RECAP >> They may come from two different leagues and two different area codes, but every time Emmaus and Abington Heights meet they always deliver a treat for the fans.
Last year, when the Hornets made the trek north up the Pennsylvania Turnpike, the two teams battled to an instant classic with the Comets winning 58-55 in overtime snapping Emmaus’ season-long seven-game win streak.
When the two met again on Saturday at ‘The Hive’, it was another thriller and unfortunately for the Hornets, a similar result.
Playing at home for the first time all season and putting its unbeaten 4-0 mark on the line, Emmaus battled to the end against the perennial District 2 power, but Abington Heights proved to be too much in the final minutes of the game as they handed the Hornets their first loss of the season 63-58.
The Hornets, who were back on the court less than 24 hours after a 29-point rout at Nazareth on Friday, had a one-point lead with 1:30 left in regulation but a couple of costly turnovers down the stretch turned into points for the Comets as they opened up their season with a five-point road win.
Abington Heights was deadly from beyond the arc as they drained 10 3-pointers and used a balanced scoring attack with nearly all five starters reaching double figures.
Mason Fedor led the Comets with a game-high 16 points, Ryan Nealon chipped in 15 and Jordan Shaffer and Robby Lucas added 12 and 11, respectively. Will Marion just missed double digits with nine.
Emmaus, which dropped to 4-1 on the season, was led by senior Will Barber who shared scoring honors with Fedor finishing with 16 points before fouling out late in the game. Senior Jametric Harris chipped in 12, junior Rafael Terrero added a career-high 11 and senior Teague McCourt nine for the Hornets who shot just 50 percent from the free-throw line (7 of 14) compared to Abington Heights blistering 93 percent (13 of 14).
The Hornets will look to bounce back on Tuesday when they return to league play hosting Allen at 7 p.m.
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Abington Heights 63, Emmaus 58
AB – Mason Fedor 6 4-5 16, Will Marion 3 2-2 9, Ryan Nealon 3 6-6 15, Jordan Shaffer 4 0-0 12, Robby Lucas 5 1-1 11, A. Kettel 0 0-0 0, G. Curtin 0 0-0 0. Totals: FG 20, FT 13-14, 3s (10) – Shaffer 4, Nealon 3, Lucas 2
Em – Teague McCourt 4 0-0 9, Jametric Harris 4 4-6 12, Mike Rooney 1 0-0 3, Jack Curley-Katrishen 1 0-0 2, Will Barber 7 1-3 16, Rafael Terrero 5 1-4 11, Jack Csensits 2 1-1 5, Owen Hafner 0 0-0 0, Matt Volquez 0 0-0 0. Totals: FG 24, FT 7-14, 3s (3) – McCourt, Rooney, Barber
AB – 19-21-9-14 – 63
Em – 18-18-11-11 – 58