Bond has monster game to help PW get to state finals

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. – Plymouth Whitemarsh's Jaylen Bond may have picked the perfect time to get rid of the blues, caused by foul-shooting woes, that have plagued him recently.

Wednesday night, in a PIAA Class AAAA state semifinal against North Allegheny, with University of Pittsburgh coach Jamie Dixon watching him for the first time, Bond delivered a monster performance to place PW within a win of its first state championship since 1997.

Fueling a 16-2 scoring surge, Bond erupted for 12 of his game-high 26 points in the third quarter as the Colonials broke open a two-point game and blasted the Tigers, 71-47, at Chambersburg Area High.

"This was my best game in the whole playoffs," Bond, a 6-foot-7 junior forward, said. "I did everything I could to help my team win."

Bond's struggles at the charity stripe have weighed on him. He went 1 for 8 in Saturday's quarterfinal win against Roman Catholic. In the District 1 final, a loss to Penn Wood, he was 3 for 12.

"He's had to swallow his pride the last couple of weeks," PW coach Jim Donofrio said. "He's a 16-year-old kid. He can get down on himself. It was challenge time for him, and he responded.

"I said to him, 'You're a 215-pound monster. Feel free to be that guy for us.' He went out, had a bunch of touches around the basket and was a strong finisher."

PW, ranked No. 3 in Southeastern Pennsylvania by The Inquirer, gained a rematch with No. 2 and defending state champion Penn Wood, a 70-51 victor last night over Liberty. The District 1 rivals vie for statewide glory at 8 p.m., Saturday at Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center.

"That's a big motivation for us, losing to them in the district final," said Bond, who is being recruited by Pitt, Temple, West Virginia, Villanova and Florida State, among others.

In the second half, after missing his first field-goal attempt, Bond went 9 for 9. He finished with 13 rebounds (seven on offense), three steals and one blocked shot. He was 2 for 4 from the free-throw line.

The Colonials led, 24-22, at the break. In the decisive 16-2 spurt, Bond accounted for six of the eight buckets.

His follow of Marcus Badger's missed three-point attempt made it 40-24 with two minutes left in the third quarter.

Senior center C.J. Aiken (12 points, nine boards) and junior swingman Sam Pygatt (13 points, six caroms) joined Bond, who shot 12 for 13 from the floor, in double-digit scoring.

"It was pretty much about heart in the second half," Donofrio said. "It wasn't about X's and O's. It was about going out and getting it."

Senior guard Whis Grant chipped in eight points, five assists, four rebounds and four steals. Junior guard Brandon Dixon, the other starter, notched six assists and four steals. PW shot 20 for 25 in the second half and 30 for 51 overall.

Sophomore Anthony Dallier paced North Allegheny, of District 7, with 18 points and eight boards. The Tigers committed 21 turnovers.

VNorth Alleghenyis   8 14 7 18 - 47

HPlymouth Whitemarshome   14 10 20 27 - 71

NA: Jack Counahan 12, Anthony Dallier 18, Ryan Besonson 5, Anton Constantino 4, Steve Ferringer 8.

PW: Whis Grant 8, Brandon Dixon 2, C.J. Aiken 12, Jaylen Bond 26, Sam Pygatt 13, Marcus Badger 4, Julian Bond 1, T.J. Clancy 2, Brandon Brown 1, Kenny Williams 2.