Ryan Nealon’s fast start gave Abington Heights the cushion it needed to get past visiting Murrell Dobbins Tech from Philadelphia, 67-56, Saturday in a Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Class 5A boys basketball first-round game.
Nealon scored a career-high 26 points, including 15 in the first quarter.
After hitting three 3-pointers while helping the District 2 champions to an 18-10 lead after one quarter, Nealon hit two more in the second quarter. It was his second straight five 3-pointer effort after also hitting that many in the previous weekend’s district final at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza.
Dobbins outscored Abington Heights, 21-10, in the third quarter to get within 49-47.
Robby Lucas then scored 7 of his 10 points in the fourth quarter, with the help of a three-point play. Will Marion had 5 of his 10, making both foul shots, along with a 3-pointer.
Nealon was 3-for-4 from the line in the fourth quarter as the team went 7-for-11 to finish 15-for-25.
Mason Fedor scored 12 points in the win.
Saleem Hudson made four 3-pointers in the first half and led Dobbins with 16 points.
Kareem Diaz had 7 during the third-quarter comeback and 10 of his 14 during the second half.
Jareell Little and Zachery Campbell each scored six points in the third. They finished with 11 and 10 points respectively.
Abington Heights (22-4) faces District 11 runner-up Pocono Mountain West (22-6) in the second round in a game that is scheduled for Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Hazleton Area.
Elsewhere in the first round of the PIAA Class 5A boys tournament:
West Philadelphia 54, West Scranton 50
West Philadelphia rallied from 13 down to defeat West Scranton in a game at Scranton High.
The Invaders shut out the Speedboys in the first quarter, 10-0.
They led 27-15 at halftime and 40-31 going to the fourth quarter.
Elijah Hester went 8-for-11 from the line while leading West Philadelphia with 26 points.
Hester had 11 points in the third quarter, then Makel Butts scored of his 9 in the fourth quarter.
Tristan Lee had five points and joined Chris Ogden in hitting 3-pointer in the first quarter.
Ogden, who finished with a team-high 17 points, hit two more 3-pointers in the second quarter and five total in the game.
Lee finished with 14 points.
The Invaders finished 14-12.
