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PIAA 6A State Tournament quarterfinal
#12-3 FATHER JUDGE 58, #1-1 PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 54
(Box score provided courtesy of Ed Morlock/Times Herald: https://www.thereporteronline.com/2026/03/14/piaa-6a-boys-basketball-plymouth-whitemarshs-comeback-falls-short-against-father-judge/ )
It wasn’t supposed to end like this.
And three straight 3-pointers to open the game - one by Mani Sajid and two by Buddy Denard – gave the Colonials an early 9-2 lead and suggested that this could be their day.
But just as quickly as they’d gotten the lead, they lost it as the Crusaders answered with a 14-2 tear to go on top 16-11 after one quarter.
Another 3 by Denard and a three-point play by Michael Pereira put the Colonials on top 17-16. And after a Periera block gave the Colonials possession, Denard buried a pair from the foul line to give the Colonials a 19-16 advantage.
A hustle putback by Jack Hayes put the Colonials on top 26-21
Again, the Crusaders answered with eight straight and took a 29-26 lead into halftime. A bucket by Derrick Morton Rivera to open the third quarter capped a 10-0 Crusader run, giving the Crusaders a 31-26 advantage.
A Sajid three from deep pulled the Colonials within two, and after a basket by Rivera, Sajid buried another three to pull the Colonials within one.
Late in the quarter, Denard connected on a deep 3, evening the score 39-39, but the Crusaders closed out the quarter with four straight points to go into the final quarter with a 43-39 advantage.
The Crusaders opened up a 53-44 lead with just over two minutes remaining. Back-to-back baskets by Sajid pulled the Colonials within three (57-54) with one minute remaining. They forced back-to-back Judge turnovers but came up empty, and the Crusaders sealed the win with 1.9 seconds when Jeremiah Adedeji sank 1 of 2 at the foul line.
Plymouth Whitemarsh closed out its season with a 25-6 record overall and a District 1 6A title. They were 10-0 with an SOL Liberty Division title.
Father Judge 16-13-14-15 58
Plymouth Whitemarsh 11-15-13-15 54
Father Judge (58) – Rocco Westfield 2 0-0 6; Jeremiah Adedeji 5 1-4 12; Nazir Tyler 2 2-4 6; Max Moshinski 2 0-0 4; Derrick Morton Rivera 10 0-1 25; Ahmir Brown 2 0-0 5; TOTALS 23 3-9 58.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (54) – Jack Hayes 1 0-0 2; Mani Sajid 7 5-5 24; Michael Pereira 3 3-3 9; Buddy Denard 5 2-4 17; Micah Thompson 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 17 10-12 54.
3-point goals: FJ – Derrick Morton Rivera 5, Rocco Westfield 2, Jeremiah Adedji. Ahmir Brown; PW – Mani Sajid 5, Buddy Denard 5.
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