Notes: Dallastown pushes Bearcats to the limit
It was hard for anybody involved with the Dallastown boys' basketball team to be too disappointed after their 76-68 loss to William Penn on Friday.
Sure, the result stung. Especially after leading -- sometimes by as much as double-digits -- for most of the game.
But really, there was a lot to be positive for the Wildcats, after what coach Troy Smeltzer called "our best performance, probably, of the season."
"I thought we came out, we executed extremely well," Smeltzer said. "If we continue to perform like that, we'll be OK."
Dallastown surged ahead in the first half, largely behind the hot hand of Four McGlynn. He had 21 points by halftime (on 8-of-10 shooting) and finished with a season-high 36 points. With a player like McGlynn, the Wildcats always have a chance, and it's no wonder some Division I schools are starting to take notice of the junior (more on that later).
But I thought other members of this Dallastown team had improved considerably since I saw them a few weeks ago on opening night. Matt Small handled the ball fairly well, and Ford Reinalda provided a nice spark off the bench. He even threw home a pair of dunks that bought the rowdy Wildcats student section to its feet.
Of course, the fourth quarter wasn't nearly as rosy. William Penn reeled off an 18-4 run, erasing a nine-point lead at the start of the frame and taking the lead for good with two minutes left. Dallastown clearly had trouble handling the Bearcats' press.
"I thought we got a little passive at times," Smeltzer said. "First half we were attacking the rim, making them play. Second half we were starting to settle for more jump shots than taking it to the rim."
Still, Dallastown looks like it may be turning the corner a bit. The Wildcats had won three in a row before Friday, including a rather comfy win against Spring Grove.
"We're looking at the season as a marathon, not a sprint, and this was Round 10," Smeltzer said.
Matthews the man
Senior guard Ryan Matthews was the star for William Penn on Friday. He scored 16 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter, and nailed 12-of-12 foul shots.
Really, it's no surprise for a player that's one of the leaders of the Bearcats team.
"He's our vocal leader at this point," William Penn coach Troy Sowers said. "Somebody had to step up and I talked to him before our season about being the vocal leader. In timeouts, he's the one who is talking, on the court he gives us that energy."
That was the case before the start of the fourth quarter.
"I pulled the guys in and said, 'This is it, we only have one quarter to turn this around,'" Matthews said.
The senior had perhaps the biggest bucket of the night for the Bearcats, laying in a Jevaughn Murphy pass to give William Penn the fourth quarter lead with two minutes to go. He also went 12-for-12 from the free throw line, and was given the unenviable task for guarding Four McGlynn much of the second half.
Those contributions more than made up for a technical foul Matthews received in the fourth quarter, when he clamored for a foul after a made bucket.
"I lost my cool a little bit," Matthews said smiling.
"On the court, he does a little bit of everything," Sowers said. "He's got a nice jumper, he can get to the basket. He just is a really complete player. He has great heart and desire."
One Four All
Recruiting interest seems to be picking up for McGlynn. No wonder, considering he leads the YAIAA in scoring at 23.7 points per game.
The junior guard will be at Lehigh tomorrow to watch the Mountain Hawks take on Lafayette. He also said Holy Cross and Harvard, among others, have expressed interest.
"Just good academic schools," McGlynn said. "That's what's important to my parents.
"I'm keeping everything open. But academics is definitely the biggest part."
This and that
Parker may have struggled to score, but he still dished eight assists. .... William Penn is now averaging 79.4 points per game this year. Eastern York is second with 71.5. ... The Bearcats outscored Dallastown 31-14 in the fourth quarter, and forced eight turnovers in the frame. ... These two teams play again on Feb. 2.