Strath Haven tops FLC in first round

Six nights after having an overtime victory ripped away from them, the Strath Haven Panthers faced another opponent capable of breaking hearts.

This time, they weren't undone by game-winning foul shots.

Strath Haven defeated Franklin Learning Center, 76-66, last night in a PIAA Class AAA first-round matchup at Southern High School.

The victory enabled the Panthers (15-12) to erase lingering memories of their District 1 final loss to Phoenixville.

Most important, it advanced them to Tuesday's second-round action at a neutral site. Strath Haven will face York Suburban, a winner last night over Abington Heights.

The Bobcats, on the other hand, ended the season at 19-7.

"We already had one heartbreaker," Panthers senior guard Calvin Newell said. "We weren't letting it happen again. We let the districts slip right out our hands."

Following last weekend's loss, several Panthers looked as if they were attending a funeral. Embracing one another and smiling, they looked completely different last night.

Newell and teammates Jack Roberts and Dan Morris had a lot to do with it. Newell was his usual high-scoring self, finishing with a game-high 32 points. The 6-foot standout also finished with 11 rebounds. Newell went into the game averaging 29.5 points.

Roberts, a 6-7 center, added 12 points. Morris, a guard, finished with 11 points.

"It feels good to be a winner," Newell said, "and bring a team in here and win a game that nobody thought we had a chance to win."

The game was competitive for a half.

There were nine lead changes and nine ties in the first 16 minutes. But Strath Haven opened the third quarter with a 13-4 run to take a big lead with five minutes left in period.

Franklin Learning Center cut the lead to five points late in the quarter. But after a few clutch baskets and key foul shots, the Panthers regained their double-digit lead. The Bobcats were never able to fully recover.

"We knew in order to win we had to play our game and shoot threes," Newell said of the Panthers' second-half adjustment. "We had to slow the tempo down."

Guard Denzel Yard and forward Nasir Jones both scored 21 points to lead the Bobcats.

Strath Haven 23 12 23 18 - 76

Franklin L.C. 23 12 17 14 - 66

SH: Dan Morris 11, Avatar Jones 9, Calvin Newell 32, Chazz Fisher 6, Jack Roberts 12, Pat Fisher 6.

FLC: Denzel Yard 21, Basir Fulmore 11, Nasir Jones 21, Jerrod Johnson 5, Karl Riley 5, Marquis Purnell-Childs 3.