A Day of Triumph and Learning in Eastern Pennsylvania Conference Basketball

Bright sunlight streamed through the windows of historic Rockne Hall on Saturday afternoon as Parkland and Allentown Central Catholic concluded their rare Eastern Pennsylvania Conference boys basketball matinee. The sun seemed to shine especially brightly on the Trojans, who secured a 54-49 victory over the Vikings, ending a three-game losing streak.

This win marked a turning point for the Trojans, who had struggled in their previous games, scoring no more than 47 points in any of those contests. Tyler Beck led the way with 19 points, while Jude Ruisch added 16, helping Parkland improve to 7-4 overall and 6-1 in EPC play. Meanwhile, Allentown Central Catholic (ACCHS) dropped to 8-4, maintaining a 6-1 record in the conference.

The game was a back-and-forth battle, with both teams showing flashes of brilliance. Parkland started slowly, scoring just nine points in the first quarter and falling behind 16-9. However, Ruisch’s two 3-pointers helped the Trojans take a 27-26 lead at halftime. They extended their advantage in the third quarter with four more 3-pointers, building a 41-27 lead. Despite a 9-0 run by ACCHS in the fourth quarter, Parkland managed to pull away with 9 of 12 free throws.

“We were shooting good shots early, but they weren’t falling for us,” said Trojans coach Eddie Ohlson. “We trusted in each other to make the right plays and to make shots, and we did, and our defense fell in line. It was a good team win.”

Ohlson expressed optimism about the future, noting that key players TJ Lawrence and Javian Porter would soon return. He also highlighted the favorable schedule ahead, with four of the next five games against teams with losing records. The exception is a Jan. 10 matchup against Central York, the District 3 power that defeated Parkland in the Class 6A state finals last year.

For ACCHS, the loss came after a strong start to the season. The Vikings began 2-2 before winning six straight games. However, they lost to Pope John Paul II in the finals of their holiday tournament, which has left them searching for consistency.

“We’re slowly putting the pieces together,” said Vikings coach Dennis Csensits. “From a player’s perspective and a coaching standpoint, we’re still trying to figure things out. We’ve had some stretches where we played pretty well, and then we’ve had a couple of stretches like the first four minutes of the second half today where we were a little undisciplined and lost our assignments.”

Despite closing the gap to 51-46, the Vikings struggled with turnovers and missed shots, allowing Parkland to maintain control. Ruisch’s perfect free-throw performance in the final period sealed the victory for the Trojans, who now hold a 40-71 all-time record against the Vikings and a 6-7 edge in the past decade.

Beck and Ruisch each made four 3-pointers, and Parkland as a team hit 10 from beyond the arc. Beck emphasized the importance of learning from recent losses and coming back stronger.

“It’s always good to get a win in EPC play,” Beck said. “The teams we played over the break were really good. We have to learn from those losses and come back stronger. We’re good right now, but we can get a lot better, and we’ve got guys coming back soon that will make us a lot better and deeper.”

Ruisch, who has been working to regain his form after a slow start, noted that communication on defense was a key factor in the win. He also expressed confidence in the team’s direction.

“We had to get stops and knew that defense would lead to offense,” Ruisch said. “That helped us control the pace. This was big for us, especially being a league game. Javian and TJ coming back will be big for us. I feel good where we’re at. We’re on the rise, and we’re only going to get better.”

Other Saturday Games

In addition to the Parkland vs. ACCHS game, several other matchups took place across the region:

• Pocono Mountain West 70, Becahi 38: KJ Coles led the Panthers with 31 points, including seven 3-pointers, as they dominated the Golden Hawks.
• Blue Mountain 65, Northampton 58: Tyeirre Meade scored 24 points, and Cohen Werner added 16, helping the Eagles secure a win over the Konkrete Kids.
• Northwestern Lehigh 59, Kutztown 45: Mason Bollinger scored 20 points as the Tigers bounced back from a previous loss.
• Bangor 60, Palisades 40: Jason Marcantonis and Landon Childs led the Slaters to a decisive victory.
• Catasauqua 61, Argyl 30: Caiden Weaver contributed 13 points, and Frankie Pujols and Reece Lopez each added 12, marking coach Eric Snyder’s 400th career win.