from the floor before the break.

Plymouth Whitemarsh   10 13 8 19 – 50

Council Rock North   14 10 17 17 – 58

PW: Marcus Badger 15, Stephon Baker 14, Sam Pygatt 8, Jaylen Bond 11, Brandon Johnson 2.

CRN: Aaron Morgan 12, Arron Goodman 19, Charlie Anastasi 6, John Raymon 10, Jordan Chernin 8, Hunter Stevens 3.