Wednesday, January 25, 2012
North comes back from 12-point, second-half deficit
NEWTOWN — The current version of the Abington boys' basketball team has reached the point where moral victories and excuses don't exist. A loss is still a loss, even one that started out as a big win against one of the District 1's top teams. By the end of Tuesday night at Council Rock North's gym, the Ghosts failed to hold a 14-point lead, and the Indians stormed back to a 65-56 win in a crucial Suburban One League National Conference match-up. "You have to give credit to Council Rock North," Abington coach Charles Grasty said. "They hit some tough shots. Our guys did what we asked them to do. They stepped back and hit threes. It's hard to guard that. They've won 11 straight for a reason. It's not like we're losing to teams with zero …
Friday, December 16, 2011
Abington improves to 3-0 behind key baskets from Morrisey, Durham and Simmons
NESHAMINY — The sequence played out as needed for an Abington boys' basketball team searching for momentum, and a trio of Ghosts juniors led the charge. Jiere Morrisey, Anthony Durham and Jordan Simmons each made key buckets during the closing minutes at Neshaminy, and Abington held off the Redskins, 43-41, Thursday night. "We look at it as trying to step up and be leaders," Durham said. "We want the ball in our hands." Abington trailed 23-9 at halftime of the Suburban One League contest, falling into the bad habit of taking quick three-point jumpers instead of moving the ball around the perimeter to create better scoring opportunities. During the break, Abington's second-year head coach Charles Grasty reminded his team of the importance…
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Guard Jabril Trawick heads to Georgetown this fall
PHILADELPHIA — Seconds into a charity All-Star Game, Jabril Trawick flew toward the rim with his eye on a quickly approaching basketball. In one motion, the airborne athlete grabbed the ball and slammed it through the net. Minutes later, there he was again, this time on defense, swatting a ball from an opponent who thought he had a clear shot. Later still, Trawick dished to an open teammate for an easy three. Though he was performing with the area's best high-school talent in the annual event for seniors, the Abington Friends student turned the afternoon into his personal dunking contest. "I've seen that a lot," teammate Kenneth Johnson said. "He'll take over games." The senior standout thrilled the crowd Sunday at La Salle University, who…
Sunday, February 20, 2011
The Ghosts lose to North Penn 49-42 in the first round of the PIAA District 1 Class AAAA tournament
To tweak a recent analogy from Abington girls basketball coach Dan Marsh, the Galloping Ghosts slid down a greased pole to a surprisingly quick end of the season. Abington let a game slip away against North Penn, losing 49-42 in the first round of the PIAA District 1 Class AAAA tournament, ending their chance to repeat at champs. "It's tremendously disappointing because I felt the seniors deserved a better way to go out," Marsh said. "But I'm so glad for them that we were able to win the championship last year because they deserve it. Had we not done that, this loss would have been a lot tougher to swallow. They helped turn this program around." The Ghosts finished 14-9 a year after going 25-5 last season, and ended a string of four …
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Updated with date and time of playoff game at No. 16 North Penn; Abington boys miss the playoff cut by 0.25 points
Abington basketball coaches Dan Marsh and Charles Grasty walked out of Sunday's District 1 seeding meeting with different agendas. Marsh must prepare his 17th-ranked girls squad — the defending District 1 champions — for a road game at No. 16 North Penn, Saturday at 3:30 p.m. Grasty has to say goodbye to his players after a season that ended without a playoff berth. "We've had two real good practices, and the focus is back," Marsh said. "It doesn't matter what we were in the regular season, since everybody starts over at 0-0. We have more playoff experience than North Penn. Hopefully, that will be a factor." Marsh had been disappointed in a late-season loss to William Tennent that ultimately cost the Ghosts a higher position in the PIAA …
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Head coach Dan Marsh said he is tired of taking things out of losses; Abington may have affected its seeding in the playoffs with the loss
WARMINSTER — The embarrassment suffered Tuesday night served as a necessary gut check, or foreshadowed a quick postseason for the Abington girls basketball team. It's up to the Galloping Ghosts to decide. The Galloping Ghosts put forth their most frigid effort on one of winter's coldest nights, losing 41-25 to a William Tennent team it had beaten handily earlier in the year. Scoring a season-low 25 points, which included a two-point second quarter and an 11-for-55 performance from the floor, stoked the ire of head coach Dan Marsh, who held a lengthy postgame meeting with his team. "I don't get it," Marsh said. "It was uninspired, terrible basketball, and this team is too experienced and too good to pull a game like they did tonight. This …
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Abington gets the win despite turning the ball over 11 times in the first quarter
The less manicured baskets at Armstrong Middle School had rims that seemed to reject free throws, and the air in musty gym appeared to force wayward passes. Somehow, Abington endured. Playing without guard Chynna West for hopefully their final time this season, the Galloping Ghosts beat the Bensalem Lady Owls 49-36 Friday, amid a turnover-filled effort that may not bode well for sustainability in the PIAA district tournament. "It's just a bad night with the turnovers and free throws," Abington head coach Dan Marsh said. "Fortunately, we were still good enough to come out with a win. It's a tough place to play, and we've never played well here. We've got to play better than this if we want to go far in districts." Because Bensalem High …
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Abington boys basketball head coach Charles Grasty calls loss 'the same story'
HOLLAND TOWNSHIP — Darian McFadden lay U-shaped on the Council Rock South court, gripping his right leg in obvious pain. His coach, Charles Grasty, slowly walked over, then, just as slowly, returned to the Abington bench. His star forward joined him a moment later, head in hands, searching for comfort. The real pain came for the Galloping Ghosts nearly 4:18 later, when McFadden's jumper fell in front of the rim and was recovered by South, spoiling a last-ditch attempt in a 46-45 loss to the Golden Hawks Tuesday. "I knew it was short," said McFadden, who returned with just more than two minutes left in the game. "I thought I was going to make it, but when it left my hand, it went short." The failed attempt may serve as a metaphor for …
