Connect with us

Basketball

Pickens, Sambuchino Lead Prep Past Mars, Into PIAA 5A Quarterfinals

Cathedral Prep's Jake Sambuchino. Photo Cathedral Prep athletics.

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – Amaree Pickens and Jake Sambuchino combined for 46 points as Cathedral Prep powered past Mars, 66-54 to advance to the PIAA quarterfinals.

Pickens scored 25 points and Sambuchino 21 for the Ramblers (23-3), who advanced to the PIAA quarterfinals for the second time in the last three seasons (they won the state title in 2021).

The second quarter was key for Prep. Leading by three, 17-14 after the first quarter, the Ramblers went on a 19-9 run to take a 36-23 halftime lead.

Prep led by 13, 53-40 after the third quarter, and took its largest lead of the game, 58-40, on a Sambuchino 3 early in the fourth.

Mars didn’t go down without a fight, however.

                                      

A 3 by Tassao Sfanos, who scored a game-high 26 points, capped a 12-0 run and got Mars (17-11) to within six at 58-52, but Prep closed the game on an 8-2 spurt to advance.

Tavion Spencer added nine points for the Ramblers.

Remi Black was also in double figures for Mars with 10 points, while Ryan Ceh added nine.

The win by Prep sets up a showdown with WPIAL champion Penn Hills in the quarterfinals. Penn Hills knocked off Hershey, 50-52.

That quarterfinal game will be on Friday, March 17 at a site and time to be determined.

                          
                       

More in Basketball