EVAN WHEATON/Sun-Gazette Williamsport junior guard George Whaley watches the hoop and moves into the paint on Monday. Whaley scored 16 points off the bench for the Millionaires.
Williamsport and Harrisburg are known for their showcase matchups on the field. Monday’s meeting between the two was no exception.
Up two points with just over two minutes to go, the Millionaires found back-to-back buckets from Elijah Frierson before a flurry of fouls sent the Williamsport boys’ basketball down the line again and again .
Williamsport cashed in, shooting 18 for 25 from the line on the night en route to a 61-53 victory at the Magic Dome to remain unbeaten at home.
“It’s a big win for us. We went out expecting them to be aggressive,” said senior guard Kenon Brown. “We caught them in transition, we like to come back, hustle and make the team work.”
Brown had a game-high 27 points, hitting jumpers and driving for layups all night. With less than four minutes to go, Brown made a pair of buckets on back-to-back possessions to pull further away.
EVAN WHEATON/Sun Gazette Williamsport senior guard Kenon Brown prepares to take a free kick. Brown scored a season-high 27 points in a 61-53 win over Harrisburg on Monday.
“He provides us with superior leadership,” Millionaires coach Allen Taylor said on Brown. “When he wants to go out there and score, he can score. When he wants to involve other guys, he involves other guys.
Brown often involved his teammates, as did Frierson. During the third quarter – in which Williamsport (9-3) beat Harrisburg (6-10) 15-9 – Frierson threw a pass in transition, which was then dropped to Nayim Connelly-Ali for some cash easy on the edge.
That smooth play was the exclamation point of a 10-point streak for the Millionaires, who took a 33-24 lead late in the period.
“We just had to go out and make sure we were boxing, getting the ball out and communicating,” said Brown. “We just had to make them work because we see that in a lot of players. We race and condition, so chances are we can run them out of steam.
Q2, 6:24 – Elijah Frierson with a smooth layup in transition.#pahsbb pic.twitter.com/zbirUDrlTR
— Evan Wheaton (@EvanWheaton) January 25, 2022
The Cougars showed their fangs at the perimeter for the first eight minutes. Three different players drained shots from beyond the arc to pace Williamsport.
“We went out in the area because (Harrisburg) didn’t shoot the ball particularly well in the games I watched, so I thought we were going to play in a small area,” Taylor said. “They knocked down three threes in that first half, so that’s when we changed and went back to our man.”
The change in the Millionaires’ defensive scheme opened up more opportunities for Williamsport rather than just limiting the Cougars. But in total, the two teams forced 15 turnovers each.
Defense has been a concern for millionaires. Williamsport previously gave up 50 points in four straight games to State College, Holy Redeemer, Pottsville and Dallas.
“Defence is our identity. We gave 53 (points), this is the fourth team to crack 50,” Taylor said. “We did a terrible job of containing the dribble penetration, we allowed these guys to go down like crazy.”
Although it may have been uneven in the first half – which the Millionaires led 23-22 – Williamsport’s defense tightened up drastically, allowing just one more 3-point shot the rest of the game. night as Williamsport worked on the perimeter.
In the paint, the Millionaires became disruptive for the Cougars.
“We went to a scrambling defense and started getting traps and shooting gaps,” Taylor said. “It allowed us to get flights and transition out.”
END Q1 – Harrisburg 15, Williamsport 13.
George Whaley goes coast to coast to narrow it down to a two-point game. The cougars were deadly at the perimeter.#pahsbb pic.twitter.com/5wRcKhkLwl
— Evan Wheaton (@EvanWheaton) January 25, 2022
George Whaley provided 16 points off the Millionaires’ bench, half of them from the free throw line. Loyal Riley (17 points), Janye Stanley (13 points) and Karl Singleton III (11 points) all beat in double digits for Harrisburg.
Hot on the heels of another quality home win over Coatesville on Saturday, the Millionaires have a season of their own.
“We only lost three on the road” said Brown. “It feels good not to lose at home, everyone comes to watch us play and see how good we are as a team.”
WILLIAMSPORT (61)
Kenon Brown 9 8-9 27, Jakhi Kline 0 0-2 0, George Whaley 4 8-8 16, Xavier Taylor 2 0-0 4, Nayim Connelly-Ali 2 0-2 4, Elijah Frierson 4 1-2 9. Totals: 21 18-25 61.
HARRISBOURG (53)
Karl Singleton III 4 2-4 11, Janye Stanley 3 6-6 13, Ja’Reese Balkcom 0 1-2 1, Yehseir Holmes 3 2-2 8, Loyal Riley 5 6-6 17, Shawn Lee 1 0-0 3 Totals: 16 17-20 53.
Williamsport 13 10 15 23 — 61
Harrisburg 15 7 9 22 — 53
3 points: Williamsport 1 (Kenon Brown), Harrisburg 4 (Karl Singelton III 1, Janye Stanley 1, Loyal Riley 1, Shawn Lee 1).
