BETHLEHEM — Abington Heights withstood an early onslaught, but Archbishop Wood used a strong second-half effort to defeat the Comets, 68-57, in a PIAA Class 5A semifinal boys basketball game Tuesday night at Freedom High School.

Archbishop Wood made 6 of 8 3-point attempts in the first quarter to take a 16-11 lead. Wood’s Andrew Funk came off the bench to score 11 of his 17 points in the quarter. Matt Cerruti also scored six of his 11 points in the first for the Vikings.

“They really deserved it, they made everything,” Abington Heights junior guard/forward Jackson Danzig said. “We tried to work back into the game and give it our all.”

Abington Heights (25-4) started the second quarter with an 11-4 run that was punctuated by a rebound and basket from George Tinsley to cut the Comets’ deficit to three points with 2:44 left in the first half. Seth Maxwell scored six of his game-high 23 points during the spurt.

“I knew we needed to put points on the board because they have good scorers,” Maxwell said. “We’ve been working hard and gelling very well as a team.”

Archbishop Wood senior guard Collin Gillespie, a Villanova recruit, who led the Vikings with 18 points, seven assists and three steals, scored a basket just before halftime to stretch the lead back to five.

“Every time we had a run and started to get some momentum they knocked down a big shot and it was tough to crawl out of the hole,” Comets senior point guard Tommy Rothenberger said.

Despite the loss, Rothenberger will have positive memories from the team’s journey through the district and state playoffs.

“To make this run as a senior and go the farthest any Abington (Heights) team has gone is pretty special,” he said.

Danzig, who finished with 13 points and eight assists, hit a 3-pointer to pull the Comets within two with 2:21 left in the third quarter, but the Vikings scored six straight to end the quarter, capped by a putback by Funk at the buzzer after Danzig blocked his initial attempt.

Archbishop Wood (27-3) began the fourth quarter with a 7-2 run, but Trey Koehler, who contributed 15 points and four assists, answered by knocking down consecutive baskets to bring the Comets back within eight with 4:18 remaining in the fourth.

“Every time they went on a run, we came back with a big shot,” Koehler said. “It was an honor to play with these guys.”

A basket by Tinsley cut the Vikings lead to seven with 1:46 left in the game.

“We knew we could stick with that team and we never quit,” Tinsley, a sophomore forward, said. “This team has a lot of heart and we kept coming back.”

Danzig scored 82 points during the Comets four state playoff games, but the loss leaves some unfinished business.

“It makes me want to get to the championship next year,” Danzig said. “It’s great to have one more year with Trey and George. They are two great young players.”

Comets hold off Chester to reach state semis

BETHLEHEM — Jackson Danzig scored 18 of his game-high 30 points in the two overtime periods to help the Comets defeat Chester, 65-61, in double overtime, in the quarterfinals of the PIAA Class 5A boys basketball playoffs March 19 at Liberty High School.

The Comets had a 29-18 halftime lead, but Chester (22-7) wouldn’t go down without a fight.

Ahrod Carter, who scored a team-high 23 points, cut the Clippers’ deficit to five points after making his fourth of six 3-pointers in the game with 5:23 left in the fourth quarter.

Jordan Camper scored off an offensive rebound to give Chester its first lead of the game, 43-41, with 37 seconds left in regulation, but Danzig drove by his defender and converted a reverse layup to send the game into overtime.

Michael Smith hit two 3-pointers and Sudan sank a free throw to put Chester up five with 1:04 left. Danzig answered with a 3-pointer and basket off an assist from center Seth Maxwell to force a second overtime.

Danzig scored 10 points and assisted on a basket by Tinsley in the second overtime.

Maxwell, who finished with 18 points, eight blocks and seven rebounds, scored six in the first quarter to help Abington Heights build a 10-6 lead.

Tinsley scored nine of his 11 points in the second quarter. He also contributed 18 rebounds and three assists.

Trey Koehler had six points, five assists and three steals for Abington Heights while Tommy Rothenberger added five assists.

Comets top Cougars in double OT thriller

ALLENTOWN — Trey Koehler scored 10 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter and first overtime, despite being hobbled after a collision and hard fall in the fourth, to help the Comets hold off Martin Luther King, 65-60, in double overtime, in the second round of the PIAA Class 5A boys basketball playoffs March 17 night at Parkland High School.

Comets junior Jackson Danzig also came up big down the stretch, scoring 11 of his game-high 25 points in the fourth quarter and two overtime periods.

Danzig also made one of the biggest defensive plays of the game, stealing an inbounds pass and firing the ball ahead to teammate George Tinsley, who scored 11 points and grabbed seven rebounds, for a layup to give Abington Heights a 63-60 lead with 17 seconds left in the second overtime.

Abington Heights went up by seven points after a basket by Tinsley with three minutes left in the third quarter, but Martin Luther King (21-10) cut the deficit back to three at the end of the quarter.

Danzig scored off a pass from Tinsley with 12 seconds left in the first overtime, but McNair answered with a basket off an assist from Kiah-El just before the buzzer to send the game to a second overtime.

Abington Heights’ Trey Koehler attemps a shot as Archbishop Wood’s Andrew Funk defends during a PIAA Class 5A boys basketball semifinal game March 21 at Bethlehem Freedom High School.
http://www.theabingtonjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/web1_ABJ-AH-Koehler.jpg.optimal.jpgAbington Heights’ Trey Koehler attemps a shot as Archbishop Wood’s Andrew Funk defends during a PIAA Class 5A boys basketball semifinal game March 21 at Bethlehem Freedom High School. Stephanie Walkowski | For Abington Journal

Abington Heights’ Jackson Danzig drives to the basket as Archbishop Wood’s Seth Pinkney closes on defense during a PIAA Class 5A boys basketball semifinal game March 21.
http://www.theabingtonjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/web1_ABJ-AH-Danzig.jpg.optimal.jpgAbington Heights’ Jackson Danzig drives to the basket as Archbishop Wood’s Seth Pinkney closes on defense during a PIAA Class 5A boys basketball semifinal game March 21. Stephanie Walkowski | For Abington Journal

Abington Heights center Seth Maxwell, who scored a game-high 23 points, glides to the hoop during a PIAA Class 5A boys basketball semifinal game against Archbishop Wood March 21.
http://www.theabingtonjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/web1_ABJ-AH-Maxwell.jpg.optimal.jpgAbington Heights center Seth Maxwell, who scored a game-high 23 points, glides to the hoop during a PIAA Class 5A boys basketball semifinal game against Archbishop Wood March 21. Stephanie Walkowski | For Abington Journal

By Robert Tomkavage

rtomkavage@timesleader.com

Reach Robert Tomkavage at 570-704-3941 or on Twitter @rtomkavage.