Pa. Boys: Communications Tech escapes with a one-point win

If there is any question as to why teams play basketball games on the floor and not on paper, the Communications Tech-FitzSimons Public League playoff game should serve as Exhibit A.

The Phoenix beat FitzSimons, 74-62, on Jan. 13 after running out to a 12-0 lead. So Communications Tech should have eased past the Rams. Right?

The host Phoenix (19-4) needed a layup with six seconds left to beat FitzSimons, 51-50, in a Class AA quarterfinal game Thursday.

Basil Malik connected for the game-winning layup off a pick-and-roll pass from David Johnson. Malik shared team scoring honors with Tony Parker, as each tallied 11 points. The Rams (10-14) missed a 19-foot shot at the buzzer.

In other Class AA quarterfinals:

John Longo drained a three-pointer with three seconds left and gave Prep Charter a 46-44 win over visiting Del-Val Charter.

Longo scored five points and Abraham Massaley added 18 points for the Huskies.

Shawn Williams dropped in 22 points and helped Vaux beat visiting Freire Charter, 78-54.

Imhotep got 11 points each from Tyhiem Perrin and Ameen Tanksley and tripped visiting Mastery Charter North, 67-26.

In Class AAAA quarterfinals:

Darrell Robinson scored 20 points and lifted Bartram past visiting Lincoln, 66-60.

Aquil Younger led a balanced Gratz scoring attack with 14 points and the Bulldogs went on to beat visiting Overbrook, 68-40.

Washington outscored visiting Central in the second half, 48-25, and cruised past the Lancers, 73-48. Kendall Truitt scored 20 points for the Eagles.

In Class AAA quarterfinals:

Nadir Stukes collected 13 points and Engineering & Science held on to beat visiting University City, 55-54.

Basir Fulmore hit a half-court buzzer-beater to force overtime and led Dobbins past visiting West Philadelphia, 77-70.

Fulmore's shot tied the game at 62-62; he scored 17 points, including four points in overtime Jerrell Wright added 26 points.

Devante Chance picked up 22 points and led Philadelphia Electrical to a 72-55 win over visiting Germantown.

Maurice Watson scored 27 points for Boys' Latin in a 74-50 win over visiting Roxborough.

In Class A quarterfinals:

Paul Robeson got 22 points from Marquise Richards and 23 points from Andre Washington and beat visiting Parkway West, 77-72.

World Communications got 23 points from Shon Phillips and beat visiting Lamberton, 58-45.

Tamir Bolger poured in 19 points and boosted Constitution to a 67-54 win over visiting Palmer.

Jeremiah Worthem paced Math, Civics & Science with 20 points and led the Mighty Elephants to an 82-42 win over visiting Sankofa Freedom.

Central. Marquis Baker chipped in with 16 points and helped Harriton beat visiting Strath Haven, 48-45.

Ian Campbell scored 20 points and propelled Penncrest to a 47-44 win over host Marple Newtown.

Del-Val. Devonte Glasper scored 14 points as Glen Mills got past host Chichester, 60-58.

District 1 top seed Council Rock South earned a bye into the second round of the PIAA Class AAA team tournament and took advantage with a 43-23 win over Kiski Area, the No. 3 seed from District 7, at the Giant Center in Hershey.

Earning pins for the Golden Hawks were Trey Balasco (112 pounds, 1:25), Matt Rappo (135 pounds, 3:20), Matt Martoccio (145 pounds, 18 seconds) and Tim Riley (215 pounds, 2:04).

South will wrestle District 3 runner-up Cumberland Valley in a quarterfinal match Friday.

In another second-round match, District 12 champion La Salle got a 5-3 overtime win by Kolby Stein at 119 pounds and beat District 4 champion Shikellamy, 37-24.

The Explorers will meet District 3 champion Central Dauphin, a 48-12 winner over District 1 runner-up Norristown, in a quarterfinal match Friday.

Friends Schools. Ari Yamaguchi brought Westtown back from a 3-0 deficit with a pin in the second bout of the day and sparked the Quakers to a 52-18 win over visiting Germantown Friends in a semifinal playoff match.

Yamaguchi decked Luke Furukawa in 4 minutes, 37 seconds to give Westtown the lead for good, 6-3.

In the other semifinal, David Weiss pinned in 51 seconds at 152 pounds and helped Friends' Central beat visiting George School, 42-28.