BETHLEHEM — As Jack Nealon was moving up the ranks in the Comets’ basketball program, Abington Heights head coach Ken Bianchi started to hear rumblings about his shooting ability.
The senior knocked down a 3-pointer from the wing with 24 seconds left in regulation to lift Abington Heights to a 54-52 win over Mastery North (20-7), the District 12 second-place team, in a PIAA Class 5A second-round boys basketball game Tuesday night at Liberty High School.
“Before we even knew him, we heard somebody is coming up that’s a shooter,” Bianchi said. “When you’re a shooter, you shoot. Sometimes he doubts himself and won’t take the shot, but he took two good ones tonight.”
Despite missing his two 3-point shot attempts in the second half, he had the confidence to pull the trigger in a big moment.
“My grandfather always tells me you can miss your first 10, but the next one’s going on,” Jack Nealon said. “I had to keep that mentality and George (Tinsley) gave me a good look.”
District 2 champion Abington Heights (25-2) will play District 1 champ Sun Valley (21-7) in the state quarterfinals March 15 at Freedom High School in Bethlehem.
The Comets struggled out of the gate and Mastery North led 7-1 before Abington Heights closed the first quarter on a 12-2 run.
Tinsley, who finished with a game-high 21 points and also contributed eight rebounds, five assists and four blocks, scored nine in the second quarter for Abington Heights.
Jack Nealon made a deep 3-pointer from the top of the key, off an assist from Tinsley, to put the Comets ahead by nine at the half.
Mastery North wasn’t done.
The Pumas started the second half with a 13-0 run, fueled by two 3-pointers from Jamir Reed who scored a team-high 19 points.
“They are very long and athletic, and they’ve been going on runs against teams,” Tinsley said. “We were up nine and then we went down four. That’s when we realized it was going to be a game.”
Abington Heights answered with four straight points to tie the game at 37 before Reed made two quick shots to put the Pumas back up four.
With the Comets desperate for a basket, Drew Nealon came off the bench and swung the momentum back in the Comets’ favor by hitting a 3-pointer in the final minute of the third quarter.
“You go out there and try to do whatever you can to help your team,” Drew Nealon said. “When they give it to you and you’re wide open, you’ve got to hit it. I knocked it down and it gave us some momentum.”
Junior center Mike Malone, who finished with seven points and seven rebounds, sparked the Comets with two free throws and a layup off an offensive rebound, to give Abington Heights a 44-41 lead with 6:36 left in the fourth quarter.
“We definitely needed it,” Malone said. “When they trust me with the ball inside, I have to make the layups.”
Mastery North went back ahead, 46-44, with five minutes left in the fourth quarter on a basket by Steven Cromartie.
Junior guard Corey Perkins, who scored seven points and had four steals, made a free throw to give Abington Heights, the defending state champs, a 47-46 advantage with 4:27 remaining in the game and the Comets never trailed again.
“We let it slip away, but it just showed the character of this team,” Bianchi said. “They weren’t going to give up and we clawed our way back and ended up with a victory.”
The Pumas had one last chance to tie or win the game in the final seconds, but Jack Nealon came away with a steal.
“We just kept fighting and we knew we had it in us,” Jack Nealon said. “We stuck together as a group and luckily we pulled it out.”
