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Norwood Fontbonne Academy boys reach league finals
by TOM UTESCHER
The Norwood Fontbonne Academy boys basketball team had
a losing record at the start of the school’s own Snowball Tournament
in early January. The Bears reached the semifinals in the tourney, however,
and they continued to gain momentum from there, finishing second in the
regular season of the Catholic Academies League, and then defeating Rosemont’s
School of the Holy Child in a playoff semifinal.
NFA reached the end of its run last Wednesday night in the league championship
game, where they suffered a 47-36 setback at the hands of a powerful Gwynedd
Mercy Academy ballclub. The Mustangs, who swept through their league schedule
without a loss and defeated Assumpta in the semifinals, raised their overall
record to an impressive 31-4. Norwood Fontbonne closed out the 2005-2006
season with a mark of 14-11.
In last week’s championship game, which was played at Waldron Mercy
Academy in Merion, it looked for a moment that the underdog might put
the bite on the favorite, as the first quarter ended with Norwood enjoying
a 12-10 edge. By the middle of the second period, though, the score had
leveled out at 16-all.
A distinct height advantage helped the Mustangs thrive in the rebounding
department, and they put together a run at the end of the half that set
them up with a 23-16 lead at the intermission.
In the first minute of the third quarter a lay-up by Jeremy Bailey and
a baseline jumper by Tripp McKeon brought the Bears back within three
points of the leaders, but the rest of the period belonged to Gwynedd,
which would outscore Norwood 15-3 over the next six minutes. NFA’s
three points came on a long-range field goal by sharpshooter John Sczepanski.
Sczepanski sank another trey at the start of the fourth quarter and later
Adrian Johnson added one of his own for the locals, but Norwood wasn’t
able to get closer than nine points in the closing frame. The count was
42-32 with five minutes remaining, and that figure stayed on the board
for more than three minutes. Needing points in a hurry, the Bears rushed
some of their shots, and netted only two of their last 11 field goal attempts
of the night.
Norwood received a game-high total of 16 points from Sczepanski, nine
from Matt DiGiacomo, and six from Bailey. A balanced attack for Gwynedd
Mercy featured three double-digit scorers; Greg Ladaudio (13), Brian Bacskai
(12), and Clint Barber (11). The Mustangs also got six points from Pat
O’Hara, four from Keenan Kish, and one from Joe Naji.
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