BOYS BASKETBALL: Jurrell Young’s strong 4th quarter helps Pottstown hold off Norristown

WEST NORRITON — Jurrell Young had a slow start Friday night but teammate Dillon Mayes encouraged the Pottstown senior to keep his focus.

“He know I’m a shooter, he just told me to stay in the flow even though I wasn’t getting the ball in the first half,” Young said. “I just had to stay in the moment and really just shine when it’s needed.”

Young shone brightest in the fourth quarter. Scoreless in the Trojans boys basketball team’s non-conference contest with host Norristown until a pair of baskets in the third, Young posted the final period’s first five points then knocked down two clutch 3-pointers – the second putting Pottstown up 67-61.

“I just tell myself I’m a shooter, so I’m going to keep shooting until the sun goes down,” Young said.

Abdul Jackson’s two free throws with 1:50 remaining had the Trojans up 69-61 but the preview of next week’s PAC tournament opening-round matchup was far from settled.

Five straight points pulled Norristown within 69-67 with 1:09 left while Jayden Byrd converting on a drive had the Eagles down just 70-69 at 12.5 seconds. Jackson, however, hit two more at the line at 6.3 seconds and Norristown could not get off another shot, Pottstown holding on for the 72-69 victory.

“It was stressful,” Young said. “It was a stressful two, three minutes left in the game.  And we just told our self we just got to slow down but turnovers happen and then we fell back but we had to keep getting our self up during these timeouts, so really just talk to each other, really got each on no matter what.”

Young scored 13 of the Trojans’ 22 fourth-quarter points in finishing with 17. Abdul Jackson paced Pottstown (16-5, 10-3 PAC, 8-2 PAC Frontier) with 21 points, Mayes had 12 of his 15 points before halftime while Sadeeq Jackson added 13 points.

Byrd had 14 of his game-high 24 points in the first half for Norristown (12-10, 7-6 PAC, 4-6 PAC Liberty) which came into the game holding the 24th and final playoff qualifying spot in the District 1-6A rankings.

The Eagles’ chances to make that field were aided earlier Friday when they were awarded a forfeit win over Dobbins, which were found to have used an ineligible player. Norristown lost to the Philadelphia Public League side 81-72 Jan. 13.

Norristown coach Chris Podsobinski felt good about his team’s district chances if it could top Pottstown, but Eagles now have to sweat it out until the District 1 seeding meeting on Sunday, Feb. 11.

“Dobbins thing kind of threw me for a loop today cause we got a win but it’s a win against a team with no wins so we moved a teeny bit up on our points,” Podsobinski said. “Our schedule’s been tough – 12-10, I think in every year it usually gets you in, this year I don’t know. I told them we kind of got to play the waiting game and hope the numbers work out our way.”

Kevin Bonds scored 14 points for Norristown, which had a three-game win streak snapped. Myon Kirlew chipped in 12 points.

The Eagles secured their spot in the PAC playoffs Thursday with an 80-70 win at Owen J. Roberts and as the sixth seed takes on No. 3 Pottstown Wednesday at Perkiomen Valley.

The Trojans, fifth in the District 1-5A rankings, beat the Eagles in last season’s PAC first round 65-61 before falling to Spring-Ford in double overtime in the semifinals 71-66.

“I feel like next game we play them, we know what to do,” said Young of the rematch with Norristown. “We go into the game, we’re expecting what they’re going to do and then we’re just going to capitalize off that.”

Pottstown trailed 54-50 entering Friday’s fourth quarter before Young’s 5-0 personal run had the Trojans up a point. A Sadeeq Jackson basket made it 57-54

Miles Daniels’ 3-pointer had Norristown even with a Kirlew bucket giving the Eagles a 59-57 edge.

An Abdul Jackson two knotted things at 59 before Young drained a triple from the left wing then collected a basket for a 64-59 Pottstown lead.

Byrd scored on a drive but Young buried another three, this one from the right wing to put the Trojans up six.

“It just started on defense and it lead into offense,” Young said. “So when I locked in on defense, my adrenaline pumped up so I was able to hit some shots in the clutch.”

Abdul Jackson’s two free throws at 1:50 had Pottstown’s lead at eight only for a Byrd bucket then both Bonds and Byrd hitting a pair from the line to cut the margin to 69-67 with 1:09 remaining.

Mayes put the Trojans up 70-67 making the second of two free throws at 51.8 seconds. Norristown missed a corner three, the rebound going out of bounds to Pottstown, which proceeded to toss an errant pass, giving the Eagles back possession at 34.9 seconds.

Norristown could not convert on a drive but the Trojans missed two free throws then were called for a double dribble with 22.6 seconds left. Kirlew got down the lane for a layin to make it 70-69.

With 6.3 seconds, Abdul Jackson was fouled and hit both free throws, putting Pottstown up 72-69. Looking to tie, the Eagles could not get off a shot and an off-target pass went out of bounds with just 0.2 to go.

“I thought the end, we kind of ran out of time,” Podsobinski said. “That’s been our M.O. in a lot of close games, we did it with PV, we did it with Methacton, Spring-Ford we fought tight, we came back. We got to be better to start the second half – start the second half, put ourselves in a better spot, that’s kind of our Achilles heel right now.”

In the second quarter, a 7-0 run capped by a Bonds three-point play with 3.7 seconds left gave Norristown its largest lead at 38-26. However, Sadeeq Jackson banked in a half-court shot at the buzzer to make it 38-29 at the break.

Pottstown began the third with 10 straight points – Sadeeq Jackson hitting a corner three to put the Trojans up 39-38. A Sadeeq Jackson 3-point play had Pottstown leading 44-41 at 4:23 before Norristown retook the advantage with a six-point burst.

Abdul Jackson’s basket had the Trojans ahead 48-47 but the Eagles ended the third on a 7-2 run, Bonds’ putback before the buzzer making it 54-50.

Pottstown 72, Norristown 69Pottstown 14 15 21 22 – 72Norristown 18 20 16 15 – 69Pottstown: Abdul Jackson 9 0 5-7 23; Jurrell Young 5 2 1-4 17; Dillon Mayes 4 2 1-2 15; Sadeeq Jackson 3 2 1-1 13; DiMark Lyons 2 0 0-0 4; Totals 23 6 8-14 72.Norristown: Jayden Byrd 11 0 2-4 24; Kevin Bonds 4 1 3-3 14; Myon Kirlew 5 2-2 12; Miles Daniels 1 2 0-0 8; Rashon Giddens 2 0 0-0 4; Pete Van Duyne 2 0 0-0 4; Tyson Tuggle 0 1 0-0 3; Totals 25 4 7-9 69.