Allen 84, Bethlehem Catholic 62 — Rapid Recap
In a spectacle of domination, the Allen boys basketball team used a 15-0 run in the second quarter to explode past Bethlehem Catholic 84-62 and win the EPC championship on Friday night in front of a buzzing sellout crowd at Freedom’s McIntyre Gymnasium.
Turning point: The Canaries led from the start as a Talek Williams 3-pointer got the crowd going seconds in, just a sign of what was to come. Soon it was a 22-15 lead that turned into 36-15 in s span of less than three minutes.
Allen scored a lot and scored quick, with plenty of buckets coming on the fast break — including a jaw-dropping through-the-legs alley-oop from Tyrese Martin to Williams in the first quarter.
The Canaries’ biggest lead was 31 points at 82-51 and 84-53 with 1:49 left in the game, at which point coach Doug Snyder officially called off the dogs and subbed in a fresh unit.
Top performer: Feeding off the standing room-only crowd, Williams led Allen with 20 points while Martin added 19 points and 11 rebounds. JJ Winslow (10 points), Tyrese Stewart (10 points), Carlos Gutierrez (9 points) and Ramel Johnson (8 points) also provided sparks at various points of the game.
Ryan Young turned in a 19-point, 13-rebound effort for the Golden Hawks while Justin Paz chipped in 18 points.
What it means: It’s the Canaries’ first league title since 2006, when they won the LVC, and it also serves as some sweet redemption — beating the team that ruined their shot at a perfect season in the regular season finale and also claiming the EPC championship that slipped away from them in overtime to Parkland last year.
While the first two meetings against Bethlehem Catholic were tight — a 53-52 Allen win and an overtime win for the Golden Hawks — this one was never in question after the second quarter.
Both teams will be in contention for District 11 gold — the Canaries in Class 6A and Becahi in 4A — when the tournaments start next week.
Greg Joyce may be reached at gjoyce@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @GJoyce9. Find Lehigh Valley high school sports on Facebook.
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