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Bearcats hit stride, return to win column


Coming off back-to-back losses, the William Penn boys' basketball needed a victory.

On Tuesday, it wasn't pretty, but the Bearcats returned to the win column with a 60-52 victory over Dallastown.

"We are still finding our identity as a team," Bearcats head coach Troy Sowers said. "We lost 40 points and 32 rebounds (from last season) I don't think people understood that. We have to find an identity on the glass. I don't have many natural rebounders."

The teams combined for 37 turnovers, including 19 by William Penn, but the visitors went 11-of-14 at the foul line and were able to overcome a sluggish first half.

The Bearcats (5-3, 4-1 Division I) turned the tide in the game with a 10-0 run near the end of the third quarter. The game was tied 34-34 with 2:47 to play in the third period, before William Penn suddenly went on spurt to take a 44-34 lead at the 1:23 mark of the third stanza.

During that run, Montrel Morgan supplied five of the Bearcats' 10 points. Morgan scored 14 of his 18 points in the second half following an offensive adjustment.

"He attacks the basket well," Sowers said. "With the sag and man that Dallastown plays, they take away the wing entry, so we went to our dribble-drive offense. He made good decisions. He can finish above the rim or hit that nice little pull up."

Morgan credited the way the team took the floor for the third quarter for the improved offensive play.

"We were a lot more ready and we had a lot more energy," Morgan said of the second half. "There was no excuse why we looked sluggish in the first half. It's more fun and exciting to play with energy."

Jacquez Casiano (11 points) and Trey Shifflett (10 points) also finished in double figures for the Bearcats.

Dallastown (4-4, 2-3) was led by Michael Diaz's 19 points and Brandon McGlynn's 10. The Wildcats were just 6-of-14 from the foul line.

The home team closed within five points of the lead a few times in the final two minutes of play, but wouldn't get any closer, as the Bearcats went 3-of-4 at the foul line to close out the game.

William Penn 60, Dallastown 52 
William Penn (60)

Jacquez Casiano 4 1-1 11, Johnson 3 3-4 9, Iturmendi 2 1-1 5, Montrel Morgan 6 5-5 18, Drayden 2 0-0 4, Trey Shifflett 5 0-1 10, Anderson 1 1-2 3. Totals — 23 11-14 60. 
Dallastown (52)
Caldwell 2 0-0 5, B. Ward 0 0-0 0, A. Ward 1 0-0 3, Brandon McGlynn 4 2-4 10, Catchings 2 3-4 9, Michael Diaz 9 1-6 19, Albert 3 0-0 6. Totals — 21 6-14 52. 
William Penn     _ 10     _ 17     _ 17     _16      _ —     _ 60 
Dallastown     _ 13     _ 13     _ 11     _ 15     _ —     _ 52 
3-point goals — WP 3 (Casiano 2, Morgan); DT 4 (Catchings 2, Caldwell, A. Ward). 
JV score — William Penn 55, Dallastown 46