Panther Valley falls in first round of states

PHILADELPHIA — Panther Valley head coach Pat Crampsie entered Saturday’s state playoff game knowing very well that Math Civics and Sciences would be the most athletic team the Panthers faced all season.

So the Panthers tried to mimic Math, Civics and Sciences pressure by using eight and sometimes nine defenders during practice. It didn’t seem to matter.

District 12 champion Math, Civics and Sciences used that athleticism and defensive pressure to take an early lead, and not looked back. The Mighty Elephants led by double digits in the first quarter, pushed its lead to 18 points in the second, and downed District 11 runner-up Panther Valley, 101-57, in the Class 2A tournament at Abraham Lincoln High School.

“There was nothing we could do to simulate what we were going to see today,” Crampsie said. “There is nothing to simulate that length, quickness and athleticism that we saw.

“I thought our guys came to compete. I thought our guys fought their tails off. I was very happy with the effort. I don’t think anything was for a lack of effort. There was some lack of execution in the first half that led to some turnovers that got them that separation they got.”

While Math, Civics and Sciences led 44-26 at halftime, Crampsie thought the score could have been much closer. If Panther Valley had reduced its turnovers in the fist half, including 11 in the first quarter, that certainly could have been the case.

But instead of cutting into the Mighty Elephtans’ lead, Panther Valley fell behind even more. Jihad Watson’s 3-pointer just seven seconds into the second half got Math, Civics and Sciences started. That’s when the Mighty Elephants’ defensive pressure turned it up another notch, and Semaj Mills (game-high 22 points) recorded a steal and layup in transition for a 51-27 lead moments later.

“The first half, if we didn’t have those turnovers, maybe that’s an eight or 10-point game instead of 18,” Crampsie said. “At halftime we talked about doing a better job of protecting the ball.

“In the third quarter, when we got down about 20, we had to make a decision. Are we just going to sit here and stay down 20, or are we going to try and maybe cut into that? So that’s why we started to press them.”

The Mighty Elephants (15-13) outscored Panther Valley 27-13 in the third quarter. They then erupted for 31 points in the fourth quarter to eclipse 100 for the game.

Many of Math, Civics and Sciences buckets in the second half came in transition off of PV turnovers. The Panthers (15-10) committed 32 turnovers in the game.

“I did feel like it could be closer,” Crampsie said. “We had 11 turnovers in the first quarter, which is really uncharacteristic of us. Math, Civics and Sciences, they wear you down. The third quarter we were hoping to come out and make a couple of plays off the bat an cut into it a little bit, and get some momentum going.”

Rene Figueroa finished with a team-high 15 points for PV. Trey Turner added 12 points.

RECORD BOOK REWRITTEN ... While Panther Valley’s season came to an end, the Panthers rewrote history in 2018. It was PV’s first time in the state tourney since 1990. “It was one of our goals at the beginning of the year,” Crampsie said. “It’s been an awesome four months. The best part of getting to states means you are winning a lot of big games along the way. It got to extend our season, and we got another month together.”

LOOKING AHEAD ... Five seniors will graduate from PV’s team, including starters Mark Sanchez, Allen Perez and Tristan Blasko. But leading scorer Figueroa (a junior) and starting guard Erick Marchorro (a sophomore) will return.

PANTHER VALLEY

Figueroa 5-4-6-15, Turner 4-0-0-12, Perez 4-1-5-9, Blasko 3-1-1-7, Marcharro 3-1-1-7, Stilitino 1-0-0-3, Sanchez 1-0-0-2, Distler 1-0-0-2, White 0-0-0-0, Brettle 0-0-0-0, Depew 0-0-0-0, Wallace 0-0-0-0, Purdente 0-0-0-0. TOTALS: 22-7-13-57.

MATH CIVICS AND SCIENCES

Mills 10-1-2-22, Watson 7-0-0-16, Ransom 5-3-3-13, Jackson 4-2-2-10, Lloyd II 4-0-0-10, Fleming 4-0-0-8, Middleton 3-0-0-7, Semega 1-2-2-4, Jones 2-0-0-4, Mcfall 1-0-0-3, Barron 1-0-0-3, Parks 0-1-2-1. TOTALS: 42-8-11-101.

Panther Valley 11 15 13 18 - 57

MC & S 20 24 27 30 - 101

Three-pointers: PV - Turner 4, Figueroa 1, Stilitino 1; MSC - Watson 2, Lloyd II 2, Mills 1, Mcfall 1, Middleton 1, Barron 1.