Nealon
Abington Heights destroyed District 2 competition as well as a single opponent from District 4 and fought through tough games with strong District 11 teams to make it past December and up to the start of Lackawanna League boys basketball play with a perfect record.
The Comets went 7-0 in the first month of the season, matching Old Forge for the best record by a District 2 boys team. Delaware Valley (6-0) is the only other unbeaten team in the district.
Abington Heights pummeled four District 2 teams by an average score of 75-31 and decimated Danville from District 4, 71-23.
The Comets found their toughest tests in District 11 teams from the Lehigh Valley, Emmaus and Allentown’s Executive Education. Abington Heights beat each by the same, 58-55 score, but needed overtime to get past Emmaus in the final game of 2022.
Both Executive Education and Emmaus are 7-2.
Abington Heights put together its strong start despite getting less than a half a game from all-star guard Matt Show before losing him to a knee injury.
Abington Heights 58, Emmaus 55
Abington Heights trailed through most of regulation, but was never behind in overtime in the Dec. 29 afternoon home game.
Ryan Nealon made four 3-pointers while scoring 18 points in regulation.
Will Marion scored four of his 15 points in overtime when Roman Cutrufello, Robby Lucas and Mason Fedor also scored. Marion’s basket, while being fouled with 1:01 left, put the Comets ahead to stay.
Cutrufello opened the overtime scoring.
Lucas created the only two-possession lead, making two free throws for a four-point advantage with 23.7 seconds left. He then secured the win with a mid-court steal with two seconds left.
Between the two Lucas plays, Fedor made two free throws with 9.3 seconds left to answer an Emmaus 3-pointer that pulled the Green Hornets back within one.
Fedor had just two points at halftime, but finished with 12 with the help of making all six of his free throw attempts.
Emmaus led by as many as nine points in the first half.
Abington Heights 58, Executive Education 55
Abington Heights opened a 20-5 lead at Executive Education Dec. 10, then held on as Rylan Muniz hit four 3-pointers in the middle quarters to finish with 20 points.
Marion led the way for the Comets, scoring 24 points, including 15 in the first half.
Nealon added 12 points.
The Raptors made their way back to force ties at 47-47, 49-49 and 53-53.
Marion put the Comets back ahead with a free throw with 1:01 left and Abington Heights went 4-for-6 from the line in the final 20 seconds.
Nealon hit both his shots for a two-possession lead and Lucas was 2-for-4 from the line late.
Notes
Abington Heights opened with three straight road games and then won four in a row at home.
The closest game, other than facing the District 11 teams, came in the Dec. 14 home opener, a 64-33 win over Nanticoke.
Abington Heights outscored opponents, 89-19, in the first quarter of the first three games.
There has been plenty of second-half playing time for the Abington Heights reserves. Prior to the Emmaus game, Abington Heights was outscoring opponents, 150-42, in the first quarter, the equivalent of a 100-28 game.
Abington Heights scored 37 points in the second quarter of its game against Wyoming Valley West after opening the season with a 35-2 first quarter against Wyoming Seminary and scoring 34 points in the first quarter of its second game against Tunkhannock.
The Comets had first halves of 59, 55 and 53 points in those three games.
The biggest rout of the month was 79-24 over Wyoming Valley West when the Comets followed up the 59-24 halftime lead by shutting out the Spartans for the entire second half.
Nealon is averaging more than three 3-pointers per game with 22 total. He had the team’s best single game scoring effort with 25 against Wyoming Valley West when he poured in 17 with the help of three 3-pointers in the first quarter, then got to 22 by halftime.
