Parkland boys basketball is unbeaten in ‘25
The Parkland High School boys basketball team has won all 10 of its Eastern Pennsylvania Conference games since the start of the new year.
The Trojans continued their streak in the final week of the regular season as they won three conference games and then fell just short in a nonconference game at the annual Hoop Group.
Parkland has not lost a conference game since Dec. 23, to Central Catholic.
The Trojans defeated the Vikings in the rematch, 44-42, last Tuesday, Jan. 28, and then took down Emmaus 50-36 on senior night two nights later. On Sunday, Parkland dropped a game with Hudson Catholic out of New Jersey, 55-51 in the Hoop Group at Parkland, but concluded the regular season with a 65-38 victory over Dieruff on Monday night.
In the win over the Vikings, Blake Nassry tallied 20 points, including three 3-pointers and TJ Lawrence netted 11 points, with two 3-pointers, none bigger than the one he hit late in the fourth quarter to give his team the lead for good. Ryan Kearney totaled 10 points.
It was a low-scoring affair early against the Hornets, as Parkland led just 7-6 after one and 18-14 at halftime. The Trojans took control in the fourth quarter and outscored Emmaus 17-10 in the final frame.
Lawrence recorded 12 points and Nassry had 11 with each player draining two 3-pointers. Kearney totaled seven points, Javian Porter netted five points and Blake Borcoman contributed four. Nassir Adams had three points and Derek Giegbefumwen rounded out the scoring with two points.
Hudson Catholic held leads of 11-6 after the first quarter and 32-20 at halftime. But in the third quarter, the Trojans outscored them 16-2 to take a 36-34 fourth quarter lead, only to see it evaporate in the end.
Porter and Lawrence both finished with 14 points, Jude Ruisch tallied 12 points and Nassry added 10.
In the victory over the Huskies, Kearney led all scorers with 14 points and Nassry recorded 12, as 11 different players found the score column. Tyler Beck contributed eight points and each of Porter, Scott Bauer and Ruisch added six.
Parkland, which improved to 14-8 overall and 12-4 in the conference, earned the fourth seed in the EPC Tournament and will host the fifth seed, Whitehall (17-5, 12-4) in the quarterfinal round on Friday night at Parkland High School. The winner will take on the winner of the top seed, Pocono Mountain West and the eighth seed, Freedom, in the semifinal round at PPL Center Tuesday night.