There was one weather-related make-up game on Thursday and it was a close crossover contest between the CACC’s two second-place teams. Here’s how it all shook out:
PHILADELPHIA 78 BLOOMFIELD 72
Derek Johnson totaled 22 points and six rebounds, while Nick Schlitzer scored 21 points (9-16 FG), including a dagger 3-pointer with 42 seconds to go as Philadelphia hung on to shade Bloomfield in North Jersey for its fifth straight win. The Rams led by as many as 11 points (29-18) with 7:02 to play in the first before the Bears closed out the half with a 14-6 flourish, culminating in a controversial triple by Marvin Williams prior to the buzzer as the clock stayed frozen at 3.5 after the inbounds pass, only starting after the shot went through the hoop. The officials deemed the shot was released on time nonetheless (a reasonable assessment upon further review) and the hosts had the momentum at intermission, trailing only 35-32. Philly U. pushed its advantage to 40-32 on a Johnson 3-pointer 50 seconds after play resumed but Bloomfield responded with a 22-9 run to jump in front 54-49 following a Williams lay-up with 12:30 left. Back came the Rams with an 18-8 upswing, claiming their own five-point lead after a Schlitzer jumper with 5:27 remaining, and the game remained tight the rest of the way. Eight seconds after Schlitzer’s well-defended trifecta made it 74-70, Claude Blue (13 points, 12 rebounds) scored in transition to halve the deficit. Philadelphia then turned it over on the baseline against the ensuing press, giving the hosts possession under their own basket. The Bears had two shots in the next 17 seconds – a runner that was blocked by Peter Alexis and an open 3-pointer by Ignacio Diez that rimmed at the 13-second mark. Johnson and Alexis, who posted 12 points, nine rebounds and four rejections, closed out the scoring with two free throws apiece over the final 11 seconds. T.J Huggins quietly constructed another impressive, all-around game for the winners with 16 points (8-11 FG), five rebounds and six assists (zero turnovers) for the Rams, who went the entire game without substituting. Williams – who accounted for Bloomfield’s first 12 points – finished with 26 (4-6 from deep), along with six boards and four assists (also with no turnovers) in 38 minutes. The Bears - who were better on the boards (43-30, including 17-5 on the offensive end) - also received 14 points (6-9 FG) from Nick Davidson in a reserve role. Both sides made 7-of-17 from beyond the arc and nearly mirrored each other in the assist-turnover department (PU 13/8, BC 12/8) but Philadelphia was the more accurate shooting team (53%-43%), which ultimately made the biggest difference in the outcome.